Year: 1859

ruary last, one hundred and four thousand


nine hundred and twenty acres have beer


sold. Ot this amount. eightv-five thousand


nine hundred and twenty-four acres were


taken by actual settlers In this amount i:


included seven thousand seven hundred and


eighty acres upon which nothing has yet


been paid. being booked to settlers under


Sec. of the Act, giving them the privi.


lege to make the one-tourth payment at any
time within one year from the passage o.
the Act.


Besides this, three hundred and twenty
acres were sOld>to settlers prior to the ras-
sage Of the Act, and since my la>i annual
report. under the Preemp,ion Act Of l.l5.


The amount received into the treasury To
this date. on the proceeds Of the sales of all
these lands, is S62,S97 o..


The aggregate amount of the sales i.
sl22,2 ,2S7 o.. The minimum price of
these lands, fixed by law at one dollar and
twenty-five cents per acre, and but one
fourth being required down, to actual set
tiers, and the balance in ten years thereaf-
ter, at an annual interest of seven per cent,
has given very general satisfaction.


But the requirement by law of persons
desiring to settle, of making their aflidavits
before the Commissioner only, it is thought
should be dispensed with, as a useless bur
then upon those living at distance from
the Land Office, amounting in many in
stances to ali absolute barrier of purchase
by poOe men, for settlement. who are unable
to bear the extra expense of this mode of
obtaining their certificate of title Iwould
therefore respectfully suggest the impor-
tance of such modification of this feature
Of the law. that any person desiring to set
tie upon these lands can do so by making
the required affidavit before any person IN
his town or county properly qualified to ad
minister an oath. and forwarding the same
10 the Land Office; and if satisfactory to
the Commissioner, and accompanied by the
required oDe-fourth payment down. that the
certificate be issued upon such satisfactory
affidavit, and be returned to the applicant,
as he or she may direct This was the
practice by the applicants as adjoining own
ers and settlers, under Sec. 9 of this law,
and it was found to work equally as safe
aud satisfactory to the interests Of the State,
and all concerned, as when the affidavit was
made before the Commissioner, and saved
the settler living remote from the Land Of
fee, and unable to bear it. much unneces-
sary travel and expense


All of this class of lands have been ad-
vertised according to law and brought into
market, for which patents have been receiv-
ed and the re-surveys perfected by the gen.
eral government.


The amount is 4,526, ,s92 67-100 acres,
and the COS, of advertising sl2,55i - of
The $4,000 allowed by the law for adver-
Using the same by full descriptions in every
county in which paper was published at
he time Of the passage Of the law The
balance Of these lands ye; unpatented and
still out of market in the State,
and where located. can be seen by reference
% the annual report of this department of
December 1st, 1857. 1t is respectfully
submitted whether general notice cf the
public sale of the balance of these lands, un-
Ter the restrictions Of the present law, as
hey may from time to time be patented to
he State, iastead of full descriptions as re-
Iuired by the present law. would not be
amply sufficient for all practical purposes of
bringing them into market for private entry.


have been assured by His ExceIlensy
the Governor, upon whom it devolves more
to call for the patents of these
lands from the general government. that
they will be made out and forwarded at the
very earliest practicable period This is
much to be desired, as numerous applica-
tions have already been made for their pur-
chase for settlement and cultivation, by per-
sons living in their Immediate vicinity, as
we'll as from many others resident in and
out of the State.


A portion of the unpatented lands, as will
be seen by my report of December ], 1857,
being located in counties considerably set
tied, have essentially retarded the settle
ment and cultivation of these lands in some
Of these counties Such has been the
eagerness TO settle upon some Of these lands
that many have already done so, before and
since the passage Of the present law, trust
ing in the good faith of the State. that it
would at its next session Ie-enact the main
features of the law Of 1858, favoring set
tiers and adjoining owners, with such mod
ifcations as might seem called for. to take
effect as soon as these lands shall be patent
ed to the State, and to be in force as long
as may be deemed advisable


Persons residing in the vicinity of the
. 900 acres Of these lands in the township
Of Lansing, Meridian, Bath and De Witt,
in the counties of Ingham and Clinton,
which were kept out of market by the act
of the Legislature of last session. to be i'm
proved by the Agricultural College, have
been exceedingly anxious for an opportuni
ty TO effect their purchase, settlement, and
as soon as these lands should be
brought into market They much desire
their speedy settlement and cultivation in
their particular localities, entirely irrespect-
i've of any objects to which the proceeds Of
their sale may be appropriated, as their
present unoccupied condition remains Sc
rious inconvenience and annoyance to their
respective neighborhoods, like much of the
unimproved marsh lands in the immediate
vicinity of settlements.