1 stenographer.. 4 clerks, each.. 4 " 7 ...... 1 clerk in office Assistant Attorney-Gen eral...... 6 copyists, each...... 5 assistant messengers, each. 4 laborers, each..... 2700 2250 It will thus be seen that he is an accounting officer, having the same authority in the line of his duty respecting accounts as the Auditors of the Treasury. Warrants granted by the Secretary of the Interior, in pursuance of law, giving land to persons for military services, must be recorded in the General Land Office, and patents to such lands are 1800 issued therefrom. 2000 1400 1200 900 720 All patents for lands are issued from this office, in the name of the United States, signed by the President and countersigned by the Recorder, and they are recorded in the office. The Recorder in the General Land 660 Office, in pursuance of instructions from 1 captain of the watch........................ 1000 the Commissioner, certifies and affixes 40 watchmen, each....... 1 superintendent of documents.. 1900 .......... 1 engineer..... 1 assistant engineer... 6 firemen, each. Temporary clerks.. MISCELLANEOUS. Superintendent Cherokee School, North 720 the seal of the office to all patents for 1200 public lands, and attends to the engross1000 ing, recording, and transmission of such 720 patents. He prepares alphabetical in7000 dexes of the names of patentees, and of persons entitled to patents. $300 the Insane, District of Columbia...... 2500 Superintendent Hot Springs, Arkansas... 2500 Superintendent of Yellowstone National GENERAL LAND OFFICE. 1500 This office was established by the act of Congress of April 25, 1812, in the Treasury Department. DUTIES OF THE COMMISSIONER OF He performs, under the direction of the Secretary of the Interior, all executive duties appertaining to the surveying and sale of the public lands of the United States, or in anywise respecting such public lands, and such duties as relate to private land claims, and the issuing of patents for all grants of land under the authority of the Government. All returns relative to the public lands must be made to the Commissioner of the General Land Office, and he has power to audit and settle all public accounts relating to the public lands. Upon the Persons claiming to be interested in or entitled to land under any grant of the United States, may be furnished, on application, with copies of papers filed; the same to be made out and authenticated under the hand of the Secretary of the Interior and the seal of the General Land Office. Such exemplifications of papers are furnished upon the payment by the persons interested at the rate of fifteen cents per hundred words, and $2 for copies of township plats or diagrams, with an additional sum of $1 for the Commissioner's certificate of verification and the seal of his office. The Commissioner of the General Land Office has power to establish the maximum charges for surveys and publication of notices of mineral lands, to fix the minimum price of lands to be sold, not less than $1.25 per acre, and the prices per mile of public surveys. Contracts for the survey of public lands are not binding upon the United States until approved by the Commissioner. He is authorized to decide, in accordance with regulations, to be determined by a board to consist of the Secretary of the Interior, the Attorney-General of the United States, and the Commissioner, all cases of suspended entries of public lands, and to adjudge in what cases pat ents shall issue upon the same, his action all lands of the second class. He must cause to be prepared, and certify, under the seal of his office, such copies of records, books, and papers on file in his office as may be applied for to be used in evidence in courts of justice. FORCE IN THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE. Per Annum. Commissioner........... Chief clerk...... Law clerk.. Recorder.... messengers, each................. 12 laborers, each. 6 packers, each.... .$4000 2000 2000 1500 1800 DUTIES OF SURVEYORS-GENERAL. Every Surveyor-General is required to employ a sufficient number of skilful surveyors as his deputies, and has power to administer to them the necessary oaths; to frame regulations for their direction, and to remove them for negligence or misconduct in office. He must cause to be surveyed, measured, and marked all base and meridian lines through such points, and perpetuated by such monuments, and such other correction parallels and meridians as may be prescribed by law, or by instructions from the General Land Office, in respect to the public lands within his 1600 district to which the Indian title has been extinguished. 1800 1800 1800 1400 1200 1000 He must cause to be surveyed all pri900 vate land claims within his district, after 1600 they have been confirmed by authority of 1400 Congress, so far as may be necessary to complete the survey of the public lands. 720 660 SERVICE OUTSIDE OF WASHINGTON. General. United States Surveyors 1 for Arizona... 1 for California Per Headquarters. Annum. .Tucson For clerks in his office....... ...San Francisco. For clerks in his office.......... He must transmit to the Register of the respective land offices within his district general and particular plats of all lands surveyed by him for each land district, and forward copies of such plats to the General Land Office. He must, so far as compatible with the 3,000 desk duties of his office, occasionally in2,750 spect the surveying operations while in 11,000 progress in the field, sufficiently to satisfy 1 for Colorado...............Denver.......... 