In his report for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1885, criticising the pre-emption laws, page 70, the Commissioner says: The proportion of fraudulent filings to the total number of filings made and relinquished may be estimated in round numbers at exactly 100 per cent. The pre-emption system serves the speculative interest, the timber interest, the cattle interest, the coalmining interest, and the water-controlling interest, all at the cost or to the exclusion of actual settlers, according as the purpose of its use is speculation or monopoly. In discussing the subject of commuted homesteads, page 71, the Commissioner says: The proportion of fraudulent entries of this kind can be more nearly estimated at the whole number of such entries than in any other manner. Speaking of the "five-year homesteads" he says: The average proportion of fraudulent entries made for five-years' settlement is estimated at about 40 per cent. On page 73, in regard to the timber-culture law, he says: The proportion of totally fraudulent entries under this act is estimated at 90 per cent. On page 48 of said report the Commissioner says: At the outset of my administration I was confronted with overwhelming evidences that the public domain was being made a prey of unscrupulous speculation and the worst forms of land monopoly through systematic fraud carried on and consummated under the public land laws. This wholesale arraignment of claimants on the public domain should not have been made without the most conclusive evidence to sustain it. It contains in express terms, without discrimination and without exception, a charge of the gravest character against these hardy and courageous pioneers of our advancing civilization well calculated to challenge the credulity of the lowest order of American intellect. This astounding condition of things, as viewed from the standpoint of the honorable Commissioner, may or may not have existed during his administration, but it affords me infinite pleasure to inform you that during my more than four months of intimate connection with the duties of this office I have found no evidence of general misconduct on the part of our western settlers, and have failed to discover any general system of fraud prevailing upon the government in reference to the public domain. Instances of attempted fraud are to be expected, but justice requires me to say that they are exceedingly rare and notably exceptional. I speak now of the individual settler. That fraudulent filings under the different acts of Congress have been made and may hereafter be made it is unnecessary to deny, but, so far as I am advised, such cases are confined to organizations, corporate and others, operating in the interest of aggregated capital. Special agents appointed by authority of Congress have been so instructed and located under your administration that these embryo frauds, it is believed, will be vigilantly watched, detected, and successfully thwarted. REPORT OF THE BUSINESS DONE IN THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE DURING THE YEAR 1869. AGRICULTURAL PATENTS ISSUED. During the year there were issued, for lands classed as agricultural, 70,141 patents, being an increase of 22,961 over the number issued the year preceding, and an increase of 45,583 over the year ending June 30, 1887. These patents were on the following classes of entries and within the States and Territories designated, to wit: Detailed report of agricultural patents issued during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1889. Total 27, 857 9, 562 14, 372 147 790 821 7,504 10 507 4, 324 4, 233 14 70, 141 From the foregoing it will appear that title has been passed from the United States to 11,791,110.07 acres of land as compared with 8,605,194.29 acres for the preceding year. The following table will show the quantity of land patented or certified to parties, by States and Territories, for that year and the year ending June 30, 1889: MINERAL PATENTS. There were also 913 patents for mineral lands and 155 coal patents issued. The coal patents covered 17,096.80 acres. The mineral and coal patents were issued in the following States and Territories: There were patented or certified, under the law, for the benefit of railroad companies, 425,046.02 acres, as shown by the following table: Two hundred and fifty-nine thousand seven hundred and twenty-one and forty-five one-hundredth acres were patented to the States under the swamp-land grants, as follows: STATE SELECTIONS APPROVED. During the year 132,350.61 acres were approved under various grants to the several States under educational grants, as follows: One hundred and fifty-nine thousand three hundred and ninety and twenty-one one-hundredths acres were patented during the year on private land claims, donations, Indian claims in severalty, and scrip locations, which patented lands fall within the States and Territories named below: The following table will show at a glance the numbers and kinds of entries of all kinds made during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1889, together with the cash receipts for the same, compared with the similar statement for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1888. |