Page:U.S. Department of the Interior Annual Report 1872.djvu/27

Rh duly appointed by said court, and the report of their labors was filed therein on the 12th day of July last. But two exceptions to the appraisal made by said board were filed. which were overruled by the court sitting in "special term." Appeal was made in one of these cases to the court in "general term," and on the 16th instant said appeal was overruled and the whole appraisal confirmed.

By the ninth section of said act, the sum of $400,000 was appropriated for the purchase of said squares. The value of the property on these squares, as appraised by the commission of nine in 1861, amounted to $346,374.90. It is generally conceded that real estate in this city has greatly enhanced in value since the year 1861; it was apparent, therefore, to my mind, that Congress, in appropriating but $400,000 for the purpose, could not have entertained the possibility of purchasing the whole property for that sum. Acting upon the best attainable advice, and believing that the public economy would not be subserved by deferring action in the premises for another year, I decided to accept the appraisement made by the board of commissioners and confirmed by the court. The total value of the property in both squares according to said appraisement is $681,878.65, so that, with the appropriation of $400,000, it was only possible to purchase one of the squares, and a portion of the other, until Congress should make the necessary additional appropriation to complete the purchase. I concluded to purchase the whole of square No. 687, on the north side of Capitol Square, and the five easternmost lots in square No. 688, amounting in value to $395,388.15. The owners of said property were requested to submit the proper deeds for the conveyance of the same to the United States, and, in a majority of the cases, deeds have been received and transmitted to the Attorney-General for examination and appropriate action. In all cases, wherein the deeds were not submitted within fifteen days after the appraisement was confirmed by the court, the purchase-money will be deposited in said court, as required by section 9 of the act. It is expected that possession of most of the property purchased will be had before the 1st of December next.

Provision should be made for payment of the expenses incident to the purchase of this property. I have the honor, therefore, to recommend the appropriation by Congress of $295,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary, for completing the purchase of square No. 688, and for payment of expenses incident to the appraisement and purchase of the whole property.

During the past fiscal year the whole number of persons under treatment in the Government Hospital for the Insane was 693, being 45 more than were treated the preceding year. Of these, 389 were from the Army and Navy, and 525 were males. One hundred and eighty-five patients were admitted during said year; 51 were discharged as