OF THE 45-10% COMMISSIONER OF THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1876. WASHINGTON: 1876. CONTENTS OF THE ANNUAL REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1876. No. 1. Letter of the Commissioner, transmitting annual report to the Secretary of the Interior, and containing a review of the land system under existing laws during the past fiscal year, recommending legislation in regard to the future disposal of lands west of the one hundredth meridian, and of pine and other timber lands; correction of errors in compilation of the Revised Statutes; consolidation of pre-emption and homestead laws; future disposition of official maps; Osage ceded lands; re-organization of the clerical force, and as to the necessity of having a full and complete law library for the use of the General Land Office-pages 1 to 16, inclusive. No. 2. Office work of the several divisions of the General Land Office during the past fiscal year, page 17. A. Chief clerk's division, page 17. B. Recorder's division, page 17. C. Public lands division; operations under the homestead laws, graduated lands, abandoned military reservations, timber depredations, Kansos Indian lands, Cherokee strip lands; page 18. D. Private land claims; condition of same in New Mexico and Colorado; page 23. E. Surveying division: (1) Abstract of surveying operations in the different surveying districts under the immediate supervision of the respective United States surveyors general. (2) Table showing number of acres surveyed in each of the public land States and Territories during said fiscal year. (3) Table showing the progress of surveys and disposals of public lands since 1865. (4) Table showing the survey of Indian reservations during the fiscal year. (5) Action of the office in regard to useless military reservations. (6) Astronomical surveys of State and Territorial boundaries, with general description thereof. (7) Completion of public surveys in the State of Kansas; page 27. F. Railroad division: Adjustment of grants for railroad and wagon road purposes, and of claims of settlers in conflict with such grants; page 49. G. Pre-emption division: Contested and other cases, how disposed of; operations under the town site laws; page 51. 58. 59. H. Military bounty land warrant and scrip division; page 53. K. Swamp land division: Operations under the grant during the fiscal year; page L. Draughting division: Work performed in this division during the year; page M. Accountant's division: Number of registers' and receivers' accounts adjusted, repayment cases reported, and disposals of public lands during the fiscalyear; page 59. N. Mineral division: Operations under the mining laws, and list of mining claims approved and patented during the year; page 60. No. 3. Decisions affecting private land and donation claims rendered during the past fiscal year; page 68. No. 4. Decisions affecting pre-emption rights, page 69. No. 5. Decisions affecting mining rights 76. No. 6. Decisions affecting railroad grants, page 85. No. 7. Circulars and instructions relating to the public lands, issued to registers and receivers during the fiscal year, page 104. No. 8. Laws relating to the public lands, passed at the first session of the Fortyfourth Congress, page 109. No. 9 Soldiers' additional homestead entries: Action of the office in regard to spurious and forged applications; reports of the special agent charged with the investigations of the frauds, and ruling of the Department in respect to future applications for additional entry of the public lands under section 2306 of the Revised Statutes of the United States; page 119. No. 10. List of United States surveyors general, showing their place of residence; page 128. No. 11. List of United States land offices, page 129. No. 12. Annual reports of surveyors general for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1876, numbered from A to Q. Tabular statements accompanying the annual report of the Commissioner of the General Land Office. No. 1. Tabular statement showing the extent of surveys of the public and Indian lands during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1876; the total quantity of land surveyed since the beginning of the surveying system, and the area remaining unsurveyed in each of the land States and Territories of the United States: page 130. No. 2. Statement of public lands sold; of cash and revolutionary bounty land scrip received therefor; number of acres entered for homestead settlement and timber cul |