New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-03-05
DEPARTMENT or THE INTERIOR.
AN ADMINISTRATION MARKED By lNTEG
RITY. COURAGE AND CONSISTENCY.

IIarr,on's judgment when lie selected General Noble
as its chief II has been marked by integrity courage
and consistency strangely In contrast with the dreamy,
validating and ncrvelcss administrations OF secretary
Lamar and the crratc proceedings of General NoDe'
immediate predecessor Secretary Villas. The 1ntr or
department Is one which requires most careful,
prudent but at the same time firm. hand to conduct
ifs busincss In addition to this It's CHEZ must be
n man possessed Of legal knowledge Of very diver'l-
fed character. II is not every lawyer thaJ couhi
venture to SIT in Judgment patent cases, on lani
grant conflicts. pension appeals. without miSSVngS
OF very serious nature. il he would conScientlonsN
decide the cases submitted to him on their merits
and not trust entirely to the judgment Of n sub
ordinate That secretary Noble need feel no mis-
pvings on that score has been shown more than
once by the equitable and satisfactory disposition H.
has made OF q number OF cases within the past year
in which he acted as the final court Of appeal.
An idea may be gained Of the magnitude o. the
interests confdcd 10 the secretary Of the Interior when
II is remembered that his Department embraces the
General Land Office which las within tS jurisdiction
all the pulic lands of the United states, q, Patent
Office tho Pension Bureau. the Bureau OF lhdlal
Affairs the Burcau of Education. the bureau "i
Railroads the Census the Geological survey inc
Utah Commission. the Architect OF the CAPITOL inc
Hot springs Reservation I'm Arkansas. and the yellow
Stone National Park. It, moreover has to take super
vision of a number of charitable Institutions III inc
ni,rict If Columbia All the Territories also come
,,,dc~ thc Secrctarys supervision, and look 10 mn
for guidance In matters Of dispute or diih'uNy III
cludIng oklahoma. which Is yet between incro
domain and organized Territory
IMPORTANT REFoHMS IN THE LAND oftl'H.
Tho Land Office is probably the most important Of
the different bureaus Of the Department. ~ su'h
II has made for Itself within the last year RECORD
which on the who'll. is crcditablc To Us hean'
commissioner Croft. There have been few short
,frflu he
mont Of the Dulnih Land Office and what seems 10
,,ve hecn the connvancc on the part Of limited
r,ricr of clerks i'm the Office here which made such
condition ~ affairs possible. but this is amply onset
hv N. prompt investigation which was set on foot
and which will. within short time. nhdohD'c'l' ia"
,o the punishment of the guilty men.
81 ,he very ont.ct Of his administration the Com
ri.-louer If the General Land onicc wa, 'ohi'"n'u
..,, cha Fact that there had accumulated 10000
,,-es over and above any former amount Inc cause
or .uch a state Of affairs not far to seek Com
i.l,,er sharks. In APRIL le-j. had issued an order
aor which final action upon all entries Of the pubic
lands except private cash entries and such scrip lo'a
tlous A. were not dependent npon acts 81 se'uo"o"
and cultivation. suspended IN iAIe' s''uo"' Va
terr,,ory ont West, well as upon All unpcr '"'-
nader the Act oi June J. i-'7 ana ulo" -" '''' ~
a..ert land entries. This order was SUBSTANTIALLY a."
,,,,,.,, ~ 4 large body Of citizens without regard
ia I'd!
