26,224 26

10,764 69

interest and penalties,

12,470 97

23,235 66

Total receipts at both offices on account of School lands, $49,459 92

Total rec'ts at both offices on acc't of University lands, $21,162 01

STATE BUILDING LANDS.

Town Lots at Lansing,

SALES.

RECEIPTS.

On account of principal, interest and penalties,

Of which amount there was received

At the Land Office, in warrants,

$3,203 00

1,700 84

$488 21

in specie F..

302 63

790 84

910 00

1,700 84

86,191 32

Total receipts on account of Int. Improvem't lands, $86,191 32

SALT SPRING LANDS.

SALES.

1,280 Acres, amounting to

RECEIPTS.

On account of principal, interest, penalty and rents,

Of which amount there was received,

$4,830 88

4,362 63

$4,181 20

181 43

$4,362 63

Total receipts on account of Salt Spring lands,

ACCOUNT

Of receipts and Disbursements at the Land Office, from December 1, 1848, to May 14, 1849.*

Statement of Expenses, &c., included in the above account.

Paid Ira Mayhew, Sup't of Public Instruction,

$178 21

97 82

Sundry persons for improving streets &c. at Lansing, 129 25 Office expenses for rent, fire-wood, lights, books, blanks, stationery, postage, advertising, travelling expenses, &c., 385 37 Refunded Chancey Cole and Alanson Cole, for certificates No. 3061 and 3062, Internal Improvement Land purchased by them, the same having been previously sold, certificate No. 3037,

200 00

All of which has been audited and allowed.

$990 65

The receipts and disbursements since the 14th of May have been at the State Treasury; an account of which may be seen in the report of the Board of State Auditors,

PRIMARY SCHOOL LANDS.

The sales of these lands for the last fiscal year amount to 9,602 41-100 acres; which is 6,586 60-100 acres less than the sales of last year. This diminution of sales is owing somewhat to the shortness of the wheat crop, but much more to the bringing into market, of so large a quantity of internal improvement lands, at the low price of from thirty to forty cents per acre. This has had a tendency to suspend the sale of the school lands in the newly settled counties. But this suspension will be temporary and of short duration; for those cheap lands are now fast being taken up, and their sale and improvement will produce a reaction, and facilitate the sales of the school lands much more than they will have retarded them. This, together with the removal of the capital to Lansing, must be the means of greatly increasing the sales of these lands. Indeed, the location of the capital, alone, must make sale of hundreds of sections, which would, otherwise, for a much longer period remain unsold. For our school lands, at four dollars per acre, cannot be sold until the country becomes somewhat settled. Yet, four dollars is a minimum, low enough. For as they are situated near the centres of the townships, they will, generally, as the townships become settled, find a ready sale. It was therefore a very fortunate step for the school fund, as well as for the growth and prosperity of the state, that the seat of government was fixed so far north. Soon will the beneficial influences of this location be felt, not only in the education of our children, but, also, in the support of the state government. And trifling, indeed, will become the burden, borne by the citizens of the south part of the state, in consequence of doing their business at the new capital, compared with the advantages gained, by lessening their taxations, not only for educational, but, also, for state purposes.

The sum total of all the school lands ever sold in the state is 120,728 42-100 acres. The amount unsold in the lower peninsula is about 960 square miles or 614,400 acres. And there are about five hundred square miles in the upper peninsula; ten of which lie in the trap range; and some of them are undoubtedly well stored with copper.

In accordance with the provisions of act No. 27 of 1849, section