“Public Lands”

Creator

Edward Tiffin

Date

1-26-1812

Newspaper

The Georgia Journal

Page and Column

Page 2, Column 1-3

Serial Number

614

Abstract

Report on the public lands of the United States in 1811-1812. Gives locations of land offices and status of land in and around New Madrid region.

Transcript

PUBLIC LANDS. Copy of a letter from the Commissioner of the General Land office to the House of Representatives. Treasury Department, General Land Office, Dec. 30, 1812. SIR-I have the honor herewith to enclose a report respecting the public lands of the United States, and am with great respect. Your most obedient humble servant, EDWARD TIFFIN. The Hon the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the U. States. Treasury Department, General Land Office, Dec. 30th, 1812. SIR-Although the law establishing the General Land Office does not require the Commissioner to make an annual report of the state of that part of the public concerns confided to his care, yet as there has been a considerable accession of new members to the national legislature, I have thought it would be acceptable to have a comprehensive view of the extent and situation of the public lands, that such legislative provisions as are required may be the most readily perceived. A report made to the Senate on the 19th of February, 1812, by the Chairman of the committee charged with an inquiry into the state of the public lands, together with the accompanying documents from the honorable the Secretary of the Treasury, afforded the most ample information which the nature of such inquiry could at that time furnish, and has much abridged the labor that would otherwise have been necessary in preparing this [unreadable] It appears from public documents in this department, that the United States, after deducting all that has been sold and leaving a sufficiency to satisfy every lawful claim, will provide [unreadable] domain of at least four hundred million acres of land, embracing a variety of soil and climate, capable of furnishing all that is necessary for supplying the wants, and affording most of the luxuries of life to man, and which if properly managed, will secure auxiliary aids to the government for ages yet to come. The four hundred millions of acres are situated as follows: In the state of Ohio. Lands to which the Indian title has been extinguished 6,725,000 Lands to which the Indian title has not been extinguished 5,575,000 Total number of acres of land in Ohio 12,800,000 In the territory of Michigan. Lands to which the Indian title has been extinguished 5,106,000 Lands to which the Indian title has not been extinguished 41,400,000 Total number of acres of land in Michigan 48,500,000 In the Indiana and Illinois south of parallel of latitude passing by the southern extremity of lake Michigan. Lands to which the Indian title has been extinguished 33,000,000 Lands to which the Indian title has not been extinguished 23,200,000 Total number of acres in Indiana and Illinois 59,200,000 In the territory of lake Michigan and north of said parallel of latitude. Lands in which the Indian title has been extinguished 5,500,000 Lands to which the Indian title has not been extinguished 54,500,000 Total number of acres west of Michigan 60,000,000 In the Mississippi territory, Lands in which the Indian title has been extinguished 3,900,000 Lands to which the Indian title has not been extinguished 49,100,000 Total number of acres in the Mississippi 55,000,000 In the cession made by the French government the 30th of April, 1803, & including the territory of Missouri, the state of Louisiana & the lands east of the river Mississippi & island of New Orleans as far as the river Perdido, at least [unreadable] Grand total number of acres 400,000,000 In the last described portion of territory, it has not yet been correctly ascertained what proportion of the Indian title has been extinguished, but prior to the period when the United States became possessed of the country, a considerable quantity had been ceded by the Indians, and since that period, cessions, have been obtained of the Sacs, Foxes, and Osages, which with the lands in the occupancy of the inhabitants, are supposed to amount to from twenty-five to thirty million of acres. This delightful region embracing a surface of two hundred million of acres, has heretofore been least known; but our very intelligent principal surveyor south of Tennessee who under instructions from this department has been running township lines to ascertain its character and value, gives the most flattering account of it, and from whose information we may safely infer that at so very distant period, the United States will not only be able to procure, within its own boundaries, a sufficiency of sugar, rum, [perhaps coffee] molasses and most of the tropical fruits for their own consumption, but be able to spare some for exportation. Within a year last past, there has been discovered tracts of country equal to many of the W. India Islands, for quality of soil not only fit for, but of the kind beat adapted to produce those precious articles; extracts from some of thecommunicatins of the survey, will best explain the situation of the lands there. In a letter dated the 21st of January, 1813, he writes "I have the honor herewith to transmit to you two rough sketches of the north and south east district of Louisiana, that you may more distinctly perceive the character of the country. Contrary to our expectations or hope, we are informed that there is a large body of high primitive soil, extremely rich and valuable, situated south west of Orleans, about twenty miles distant, and from twenty to fifty miles, in extent, on which a shock of some hundreds of buffaloe range, and have remained for many years pastliving on the high cane lands during the [unreadable] of inundation ranging through the salt marshes during the [unreadable] of low water. This information is obtained by one of our deputies, & I presume may be relied on, if an, it will at once become the most valuable and saleable tract of landing this country, it being in the best position for the growth of the sugar cane." In another dated September 3rd, 1813, he writes "My principal deputy for the south eastern district of Louisiana has been employed for some time past in extending township lines through and exploring the southern portion of his district. He represents, that there are numbers of Islands on the coast, some of them of considerable size, and good soil; he found a body of high rich land in the neighborhood of the ocean, extending along the bayous runing into the bays." Our surveyors had made some progress, in surveying tracts on the water courses, under the law for surveying lands on water courses in Louisiana; the lands on the bayou they have been surveying [bayou Cayou] for about 20miles up; it extends back from that water course account half a mile of high apparently primitive and, heavily timbered and of the richest quality, thence it descends four hundred & sixty-five perches; there are several other bayous similarly situated with valuable lands on their margins; these lands are as far south as the Balize or mouth of the Mississippi; they are exposed to the ocean and of course better [unreadable] the growth of sugar cane than any lands in the Mississippi. This tract of country, and the approach to it by water, are very little or not at all known.