Grants of public lands have been made by acts of Congress to states and corporations, for railroad and military wagon road purposes from the year 1850 to June 30, 1867, as follows: Grants by acts of Congress for Canal purposes from the year 1827 to June 30, 1867. Illinois, 290,915; Indiana, 1,439,279; Michigan, 1,250,000; Ohio, 1,100,361; Wisconsin, 325,431. Total quantity acres granted, 4,405,986. Private Land Claims. In lands acquired by purchase or conquest from other nations, the grants of the government to individuals constitutes a class of private land claims. The principle adopted by the government has been that a well authenticated and clearly defined title from a former government was to be respected, and upon the presentation of such title a patent is always issued to the claimant; but where the boundaries, as is often the *The States of Illinois and Alabama received grants under prior acts, which, with the quantities here given, make up the quantity of 500,000 acres. case, are loosely defined and comprise a much larger territory than that granted, or where the metes and bounds are of uncertain position, and especially where there is ground for presumption of fraud, a severe scrutiny is instituted. Since the act of Congress of September 4, 1841, large quantities of land have been claimed on pre-emption, i. e. as having been settled and improved by persons before they were surveyed or came into the market; and, these persons having thereby established a claim to purchase them at Government price before all others, this claim has been allowed, with some restriction, and the lands, thus pre-empted, withdrawn from public sale and reserved for private entry. SUMMARY. During the fiscal year ending June 30, 1867, the total cash sales embraced. Acres. 756,019.01 476,700.00 The total quantity taken by homestead for actual settlement under acts of 1862, 1864 and 1866... 1,788,043.49 In the same period, there were approved swamps "in place" to several states as grantees under acts of 1849 and 1850... And selected as swamp indemnity... .1,030,020.22 Making a total of swamp lands or their equivalents, confirmed to states, of 1,066,450.15 .533,168.52 The agricultural and mechanic college land scrip locations under act of 1862, and supplementals of 1864 and 1866, with selections by certain states within their respective limits under said acts make an aggregate of......................... 2,420.072.73 Making a total of public lands disposed of during the year ending June 30, 1867, of 7,041,114.50 Amount disposed of during the year ending June 30, 1868.. .6,655,742.50 The moneys received in the same period for ordinary cash sales, pre-emptions, in military scrip received as money, for the ten dollar homestead payments, for homestead commissions, for fees in the locating of agricultural college scrip, for same on military warrants, and on railroad selections, for commissions on pre-emptions, donations, and for proceeds from furnishing transcripts under the act of July 2, 1864, make a cash aggregate of $1,347,862.52 received during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1867, a sum greater than that received the previous year by more than half a million of dollars. Receipts for year ending June 30, 1868, $1,632,745. 2. PENSION OFFICE. The Pension Office was established temporarily in 1833, and continued by subsequent legislation until it was made permanent by act of 19th of January, 1849. It constitutes a Bureau in the Department of the Interior, and is under the charge of the Commissioner of Pensions. The persons entitled to pensions have been designated by different acts of Congress. The only surviving revolutionary soldiers receiving a pension died during the year closing June 30, 1867. Two other veterans were granted pensions by special acts of Congress passed that year. Of the widows of revolutionary soldiers married before the close of the war, but one enrolled pensioner was living in 1867. There were, however, at the close of that fiscal year, 997 widows of revolutionary soldiers, of whom 119 were married previous to 1800. Army Pensions. The number of original applications for invalid pensions, by reason of caualties occurring in the army service, admitted during the year closing June 30, 1867, was 16,452, at an average annual rate of $71.73 each, and an aggregate annual rate of $1,180,194.72. The number of applications for increased pensions of the same class admitted during this period was 13,946, at an average annual rate of $78.09 each, and an aggregate annual rate of $1,089,003.62. Of original applications of widows, orphans, and dependent relatives for pensions by reason of deaths incident to the army service, 19,660 were admitted during the year, at an average individual rate of $100.66 per annum, and an aggregate yearly rate of $1,979,062.67. Of applica tions for increased pensions of the same class, 19,309 were admitted, at an average additional rate (chiefly on account of minor children under the age of sixteen years, as provided by the act of July 25, 1866), of $59.59 each, and at a total annual rate of $1,150,646. The total number of enrolled invalid pensioners on the 30th of June, 1867, was 70,802, the total amount of whose pensions was $6,478,004.14; and the total number of widows, orphans, and dependent relatives, enrolled as pensioners was, at the same date, 82,291, and the yearly amount of their pensions $9,664,075.83; making an aggregate of 153,093 army pensioners of both classes, at a total annual rate of $16,142,079.97. The whole amount paid to invalid military pensioners during the last fiscal year was $6,428,532.58; and to widows, orphans, and dependent relatives, $11,873,182.71; making the grand total of payments to army pensioners (including expenses of the disbursing agencies), for the year, $18,301,715.26. Navy Pensions. The original applications for invalid pensions, by reason of casualties occurring in the navy service, admitted during the year ending June 30, 1867, numbered 137, at a total yearly rate of $10,317; and the admitted applications for increased pensions of the same class 206, at an annual aggregate of $17,892. Of original applications of widows, orphans, and dependent relatives for navy pensions 233 were admitted during the same period, at an aggregate rate of $31,856 per annum; and 120 pensioners of this class were increased, at a total yearly rate of $6,792. The total number of navy invalid pensioners whose names appeared on the rolls, June 30, 1867, was 1,054, at an aggregate yearly rate of $89,652.25; and the total number of widows, orphans, and dependent relatives whose names were on the navy pension rolls at the same date was 1,327, requiring an aggregate annual amount of $305,742.25. The whole amount paid to navy invalid pensioners during the last fiscal year was $77,241.28; and the whole amount paid to widows, orphans, and dependent relatives of officers or seamen of the navy was $240,999.92, making the total amount of navy pensions paid during the year $318,241.20. The balance of funds in the hands of the agents for paying navy pensions was, on June 30, 1867, $175,796.82. Aggregate. The total number of pensioners of all classes whose names remained on the rolls June 30, 1867, was 155,474. The number of new pensioners added to the rolls during the year was 36,482, and the number of pensioners dropped from the rolls on account of deaths, remarriages, or other causes, was 7,932. The number of pensions increased during the last fiscal year, chiefly under the acts of June 6, and July 25, 1866, was 33,581. The total annual amount of pensions was, at the close of the year, $16,447,822.22, and the amount paid during the year, (including arrears and expenses of disbursement), $18,619,956.46. The navy pension fund, invested under direction of Secretary of the Navy as trustee, now amounts to $13,000,000. There is an uninvested balance of $229,246.37. The income of this fund largely exceeds the annual amount at present required for the payment of navy pensions. Provision was made by the sixth section of an act of Congress approved March 2, 1867, for awarding from the surplus income of this fund additional pensions to disabled officers, seamen, and marines, for meritorious service, under certain specified conditions. Seven claims of this character, favorably reported by the Secretary of the Navy, as provided by law, were certified for payment by the Pension Office, in 1867. Amount paid for army pensions at the agencies in the several States and Territories for the year ending June 30, 1867. |