Synopsis Of The Report Of The Secretary Of The Interior

Dkpaktment of tiie Inteiiior,) Nov Se, Kjeii s Sin - Tbc Beport. of the operatiotis of this department during tbe fiscal year 3inliii rr Juno 30, 1861, will exhibit a di minished ninount of' business in some of the most important bureau-' connected with tbe depaitment. This is attributa ble maiuly to the insurrection which bas mddenly precipitated the country iuto a civil war. GENERAL LAND OFFrCD. On Sept. 30, 1861, therewère 65,555,595.25 acres of the public lauda which bad been surveyed but not proelaimed tot public sale. The lands surveyed and offered at public sale previous to that time, and then subject to private entry, ainoui'ted to 78,662,735 64 acres, mnking an aggregate of public lards surveyed and ready for sale of 134,218,330.89 acres. During the fiscal year ending June 30, 1861, and the first quarter ot tho current year, ending September 30, 1861, 5,289,532.31 acres have been dis'iosed of Of this amouut, 1,021,493.77 acres have been cortified to tho States of Minnesota, Michigan, and Louisiar.a, under railroad grants made by Congress; 606.094 47 acres havo been eercified to States as swamp lands ; 2,153,940 acres have been loeated with bouuty land warrants, and 1,508,001.07 acres have been sold for cash, producing S925,299.42. It will be seen from this statement that the public lands have ceased sub stantially for the present, at least, to be a source of revenue to the Government. The liberal manner in which the acts of Congress, granting swamp and ovcrflowed lands to the States, have been construed and exeeuted, the gratits of large quantities to aid in the construction of railroads, and the quantity required to lócate bounty land warrants for military services, have combincd to reduce the cash sales to an amount but little more than sufficient to meet the cxpouses of our land system. The net ucome from sales during the last fiscal year will hardly reach the sum oí $200,000.- During the last fiscal yoar there were certified to the States ior railroad con Rtruotion, uuder the several acts of Congress making grants for such purposes: To Minnesota, 308,871.90 acres; ;o Michigan, 636,061.82 acres; and to Louisiana, 76,560.45 acres The whole amount certified to all the States, uuder such grants, is 9,998,497.77 acres. The grants of swamp and overflowed ands to the States have absorbed a large amount of valuable lands, and bavo caused a heavy drain upon the treaiury. The claims of the several States cover aa attfirreffata of 57,895 - 577 40 acres. The United States hsve also paid to the States, in cash, under the iudemnity act of March 2, 1855. on account of lands elaiined as iwarap lands, and which were sold by the United States subse jucnt w the date of tlio graat, $276, 126.50 Certificatcs have been issued for locatiün upon any of the public 'ands subject to entry, to indeinnify the Statos ior lands claimed as swanip lands, but which had been located by bounty land warrauts ifter the date of the gra.it, amountiiig to 145,595.92 acres. Additipnal claims are pending, yet undecided, for cah, $142,435, and for lands, 301,429 acres. The bounty land warrants and scrip issued nnder different acts of Coogress, previous to áept. 30, 1861, embrice an a.a'gregate of 71,717,172 acres of land. Of tliis ainouQt there have been located: For revoiutionary services, 8,200,12 acres ; for services in the war with Great. Britain, 4,850,120 acres; for ('anadian volunteers, 72,750 acres; for services in the Mexican nar and o her services, under the acts of 1847, 1850, 1852, and 1855, in all 51,138,970 acres, leaving yot to be located on warrants and scrip, already issued, 7,454,720 acres. Unless Congress shall aufhorize the issue of additional warrants, this dram upon the public lands will soon cease. The propriety of issuing bounty lind warrants to the volunteers wlio have )een called into service to suppress the xisting insurrection, is already a subject