2,500 himself of the faithful execution of the 3,500 work according to contract; and where he is unable, by reason of the other duties 1,800 of his office, to make personal inspection, 2.000 he is authorized to depute a confidential .Boise City...... 2,500 agent to make such examination, with an 2,500 allowance to such agent of $5 a day while 1,800 in the field, and actual necessary travelling and not to extend in any case of his district, he is required to deliver over to the Secretary of State of the respective State, including such surveys, or to such other officer as may be authorized to receive them, all the field notes, maps, records, and other papers appertaining to land titles within the same; and the office of Surveyor-General in every such district thereupon is discontinued. Surveyors-General are authorized to appoint in each land district containing mineral lands as many competent surveyors as shall apply for appointment to survey mining claims; the persons appointed to pay the expenses of survey of vein or lode claims, and the expenses of survey and subdivision of placer claims, in smaller quantities than 160 acres, with the cost of publication of notices, must be borne by the applicants. The public lands are surveyed under the following rules: The lands are divided by north and south lines, run according to the true meridian, and by other lines crossing them at right angles, so as to form townships of six miles square. The corners of the townships are marked with progressive numbers from the beginning; each distance of a mile between such corners is distinctly marked with marks different from those of the corners. The township is subdivided into sections, containing 640 acres each, by running through the same, each way, parallel lines at the end of every two miles, and by making a corner on each of such lines, at the end of every mile. The sections are numbered respectively, beginning with the number one in the northeast section, and proceeding west and east alternately through the township with progressive numbers till the thirtysix are completed. The Deputy Surveyors must cause to be marked on a tree near each corner the number of the section, and over it the number of the township within which such section is, and note carefully in their field-books the names of the corner-trees marked and the numbers so made. Where the exterior lines of the townships which may be subdivided into sections or half-sections exceed or do not extend six miles, the excess or deficiency must be specially noted, and added to or deducted from the western and northern ranges of sections or half-sections in such township, according as the error may be in running the lines from east to west, or from north to south; the sections and half-sections bounded on the northern and western lines of such townships shall be sold as containing only the quantity expressed in the returns and plats respectively, and all others as containing the complete legal quantity. All lines must be plainly marked upon trees, and measured with chains, containing two perches of 16 feet each, subdivided into 25 equal links; the chain to be adjusted to a standard kept for that purpose. Every Surveyor must note in his fieldbook the true situation of all mines, saltlicks, salt springs, and mill-sites which come to his knowledge; all water-courses, and the quality of the lands. The field-books are to be returned to the Surveyor-General, whose duty it is to cause a description of the whole of the lands surveyed to be made and transmitted to the officers who superintend the sales. He must cause a fair plat to be made of the townships and fractional parts of townships contained in the lands, describing the subdivisions thereof, and the marks of the corners. This plat to be recorded in books, and a copy kept open at the Surveyor-General's Office for public information, other copies to be sent to the places of sale, and to the General Land Office. REGISTERS AND RECEIVERS OF There are 95 Registers, and the same number of Receivers, who receive a compensation of $500 a year each, and fees in addition, prescribed by law, their maximum compensation not to exceed $3000 a year each. They have their offices as follows: Alabama.-At Montgomery, Mobile, and Huntsville. Arizona.-At Florence and Prescott. Arkansas.-At Dardanelle, Harrison, Camden, and Little Rock. California.-At Susanville, Los Angeles, Shasta, Sacramento, Visalia, Stock ton, Humboldt, Marysville, San Francisco, and Bodie. Colorado.-At Del Norte, Pueblo, Central City, Fair Play, Denver, and Lake City. Dakota.-At Sioux Falls, Springfield, Fargo, Yankton, Bismarck, and Deadwood. Florida.-At Gainesville. Idaho.-At Boise City, Lewiston, and Oxford. Iowa.-At Des Moines. Kansas.-At Larned, Kirwin, Con cordia, Wichita, Independence, Salina, Topeka, and Hays City. Louisiana.-At New Orleans, Monroe, and Natchitoches. Michigan.-At Marquette, Reed City, East Saginaw, and Detroit. Minnesota.--At Benson, Crookston, New Ulm, Worthington, Fergus Falls, Duluth, St. Cloud, Taylor's Falls, and Redwood Falls. agricultural colleges), a fee of $1, for each final location of 160 acres, to be paid by the State or corporation making such location. A fee of $5 a day for superintending public land sales at their respective offices; and to each Receiver, travelling expenses in going to and returning from depositing the public moneys received by him. A fee of $5 for filing and acting on each application for patent or adverse Mississippi.-At Jackson. Missouri.-At Boonville, Ironton, and claim filed for mineral lands, to be paid Springfield. Montana.-At Helena and Bozeman. Nebraska.-At Bloomington, North Platte, Grand Island, Niobrara, Lincoln, Beatrice, and Norfolk. Nevada.-At Eureka and Carson City. New Mexico.-At Santa Fé and La Mesilla. Oregon.-At Dalles, Lake View, La Grande, Roseburgh, and Oregon City. Utah.-At Salt Lake City. Washington Territory. At Walla Walla, Vancouver, Colfax, and Olympia. Wisconsin.-At Eau Claire, Bayfield, La Crosse, Wausau, Saint Croix Falls, and Menasha. Wyoming.