Rensselaer Republican, Volume 15, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 October 1882 — The General Land Office. [ARTICLE]

The General Land Office.

The Commissioner of the Land Office, in his annual report, states that the lands now embraced within the limits of the public domain amount to 900,0 0,000 acres, including Alaska He recommends that the Pre-emp-ti >n law be abolished, as the Homestead laws cover all cases now arising. Public sales of land last year amounted to 7,933 acres, embracing 5,016 acres near Toledo, Ohio, which were sold for $16,735, an average of $3.38 per acre. Respecting the forfeiture of railroad grants the Commissioner says: “ The status of various grants for railroad purposes where roads have not been constructed within the time prescril)ed by law was reported to Congress March 28 last. Tho absence of legislative action touching the renewal of these grunts or declaring the forfe ture thereof seriously embarrassed tho work of this offioe. It is not teemed expedient to certify additional lands to the railroad companies, nor to award to the companies lands in dispute between them and settlers or other claimants, pending the determination of Congress In the premises. Large numbers of se< tiers occupy such landß, and it is important to know whether they can receive tnoir titles from the United SbateH, or whether they will be requtred to purchase from the railroad comjianies. Commissioner Mncfarland submits an estimate for the salaries and contingent expenses of the next fiscal year, umounting in the aggregate to $463,M0, which is an increase of the amount appropriated for the current fiscal yoor of $38,940. The increase is distributed generally among tho bureau officers, and includes $3,000 for an Assistant Commissioner.

In accordance with an act passed at the last sossloii of Congt ess, the Commissioner of the General Land Office is now preparing for publication a volume containing the codified Land laws and the history of tho public domain of the United States, compiled and prepared by the Public Land Commission, with all of tbe subsequent Land laws passed up to the day of adjournment or tho last Congress. There will bo a limited number of volumes published for general d stribution, and many applications for them have already been received from lawyers and persons eng>ged in th- land business, to whom the book will be of much value.