f discussiou, and must bo detennined y Congress. A warrant for 160 acres ,o each volunteor engaged in the service, would absorb over one hundred millions f acres - a much larger arnount than ias been issued under all previous laws. t is evident that the issue of such an moant of warrauts would destroy all wpe of deriving any revenue from the ublic lands, at least for niany yoars. Vnd while sueli a measure would dcprive he Gcvernnient of all income from this ource, it would afford but little benefit 0 the volunteers These warrants are ijovt sold in the market at about 50 cents )er acre. An addition of the large imount neecssary to supply the voiunteers would necessarily reduce the price of' them to a raerely nominal sutn. Tho expense of surveying private land claims in the territory acquired from Mexico, based upon grants of' the Mexican Government, have heretofore aeen paid by the United States, These surveys liave eost the Government large 8ums. Tho oost of surveying one claim timoui.ted to $2,200; another cost the Government &l,400 The aggregate cost of surveying them has taken from the treasury a. large ainount of the public funds. The valuablc and extensiva mineral lands owned by the Government in California and New Mexico have hitberto produced no revenuo All who chuso t do so have been perraitted to work them without limitation The Territorial Governments of Colo-. rado. Dakotah, and Nevada llave been successfully organized sineo the adjournmeut of tha last (iongress. The surveys ot the public lands in thnse terrltoriea have already been oomni'-noed, and t!io lauus are nnw open for settleinent. Coprosa, by an act passed May 2G, 1860, anthonzed the fcppolntment by the President " of a surtabie person or persons" who should, in eonjmiction wilb persona to be appuintud op bchalt' of the Statu of Calilornia, ' run nr.d mark the boundary liuns botween tho Territorios of the United States and the Stato ol California" Fifiy-five thousaiid dollara was appropriattd for tho pei-formanoo of the work, Sylvc-ior 1 Movvry was appointed a Com,missiouer ! on the part of tho United States, and jthe Bui of $37,551,19 was phoed at big 1 -- disposal for the prósecution of the work. Very soou afur taking charge of the Department, t ascertn metí tlnit tho whole t BUIU which hud been placed in the hands I of llie CemmiAeiouer bad been dispoeed .1 of by him, and a larre imount of drafts a tor additional eilfus luid been drawn upon 1 tho Department, while nö progresa bad been made in the work boyond the fixing i of one of tln'ce initial points, viz : tho n intersction of the 35th parallel of north r latitude with the Colorado River. The v wliole appropriation hid been squandered ! while the work had been only coinmcnccd. Under these oircums tunees I decmed it e my duty to arrest thn ereation of furiher 1 claims against the Governmont without t authority of luw, and acOOídirfgly I directed the suspension of the work and i a discontinuante of' tho services of the C iiniuissioi er. It ia believed that the 1 whole work might bave been complete! t for the surn appropriated by Congress; t bat while only a small part of the work has been accornplished, tho claims pre t sented amount to nearly $20.000 beyond ( the appropriation. It remains for gréw to determine whethei further f propriatiou8 shall bo mada for tho t conl nuance of tho work. The running of the boundary line-; 1 between the Territorios of the United t States and tho State of Texas, authorized by the act of Congress of June 5, 1858, 1 hüs been completed in the field, and the 1 1 office details will in a short time be I finislied. Por this work, $SO,000 was 1 appropriated. Of this sum í73,"250.81 I iiad been expended on the BOth of I September, 1861, leaving an unexpended balance uf gñ, 749.19. This balance is ' estimated to bo sufficient for the 1 pietion of the entire work. INDIA.V AFFAIES Our Indian añ lira are in n ven7 unsi'ttled and unsatisfactory condltion. The