Report of the Commissioner Of the General


Land Office.
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Report of the Commissioner of the General


Land Office.


This document, which accompanied the Pres
dents Message is quite lengthy, occupying over
four columns in the Union. We learn from 1t that
during the las, wear the sales of the public lands
amounted 10 .754 763 acres and the receipts were
50 207. .67e Daring the first hrec quarters OF the
presen, year the sales amounted 10 Sl,26e66S acres
and the receipts were sIG9l,339. The aggregate
quantity of lands advertised for sale the present year
5557 5s4 acres Land surveyed and yet in market
93976l5 estimated surveys OF 1916 H. 355 COO acres


In ONO with slight exceptions all the public lands
have been in market. 3j}9i acres were sold in Sept
for sI2OOO7 l5 including Indian improvements worth
! Sli,l35 which is TO be refunded to them.


Ia INDIANA the only lands not brought into market are
those ceded by the Miami Indians 3G5 c6o acres 4
large portion Of this cesson s covered by selections


made by the state under the grant for the Wabash and
Erie Canal.


Michigan has all been surveyed and offered for sale
with the exception OF % townships said be inferior
During the year i62 7i acres lying in the Northern
penIns nsulathHt part OF Michigan lying between Lake
Superior and Green Bay-havc been surveyed and are
now ready for market.


In 1LINoIs the lands have all been surveyed and of
ered for sale with the exception OF 25 95 which
include 242 400 withheld from sale in consequence
ofits supposed mineral qualities.


In Missouri there have been offered for sale this year
l23 acres and there are prepared for market
2l37 7G acres of which s300 acres situated in the
Copper Region Current River, and in the Camorgan
Claim, have been detained from market 70 wait farther
legislation regard the former and offer oppor
tGnity for Judicial investigation oi the latter.


In WISCONSIN 377 7GG acres lying between Wolf and
Fox rivers have been sold. There are 39 265 ~
ing in the Mineral Point District and North OF the WIS
consn river, prepared Tor sale.


In Iowa 23S0j j47 acres were advertised for sale in
TWO districts, Dubuque and Fairfield. The sale for Fair
field postponed till May and June next. There are
ready for Market exclusive of the postponed sales
coz 100 comprising 2S5.l2 detained from
market in consequence OF its supposed mineral quail
itics.


In ARKANSAS. 1920 326 acrcs have been brought into
market and there are ready for market 2003,C 10
acres; of this quantity H. 7GS are reported to be
highly productive oicad mineral.


In LOUISIANA l5ii9 acres have cccn oercd IN mar
ket and there remain 4 2G surveyed and not yet
offered for sale the larger portion Of which inereres
with the claims OF Dautcrve and De BasrOp viz 362 53o
with the former and y, 400 with the latter.
In MISSISSIPPI there are l,275439 acres surveyed
which kept back for the final action Of the War De
partment on the Choctaw Indian claims.
In FLORIDA, Gs6l5G acres have been brought into
market and there arc now ready for sale ll39 9l7
acres The number permits granted under the Act OF
AZ has been 1913 covering 1676 $50 acres.
The Commissioner says the surveys of the public
lands and private ciams generally, have progressed in
most satisfactory manner and great efforts have been
made to ensure surveys. The boundary ques
tiOn between Missouri and Iowa is no: yet settled ana
the Commissioner argues it's early adjustment 1t is
recommended that the salaries Of the Surveyor General
for Arkansas. Iowa. and Wisconsin. be advanced from
$500 to $4,000 per The quarterly accounts of
the receivers of Public Moneys have been settled and
their balances punctuay paid over, up 10 the Both OF
Sept last large number Of patents has been issued
old claims, which have remained long in state OF
suspension. In many instances patents are withheld from
claimants from wholly irremoveable under exist
ing laws yet the principles OF justice the purchasers
entitled to their patents he recommends therefore,
hatthe Secretary ofhe Treasury the Attorney General
and the Commissioner OF the General Land Office, be
authorized by law 10 act as Board and examine all
of suspensions upon principles OF equity and JUS
tce. The Report thinks the present management OF
the Mineral Lands by the War Department very bad
and recommends that the mineral region be opened TO
public sale and private entry; and that the precmpaon
principle be so extended rs 10 embrace the disginSs
discoveries aud improvements o resident miners IN that
region. The Government have expended on account
OF the Mineral Lands for l3 and a. Sa0!29 H. while the
rent received amounts to only 1886 Is.


The Report recommends the extension OF The preemp
ton principle all settlers unsurveyed land after the
eXnguishrent Of the Indian title to settlers on SUR
veyed land. whose settlements commenced prior 10 the
lst June 1870 and extend and residents of
prairie land much adjoining mbercc land as may bG
necessary for feEcing, fuel, &c II also recommends
that settlers be permitted 70 enter forty acre tract or
quarter section.


The Commissioner argues at some length in favor
OF graduated reduction in the price OF the lands Twenty
five cents he thinks should he the minimum price He
says the experiment graduation system has been
lred on the Chickasaw Ccssou, and has proved sue
cessiul. Ii is proposed TO divide the lands into i've
classes and that all that have been in market not
five years constitute the first class more than five and
exceeding years, the second class more than
ten and exceeding fifteen the third class; than


fifteen, and exceeding twenty, the fourth class more
than twenty, and not exceeding twenty-five, the nth
class and that all The residue in market twenty
five years and remaining unsold vest absolutely in the
particular States in which they are situated.


Lands brought into market hereafter, it is urged
should graduate through these classes in such
as to continue subject sale five years ut 81 % five
years 81 five at - cents five more at oO
cents five more at 2j cents and all the residue remain
ing unsod after passing through thiS series OF sradua
tors should forever in the States This plan will
Immediately 420 329 acres in Ohio l2s5O95 acres
in Indiana 8 g65 Oi acres in Illinois, 23O1.225 acres in
Missouri 146 SIS in Mississippi llil6O5 acres
in louisiana i5l0s95 in Alabama, and % 426 acres in
Michigan.