-At Cheyenne and Evans ton. FEES. They are allowed fees for the following services performed: For each declaratory statement filed, and for services in acting on pre-emption claims, $1. On all moneys received, a commission of one per centum. A commission to be paid by the homestead applicant, at the time of entry, of one per centum on the cash price as fixed by law of the land applied for; and a like commission when the claim is finally established, at which time they issue a certificate as the basis of a patent. A like commission on lands entered under any law to encourage the growth of timber on Western prairies. For locating military bounty-land warrants, and for locating agricultural college scrip, the same commission, to be paid by the holder or assignee of each warrant or scrip, as is allowed for sales of the public lands for cash, at the rate of $1.25 per acre. A fee, in donation cases, of $5 for each final certificate for 160 acres; $10 for 320 acres; and $15 for 640 acres. In the location of lands by States and corporations, under grants from Congress, for railroad or other purposes (except for by the respective parties. They are allowed jointly at the rate of 15 cents per one hundred words for testimony reduced by them to writing for claimants, in establishing pre-emption and homestead rights; and also the same fee, when the writing is done in the land office, in establishing claims for mineral lands. The Registers and Receivers in California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Wyoming, and Montana are al lowed fifty per cent. more for declaratory statement, for entry of land, and for writing testimony, than the rates before given. The excess of fees received at any land office over the maximum compensation of $3000 allowed to the Register and Receiver must be paid into the Treasury. They are required to make to the Secretary of the Treasury monthly returns of the moneys received by them, and pay over such money pursuant to his instructions; they must also make like returns to the Commissioner of the General Land Office, and transmit to him quarterly accounts current of the debits and credits of their several offices with the United States. They have authority to administer oaths required by law, or the instructions from the General Land Office, in connection with the entry or purchase of public lands, free of charge. The Register of the land office must note all applications for entry of land under the homestead laws on the tractbooks and plats of his office, and keep a register of all such entries, and make return thereof to the General Land Office, together with the proof upon which they have been founded. PUBLIC LANDS. The public lands are included only within the States of Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, Wisconsin, and the Territories of Arizona, Dakota, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. These States and Territories, with the exception of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, are divided into land districts. MANNER OF ACQUIRING TITLES TO PUBLIC Every person may procure The one class at $1.25 per acre, minimum, and the other at $2.50 per acre, or double minimum, title to which may be acquired in the following manner: By Purchase at Public Sale; that is, at public auction, pursuant to proclamation by the proper authority. By "Private Entry" or Location; that is, unsold lands which have been "offered" at public auction, may be purchased for Cash by making written application to the Register of the district. Upon the certificate of the Receiver that the tract is vacant, the purchase-money can be paid, and at the close of the month the General Land Office will issue a patent. They may be purchased with Bounty Land Warrants by making application, as in cash cases, accompanied by the necessary warrants, duly assigned. Where the warrant or warrants would not be sufficient in amount, the balance must be paid in cash. FEES. Agricultural College Scrip is receivable for the payment of pre-emption claims, the same as military land warrants. Also, in payment for homesteads, commuted at the rate at which the land is held, at any time within five years from date of settlement. Fees in these cases are chargeable the same as in warrant cases. By pre-emption: Every person, being the head of a family, or widow, or single person, over the age of twenty-one years, and a citizen of the United States, or having filed a declaration of intention to become a citizen, as required by the naturalization laws, has the right to pre-empt one quarter-section, or 160 acres, of offered, unoffered, or unsurveyed lands, and of reserved sections along the line of railroads, under the following limitations: 1. Where the tract is offered land, the fact of settlement must be filed within thirty days after date of said settlement, and within one year proof of actual residence on, and cultivation of the tract, from date of settlement, must be made. Then upon payment of either cash, warrants, college scrip, or private claim scrip the land may be secured. 2. Where the tract is unoffered land, the fact of settlement must be filed within three months from date of settlement, and within thirty-three months of settlement proof and payment must be made. 3. Where the tract is unsurveyed land, the fact of settlement must be filed at the district land office, within three months after the date of the receipt at that office of the approved plat containing the tract, and within thirty-three months proof and The following fees are chargeable by payment must be made. the land officers: For a 40-acre warrant, 50 cents each to Register and Receiver, $1. Joint entry may be made where two or more settlers are found residing on the same portion of land; and should either For a 60-acre warrant, 75 cents each to Reg-pre-emptor die, his rights would inure to ister and Receiver, $1.50. his legal representatives. Exceptions.-Proprietors of 320 acres own lands to reside on public land. of land; proprietors abandoning their By the Homestead Privilege.-Every person who is the head of a family, or who is twenty-one years or more of age, and a citizen of the United States, or who has filed his declaration of intention to become a citizen, is entitled to enter a homestead of 160 acres of ordinary surveyed lands, or 80 acres of alternate sections lying along the lines of railroads, or other works of internal improvement, under the following conditions: 1. The applicant must, in connection |