spirit of roboüion agaitiat the authority of the Government, which has piecipitated a lai'ífe nuiuber of States nto open revolt, bas been inatilled into u por ion of tho Indian tribes by emmissanes from the insurreelion ary Stal os The bti'ga tribes of Cherokees, Chickitjavv8, and Choctaws, siuated in iht Southern snperintendenoy, have suspended all interoourso with the ngents of the United States. Ahho'iirh the Lidian Office has not been abie to procure (leHnite iiiiorrnation of the oondition ot aft'airs, and the ex'ent to which the Indiana have assumed a hostil ■ attitude, enougli has been ascertained to leave do room for doubt that the influenees which have been exerted upon the Indian.s have been f-ufficient to induce a portion of them to renounce the aulhority of the United Stat(s and to acknowledge that ot the rebel governiTient. The tribes upon the Pacific slope of the Rocky Mounlains have manifesled a turbulent spirit, but have coinmitted no acts of violence. M uch troub'e has been exnerioiiced i JNew Wexioo trom naprenunons comlitted 'oy somt! if the tribes in that 'erriïory. The presen ce oí a military jrce in that Terri orv is indispensable 0 preserve the peaca aod cause ihe ndians to respect iho laws. The (rü)n-i in Kansas and Nebraskp, ind in the States of the Northwest are jraduullv progressini; in the arts ol ivilizLition. Tne plan of aljotting or ions of their rottervutiona to the ndividnal rnembers of tho tribes bas ieen fnund by exp&rifjTice to res::lt )enefieially Many of ihem have ■Dpruved their lands and bwninii quite roíirH'iit as farmers. A con'inuancü if iliis policy, by taniilianzing tlicin vith the habi s of agiióultupál lilb will rradnally load tliem to depend upon heoukivationol thesoil for subs'stence The praetice of liconsinw traders to rafflö with the Ipaianw haa heen proiiiftive 1 niiscbievotis resulta The noney received by thm In payment of heir tinnuities generally passes imnediately into tbe hands of the traders fhey are left to depend upon their ion uit i es f rom t.hu governinent for nihemtende, and these fiód their way nto the hands of the trtiders, while .he Indiana reueive froni them goods at t proflt of frorn one to throe or lour lundied per cent PATKNT OFFICE. No liranch of the public service con iected with this Deparünent has been ao miich affected b the insurrection of fhe Honthern Sttttes as that of the Patent Office. The receipts of the office from Jan 1 to Sept. 30, 1861, were $102,808.18; ■md tha expenditures were $185.594 05. sh vvinij an excesa of i-xpenditures over receipts of $82,785.8T. XJilllUg U1O UOITUMpOIHIlllg peiKHl j of ttie hist year r.he rsoeiptu wcre . 1197,848.40, being $94,840.22 more than tue receipta for tiie sarn i part of ihis year. Duri'ftg tho sumo perind s 3,514 applications for patenta and 519 , caveats have been filed, 2 581 patent 1 1 have been issued, and 15 patents tiave been extended. PENSION OFFICE. The report f the Oornmissionpr of Pensions furniífteá, in detaií, the operaiions ol this bureau during the past year. Tlie niimber of pehi-ions lias diminished, during the year, 55, and ihe ainount required to ppy theni was $43,246.87 lesg than the previous year. Tiie wliole numbor of pcnsioners, ol all olaSsei, on the roita on the 30th of June, 1861, was 10,709, requiiinof fhr their payriiöDt an aggregute of $957,772.08. They were classified as follows :' 4,725 invalid pensioners, réeeivifig $l25,256.0j2; 03 revnlatir)sary pennionera, repaiviug $3,690 85; 2,728 widuws of icvoluiii.nary solcjierg, ie ceiving $212 548.30 ; 2,236 widows and orphansi, half-pay, reoHlfíng $178 072; 957 navy pensioners, receiving $137,004.85," EIÜ1ITII CEXSÜS. The returns of the Eiglith Cenus aro hiincr oondenfled tor publicación witii all the expedilion practlCMWö in a work of nur.h magnitude Bod varied and ':.'"iinprehonsivt! details. The report whieh the Superintendent of that work wil] be prepared to maka during the present Congrega ril] oonñrni