29/ Frederick J. Turner, The Frontier in American History.

30 Note map for graphic picture of the various Federal land acquisitions.

31/ For text see Bureau of Land Management booklet "Selected Public Land Documents."

32/ U. S. 2 Statute 717.

33/ The management of the public lands of the United States has always been one of the most frequently debated subjects in the Congress. A quick check of the Statutes-at-Large will indicate the frequency with which the Congress has passed laws concerning the public lands.

34/

The Biographical data was obtained from various sources, such as Who's Who, Dictionary of the Congress, Congressional Directory, and Land Office Reports.

35 The General Land Office, Land Service Bulletin, Vol. 2, No. 9, p. 3. Hereafter cited Land Service Bulletin.

36/ John Nicolay and John Hay, Lincoln (New York: The MacMillan Co. 1891), Vol. 1, p. 293, et seq.

39

Throughout the history of the disposition of the public lands, the Government has been forced to take back land once granted because recipient did not comply with stipulations set down by the Government. Perhaps the most significant of the revested

lands are the so-called "O&C" in Oregon.

A grant was given to the State for a wagon road and to a corporation for a railroad. When the grantees failed to comply with the grant, the Government retained title. In 1960 the O&C lands accounted for 16 million dollars in revenue for the Federal Government and the State of Oregon.

40 See Table, page

for list of land sales from 1796-1960.

41

General Land Office Reports 1822 and 1833.

42/

J. D. Richardson, Messages and Papers of the Presidents, II, p. 305. Hereafter cited, Richards, Papers of Presidents.

43 Annals of Congress, 18th Congress, 1st session, p. 583.

44/ Congressional Debates, 22 Congress, 1st session, p. 477.

47 Annual Report of the Commissioner of the General Land Office, 1836 and 1837. Hereafter cited, General Land Office Report.

48 Public Lands, Vol. 7, pp. 678-685

49 U. S. 4 Statute 503

50/ Richardson, Papers of Presidents, II, p. 601

51/ Ibid., pp. 601-602. The widespread speculation in lands was instrumental in bringing about the Panic of 1837. This is an illustration of the role that the public lands had in the economy of America, particularly during the 19th Century.

52/ Congressional Globe, 24th Congress, 2nd session, p. 118 et seq.

53/ Ibid., 24th-2nd, pp. 118-120.

54/ Hibbard, Public Land Policies, pp. 229-234. This is a very good account of speculation.

55/ General Land Office Report, 1836-1837-1838.

56 In recent years the sale of timber and the leasing of mineral lands has brought a considerable amount of money into the U. S. Treasury but this should not be confused with the revenue from the sale of the public lands.

57/ Richardson, Papers of Presidents, III, p. 249.

58/ Ibid., pp. 162-163.

59/ General Land Office Report, 1832, pp. 63-64.

60/ Ibid., 1834, pp. 2-3.

61 Milton Conover, The General Land Office, (Baltimore: John Hopkins Press, 1923), p. 22.

62

During the early history of the General Land Office the
Commissioner had to decide on a multiple of land claims,
cases of fraud, etc.

63/ General Land Office Report, 1832.

64

Richardson, Papers of the Presidents, III, pp. 384-385.

65 Theodore Blegen, Land of Their Choice, (St. Paul: University of Minnesota Press, 1955), pp. 21-25.

66/ Donaldson, The Public Domain, p. 214.

67/ U. S. 4 Statute 420-421

68 Donaldson, The Public Domain, p. 214-215

69 U. S. 5 Statute 453

70/ Paul Gates, "The Struggle for Land and the Irrepressible Conflict", The Political Science Quarterly, June, 1951, LXVI, p. 251.

Benjamin Hibbard, Public Land Policies, p. 164-168.

72/ General Land Office Report, 1870.

73/ Ibid.,

Ibid., 1882

74 U. S. 26 Statute 1097

75

Land Service Bulletin, Vol.III, No. 7, pp. 16-17

76 Ibid., Vol. 3, No. 7, p. 30.

77/

General Land Office Report, 1851, p. 2. See the yearly reports of the Commissioner of the General Land Office for an accounting of the work performed and requests for additional clerical and financial assistance.

78

Francis White, Administration of the General Land Office, 1812-1912. (unpublished dissertation (doctoral) - Harvard

University).

79/ General Land Office Reports, 1849, 1850, 1851.

80

81

82

83/

The salary of the Commissioner of the General Land Office was never particularly high in light of the tremendous responsibilities that went with the position.

President Buchanan veto of both the Land Grant College Act
passed by the Congress in 1860 and the first Homestead Act
to pass the Congress are exceptions.

Hibbard, Public Land Policies, p. 239.

Richardson, Papers of Presidents, I, pp. 584-585.

84 Ibid., p. 585

85/

Richardson, Papers of the Presidents, II, p. 144 et seq.

86/ Ibid., p. 144

87/

Calhoun was not always in favor of internal improvements; during the 1830's and 1840's he opposed legislation along these general lines.

88

This might be called a general rule of thumb in describing early
grants for internal improvements. Act of 1841 gave 500,000
acres to 9 States: Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Alabama, Missouri,
Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Michigan.

89/ Hibbard, Public Land Policies, p. 236. The 80,000 acres representing the total amount received for the road.

90/ Ibid., p. 237.

91/ Ibid., pp. 237-238.

92/ Ibid., p. 241.