COMPARATIVE STATÈMENT of the Sales of State Lands since December 1st, 1857, for each fiscal year, Deducting For feilures. PRIMARY SCHOOL LANDS. The sales of Primary School lands during the fiscal year, have been 3,614.19 acres, against 5,103.50 acres for the year 1860 The amount sold for is $14,456 76 against $20,950 50 for the previous year. The receipts on account of principal, interest, penalty and charges, are $35,852 23, against $96,099 67 for the year 1860 The decrease in the sales and receipts may be satisfactorily accounted for in the agitated condition of our National affairs. Act No. 123, session laws of 1861, provides for selecting and locating the existing deficiency in this class of lands due the State, by virtue of the act of Congress approved May 20th, 1826, and for all subsequent land grants made by Congress to this State. Deeming the quantity of land due the State the first question for adjustment with the General Government, I have caused to be prepared a tabular statement, showing the condition of every sixteenth section in the State. This statement has been carefully compiled from the original field notes and plats in this office, and shows the whole number of acres in each township; the number of acres in each sixteenth section; the number of acres wanting, if any; and the number of acres the State is entitled to for the deficiency, according to the provisions of the above act. This appeared indispensable in order to arrive at the quantity to which the State is entitled, as will appear by reference to the following provisions of said law: "There shall be reserved and appropriated for the use of "schools: "For each township or fractional township containing a "greater quantity of land than three-quarters of an entire town"ship, one section. "For a fractional township containing a greater quantity of "land than one half, and not more than three-quarters of a "township, three-quarters of a section. "For a fractional township containing a greater quantity of "land than one-quarter, and not more than one-half of a town"ship, one-half of a section. "And for a fractional township containing a greater quantity "of land than one entire section, and not more than one-quar"ter of a township, one quarter section of land." According to that statement, the State is still entitled to select and locate 46,725.15 acres; of which, 20,629.27 acres are in the Lower, and 26,095.89 acres in the Upper Peninsula, exclusive of the sixteenth section in fifteen townships, hereinafter alluded to. I have forwarded to the Commissioner of the General Land Office, a carefully prepared copy of this statement, as the basis of our claim to select. The distinguished gentleman, Hon. J. M. Edmunds, now at the head of that Department, in his acknowledgment of its receipt, gives the assurance that "the matter in question shall be carefully investigated, and the result made known to you at as early a day as practicable." In another similar statement, I have requested the attention of the Department of the General Land Office to the case of the sixteenth sections in fifteen townships, mentioned in the able report of my immediate predecessor, as having been for the most part embraced in old Indian reservations; and insisting, since the Indian title has been extinguished, that the State is entitled to the sixteenth section, or in place thereof, to its equivalent. UNIVERSITY LANDS. There has been sold of this class of lands, during the year, 360 acres, amounting to..... $4,320 00 NORMAL SCHOOL LANDS. The sales of this class of lands during the year have been 80 acres, amounting to.. .$320 00 ASYLUM LANDS. No sales have been made. STATE BUILDING LANDS. One Lansing lot has been sold (forfeited) for........$42 00 SALT SPRING LANDS. There has been sold 53. 16 acres, amounting to.....$232 64 Also 2,647.70 acres sold on warrants under act 80, session laws of 1859, amounting to.... $3,309 62 SWAMP LANDS. The sales of swamp lands have been 8,618.13 acres, against 22,306.96 acres for the previous year. The amount sold for is $10,813 13, against $27,882 83, for the previous year. A considerable portion, however, has been sold upon onequarter payment down. The decreased cash sales for this class of lands, is easily accounted for, by considerations which do not at all affect their value or desirableness for the purpose of investment or settlement. In addition to the reason already given, in the case of Primary School lands, we have first, the amount located and thrown into market in payment of road contracts; second, the operation of the license law of 1861; and third, the practice, originated by the last Legislature, of permitting road contract ors to select lands to apply on their contracts, when the work is completed. The quantity applied to the construction of road is 19,313.23 acres, as will be seen by the following tables. A complete list of the unpatented swamp lands, for which |