the general belief, that no previoiis period of OOP liiptory hfiw been distirifruishtüi by greatar pros, perity or evidunco of' more nnbstnnlial priijjr.esH in all tho maienal iiitoroals affoeting the Welfare und httppiaess of j a people, AFKK'AN SLAVli-ÏRAfiE The Prwident, by an order datad he 2d of May lust, "devolved upon this )öpartment the execution of the act .f 3d Mareh, 1819, and other lawa inneted far the supprmndn of the trican flave-trade. The mibjeot was iininediately taken n hand, under a deep sensa of our ihüiíütinn as a nntio? to put an end, it j iossihle, to tliis od'3Ú8 traffio, anrl vil !i a ful! convictin that ihe power of he Government, in the hands of c.om eteflt honest and fuithful officers, was ideqtiate to the purpose. Aoiong , ther thing, I caused the Marshals of he loval Atlantic States to asseinble at Sew York for ennsultiition, in order to n-Mirc artviter concert of ïction Thcy ,vere thorehy alïorded an opportuuity f inspeel ing vesaels fully equipped for ;he African slave-trade, and of seeing hu arts and devices em loyed to di,niise and eanoesl the reai objects of lieir voyaffe, thus ena1 ling thein to .leiect anrl prevent the clearanco of toaseis dettisned tor thi trude. It is zratafyin to koow that unprecedented iUCCena bas crovvned the efforts of the paat few months. Five vessels have been fciezed, tried and condemned by tno oourU. One slnver has Iwn taken qn the coastof África with about 900 '. neproes on board, vvho vvere conveyed , to the republio of Liberia. One perron has beun convictcd at New York as the captain of a bUivoi-, huving on . board 800 captives, and tvvo others (mates of a different voseel), and an other ooe at Boston for ftttiogout a j vessel lor the slave trade. In the first i nained case tho penalty is death ; in the üthers it is fine and imprisoment. Hi'hei to, conviutions under the laws prohibiiing the African slave trade have been very rare. This is probably thu largas t nuraber ever pbtaioed, and oertaialy the only ones for many years. It is believed that the first-mentioned case is the only one invplving capital punishrnent in whtch a conviction has been effeüted. The full execution of the laws in these instancos will no doubt have a most salutary influonce in deterring itbers írom the cominissiou ol hko ■:i-:':)SC. A number of other indictments havo jten found which are vet to be tiicd. Much credit ia due to the ünitod Hatee Attorneys and Marshals at New York aad tJos.on ior tho vigilunce and ea] evineed by theii), and I avail myself of the first occasion to make :hem this public aeknowledgement. Within a little more than a year, the Government of the United States, under contracts made with tho governinent of Liberia, through the agency nf the American GoIonizatioD Society, have taken into that republjc 4,500 Airioans, recaptured on the hígb seas bv vessels of our navy. They are supp'ied with f'ood, clothing, and shelter, ií:edi;:ines and medical atten laiice, for onè year from the date of labdii g, and are tlms brought within the öivïlizing and óhristianizinff influences of a goVefnment founded and adininisterefl by intelligent and ríght minded peisons of own race. T. ey i:re tinder the Bpeciui charge and supervisinn of an agent of the Uiiiied Statts, the Eev. John Soys, vvho has been a devoted niissionnry in Vfrica for many years. His report, vvheo received, will no doubt afford abundan t evidence of the wisdbm and p'hil Ltithropy f tho poliny adopted by thu United States in regard to these utihappy vi.:tiiiis of acruiland relentless cup:dity, whose misiortunës liave thrown the.n upon the foltering care and protec'.iori of the American people. JUDICIAKY. The expenditures from the Judioiary Fiind, during the fiscal year eoding June 30, 1861, were 8727,000.6 . Thia includes the expenses of the Courts, jurors, and witnoas fees rent and rep;iirs ot court houses, and all other expenses atteudant upon the admiuistration of the laws of tlie Federal