Public Lands

J. A. Williamson, Commissioner of tho Goneral Land Office, in his annual report to tho Secrotary of the Interior, shows that, dnring the fiscal ycar onded Juno 30, 8,686,178 acres of public land wero disposed of, and 8,041,011 acres wero surveyed, iu alditiou to tliu 721,018,748 acres proviouély snrveyed. Tho total mini - ler of ai'res of public doniain ntill unnurvcvod is 8omething over 1 ,(KX,(.HH),000 acres. The disposals were mainly as f ollows : Ai'rci. Homentcad entries 4,418,844 Timbor ctilturi' entxlea 1,8711,434 I ■- it laiul entriea 810,563 Cash entrieB 877.rt55 Oranta to railroads i: Swamp lnnil patentod Si2.!2 Otlwr grantu to Statet 214,903 Thora ñgaiee alhow a great increaso in tho quantity of land taken itp liy the claa of actual settlera aa homesteads, aud for the purpose of timbor culture. The cash recoipts amounted to ffifi'UTA, boing S5(i'.),.t)07 more thau tho rocoipts for tho procedinp year. Commissiouer Willianison rocomnieuds in regard to lapxed railroad gi-ants that Congres should dither declare the grants forfeited, and restore tho land to disposal as part of tho public domain, or oxtend tno time for the cornplotion of the roads. Tho report exhibits in dotail tho work dono in connection with the BuppreBpion of timhor depredations on the public lauds, and preseuts a variety of information wKh regard to i dpned military and Indian resorvatioiis, tho j jnstraent of private land claims and miHCollauoous matters.