--It would doubtless add much to the value of those lands, and promote their ready sale, to have an accurate survey of the coast, bays, and islands, in front, annexed to the survey of the interior country; so that purchasers or those disposed to purchase lands there might see the advantage those lands possess, and their convenient approach and communication with the ocean. It would swell this paper too much to detail minutely the several representations made of this immensely valuable country, immensely valuable whether considered as it respects its surface and situations, the products it may be rendered capable of furnishing, or the treasure it is destined to pour into the national coffers. In this region a land office is directed by law to be opened in the territory of Missouri, as soon as the private claims are all ascertained and the lands surveyed; and from which territory alone it is believed inexhaustible stores of lead may be obtained. In the state of Louisiana, three land offices are provided for by law, one at New Orleans for the eastern land district, one at Opelousas for the western land district, south of Red river, and the other such place, north of Red river, as the President of the United States shall designate; the land officers in these districts are progressing to a close in ascertaining the character and extent of the private claims, and the surveyors have prepared a considerable part of the eastern district for market, and are progressing fast with the remainder. In that portion of the country laying east of the river Mississippi and Island of New Orleans as far as the river Perdiuo, two commissions have been erected by law, one west, the other east of Pearl river, to ascertain the nature and extent of private claims derived from either of those governments, and who are satisfactorily progressing in the discharge of their official duties. In the territory of Illinois two land offices are directed by law to be opened, one at Kaskaskia, the other at Shawneetown so soon as the private claims and donations are all located, and the lands surveyed, which are in great forwardness. In this territory there is a very valuable saline which is directed by law to be leased in such a way, that the occupants may while the interests of the United States are secured, produce the greatest possible quantity of salt, and furnish the inhabitants of that country with this essential necessity of life at the lowest possible price. In the Indiana territory two land offices are established, one at Vincennes, on the Wabash, and the other at Jeffersonville, on the Ohio, embracing a vast extent of remarkable fertile lands. At the last mentioned office, the fractional sections lying around Clark's grant, which were not surveyed and ready for market when the sales first commenced, are now ready and will be offered so soon as the state of the country will justify the measure. In the state of Ohio there are six land offices established and in successful operation; one at Cincinnati, one at Chillicothe, one at Zanesville, one at Marietta, one at Steubenville, and the other at Canton. The western boundary line of the Virginia military reservation, embracing the lands between the Scioto and the little Miami rivers in this state, has never yet been satisfactorily established. An essay has lately been made by commissioners appointed by the United States and the state of Virginia without success; a report of the commissioners on the part of the United States, with a plat of the country and explanations, were made to Congress and are on their files, giving ample information on that controverted business. In the territory of Michigan one land office has been established at Detroit-The private claims and donations to individuals had been patented soon after the organization of this office, but before they were presented to the person by their agent, who had them in possession, he was, taken prisoner by the enemy, and states the patents were wantonly destroyed; application was made here for exemplification, but, owing to the situation of the territory of that time, and the very limited means allowed to perform the complicated duties assigned us, they have not been issued. In the Mississippi territory there are three land offices established, one at Huntsville, in Madison county, one at Washington, west of Pearl river, and the other at Fort St. Stephen's east of Pearl river. In this latter district, the register of the land office states, that a number of persons obtained certificates of pre-emptions to land, to the amount in the whole of 24,230 acres of land, and that the time has elapsed wherein they were bound to complete the whole of their payments, but that they have never paid one cent therefore. Those lands are therefore reverted again to the United States, most of which would not sell, but requires an act of the legislature to authorise their sale. In this district the whole of the rich & valuable lands ceeded by the Chactaws, & lying along the Tombigbee, are surveyed and ready for market. By the articles of agreement and cession made between the United States and the state of Georgia on the 24th of April, 1802, the United States are bound to pay to the state of Georgia, out of the first net proceeds arising from the sales of the land ceded, after deducting the expences incurred in surveying and incident to such sales, the sum of one million two hundred and fifty thousand dollars; only forty six thousand three hundred an thirty-two dollars and seventy cents of which have yet been paid in arms under the act of April, 1808. From this view of the state of the public lands, it will appear, that, independent of the lands now offered for sale at the several land offices established by law, we have nearly ready to add thereto the balance of the Chactaw purchase, and the forfeited pre-emptions, in the Mississippi territory, the eastern and western land districts in the state of Louisiana, the Kaskaskia & Shawneetown districts in the Illinois and the fractions around Clark's grant in the Indiana; and so soon as the laws can be carried fully into effect, and the lands surveyed, the district north of Red river, and the lands to which the Indian title has been extinguished in the territories of Missouri and Michigan. All which is respectfully submitted by our most obedient servant. EDWARD TIFFIN, Com. Of Gen. Land Office. The hou. Speaker of the House of Representatives.

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