ju'iiciary, except the salaries of' the judges, distnct-attorneys and marshals. lile suspension oí uie couna 111 sevuiiu of the Southern States will diminish the expense of the judioiary to that extent; but what may be gaint'd from this cause will be moro than couuterbaianced b_v estraordhiary expenses in the Northern Staten, occasioued by the insurrectiou, chargeable to the judieiary fund. PDBLIC IMilNTINO. The cliange in the marmer of executing the public printing, adopted by the last Cougress, bas been emineutly suopessful. Under the direetion of the present efficiënt Superintendent the work has been pertornied witü more disputen and at less cost to tbe governmeut tlaan at a 1 1 y previous time. The report of the Superintendent will show the cost to tlie gorernment of the work already executed, and what would ïave been its cost under the pricca established by the law of 1852. It will be seen that thcre was a saving of $-2 1,127 95 on so much of the printing of the XXXVIth Oongress as was done in this office, and $3,628 G6 on that of the first sessiou of the XXX.VIIÜ1 Congress. On the printing for the Executive Departmeut the savmg amouuts to 50 per cent. Upon the binding for tbo Executiv Department there has been a saving o 81.000 per month ; but the binding fo the XXXVIth Congress haring beo done under a contract existing at th time the Government printing-uffice wa t'stablished, there has been po opportunity to sliow what might have beon saved on that work. The expenditures for paper, printing, binding, engraving. and lithographing Imve heretoibr constituted a very large item in thiexpenses of the Govcrnment. The orders of the XXXI Vth Congress for these objects iuvoived au expenditure of Sl,5N'.,4Ü7.f:5. Of tbu wáount S-Süü - 079.72 was paid for printing, $i 17,97.92 for ongraviiip; ;ml lithograp!ihiL Blid $364,090 84 for buiding. To thiactioald be ailiii'd the oost of the llaily and Cungreisional Globe for the aame Congress, 'wliich was S257.904.28, and the printing for tho exocutive departmüntd for thü saine time, 6152. 8tl 04, nialdng the wbole expenditures for tlio two youia 11 990,494,85, The oost of engravingj and lithiigraphiiig, iVoiu August, 18.")2, to Deooinbei-, KS58, waa $8ö2,lafi.&8. - Thi work can be doiie nmoh more economioally under the dbection of the Supiriutendent of l'uLho Priuling thau by tho present oootract system. Tho perin tendeo t can as well control and direct this part of the work as tbe printing, and without additional expense. - Ai lcat fifty per ee.t. of the present 3üst of engravinc and lithographing can be saved by having it executed in the Sovernment Printing Office. HOSPITAL FOR THÉ INSANE. Sinoe the instiiutinn was opened, in 1855, 4-39 persons have buen treated - The number of patients in the house onthe P.Oth of June, 1881, was 180, classiRed as follows : Frota the anny, 25 ; froni the navy, 1 1 ; from the revenue cutter service, 1; from. civil life, maies 71 and females 72. Of tlic 'minutos during the last fiscal year, 19 died, 63 were discharged, of whoni 15 had so f ar improved that they could be safely removed, and 48 were coinpletely recovered. Tbe large proportion of patients who were discharged or recovered (which was 60 per centum of the adniiggiftM) furnishes ampie evideuce of the treatment observed. COLOMBIAN INSTITUTION FOR THE DEAF AND DUMB AND THE BLIND. This institution was organized in 1857. The number of pupila at the close of the first year was hut seventeen. At the close of the last fiscal year the number was thirty five. The whole resourjes of tin; institution araouut to but $8,120.19, of which 6,425.94 was appropriated by Congress. VVith such limited nieans but smal! results could be expected ; but froin the great liberality of the Ilon. Amos Kendall, president of the board of directora, and his watuhful care of the interests of the institution, much good bas beeu accoiuplished. CALEB B SMITH, Secretary of the Interior. To the President.