IN. Ne, The source ~ such az order can De 'fa' -
i, ., a, u;f.r disregard Of the private r'plA'l""
o., Integrity II those citizens who had settled lH ''
,,., Western domain. The commissioner VIC '"'
p,rt.s, In this broad accusation by "u''' WIN" Wv
General Land once and Ind not rie "''''" ="
r.nir,ops nature interviewed. tn, ''NG-" III "'"'"
IA, have brought upon the country h'' ""'' wv
Greatest disgrace. but possibly Internal 'i''"'''O"
., lou. rro,ort,nn. II led Immediately to VAST
tod la
-s-.n.nt ~ settlement upon the public DOMAIN
Tho contentious Of Commissioner sparks anu wv
rcpeated snubs he received AT the h"'iu' Va
r,,r ,r,, old stories. ont II them gre" t''o c''"'
rsbm,ut Of division " re-rcvia"' WHICH, "''''V"
,, ,, relief only threw every thing III "o'N'
disorder than ever, and simply iurn''"'" 90. r
nnicc with a prc,ext for Withholding piieHl' """'
ga, ,,,,.rs nm e,e public domain. IL was the H'S'
- ,,htch the Republican Administration tooA Ia
cha r,v ~ reform in the Land once wl'h ." July
Il ,--y this division abolished ana the io''''
c,.e, then pending before 1t we're sent oa'A - '''
the, had come from, examined and pFo'hpuF va
po.cd d. A. result large number OF patents "''0
granted. , .,,
land pa;ents was not only one Of Justice Du' II A
hecn responded t. by greatly Increased 'o""u'n''
an IN, mart OF the people In the sympathy OF the
Government for them In their pioneer lives ana III
H. DISPOSITION to protect them In Their ho"'' '''
property There Is. however, no dlsp-"''o" " '''''
the examination Of claims TO an extent that VIII pc
NIT fraud 10 grow Illegal claims I" De e''"o",
nm IN. contrary greater vigilance than ever has been
e,aetd in these particulars. LAT thit 'i1i'i.o =
directed 10 the examination of records ana e'I",".o
IN each Individual claim. and 1t Is not exhibited III
Wholesale SUI pcion and general SUSPENSIONS F'o''
many claims deemed Illegal are no" ""'"' "N''"s'
ton and many cases now pending ior ra"u"''"' 81
fractions Of the laws will be prosecuted. Inc most
notorious Of such fraudulent claims are ra''u - va
.,,,,,s seeking b. obtain the public domain Tor
corpora,. purposes through pretended settlements 81
Individuals These matters are undergoing ''r''
Inca. ti,.ton and will be decided the law requires.
vi,h,ut resard to the rcsultr that may ihll upon
those who think that because they invest great sums
If money in particular enterprise which Il. IL
beginning Is Illegal they should be protected '"'o'
ON because Of the ruin that wOnld foHow from
,ci,,n against them. The purpose OF the Admins
tratlou Is to besow the lands for hoincscms ac'o'u
inc TO law and not according to individual or corporate
desires.
An important feature OF the work performed by tho
Land once within the last twelve months Is tho
SUSPENSION Of less than 2l,6dO,oi6 acres OF rai'
road grants. pending legislation for orieltui'S by ION
,r,s II legislative action should be had on these
grants IL would restore 10 the public domain Absolutely
and open to settlement large tracts OF land now closed
~ the pioneer. In other directions the Kepubicah
admin ,tmtion OF the Land once has likewise az
TEMPTED TO restore to the public domain grants nov
fairly earned, and In many cases IL la7 succecd"i'
witness tho forfeiture Of the grants TO the state OF
Michigan TO aid In the construction of railroad from
Marquette to Ontonagon
PATENT OFFICE
Tho last year has been In many ways all exceptional
one in the history OF the Patent Office The revenues
OF the Bureau amounting TO sl,2sl.7.5 oo, have er
ceeded the total for any preceding year BY more tai
500 oOO Tho list Of patents issued foot' up total
~ "a l5s which exceeds the issue Of any one previous
year except that Of 1856 while the number Of applI
cations fled the pulse Of the inventive activity ana
prosperity Of the country, reached 4l5,7Oo. when Is
nearly 5000 In excess Of any previous year
This IS the centennial year Of the patent system
which was established by law on April 10, 100 a.
the result OF the recommendation OF President washing
TON Iuade I'm his messagc OF JanmarY :. 100. Tho