The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1811-01-24


HoNse Of Rehresentatives.
REPORT.
The Secretary of the Treasury, in obc-
dience to the resolution of the House of
Representatives of the 18th ultimo, respect
fully,
REPORTS That in conformity with
he provisions ut the act :" to pr vent settle
ments being made on lands coded to the u.
States. until authorised by law" the regis
ters OF the land dist cts cas-, and west of
the Pearl river, in the Mississippi territory,
were in~trrcted togive public notice of the
act. and to invite persons who had settled on
the public lands 10 avail themselves of the
permission granted 10 tOem by the act to re-
main as t MS at will, OH ,hei, signing de
c arations that they laid no clam to the land.
Copy of which instructions, marked "a is
hereto annexed.
That it eill appear from the letter of the
gister OF the land Office west OF Pearl river
dated 28th March, 1907, and from the tran
scripts OF pecmissions, grained IN hat dis
trict, to such settlers, COPIES of which.
marked b, 2, and B 8, sre hereto anne xed. J
that they did gene sly Comply with the pro-
visions of the law, and sign the declare tIons
repaired from them.
That no in ormation, of subsequent date.
has been received, respecting intrusions on
the public lands, in that district nor is it
believed, that such iitruders are numerous,
or lay any claim to the land those only ex-
copied who derive their claim from certain
species of British and Spanish grants, on
which Congress has not yet made final de-
Cision.
That no returns of permissions granted
S OF Pearl river were received from the
i5tc register OF that land Office, and that
the term for granting them had expired be
fore the present register was appointed to
that flee
That although no official information has
been received by this department. respecting
the number of intruders, in that district,
which includes all the settlements on the
river Mobile, tits sufficiently known, that they
are more numerous than in any other part
OF the Mississippi territory but that it has
never been suggested, that any of them laid
any claim t. the land
That the measures taken prior to the year
1910 for carrying the provisions of the law
into effect in Madison county, are detailed
in the report made on the 18th aav of
December, 1909, to the House of Repre-
sentatiyes, and which is respectfully referred
to.
That, information having been subsequent
ly received. that the claim OF Michael Har-
rison, Yazoo claimant, was revived, and
was again laid before the President, and the
information communicated to the Secretary
OF War, as will appear by the correspon-
dence marked (C)
That no power being vested in the Secre
tary OF the Treasury. or in any of The land
ofhcers, to take any measures for the reno
val 0finUuders, the actual orders given in this
Instance, to that ffect, did not fall within the
province OF, and were nottransmi ted by, the
Treasury Department.
And, that, as 1t is not made the particular
DUTY OF any local officer to enforce The pen
alties imposed by the law, il necessarily fol :
lows, that the evil is neither checked IN i,s
first beginning, nor known to the executive.
until its magnitude has become such. as TO re-
quire, Tor its suppression. the application OF
military force.
All which is respectfully submitted.
ALBERT GALA FIN
Treasury Dehartment,
January I'm, 1911.
(A.)
Cory Of letter from the Secretary of the
Treasury TO Thomas Williams. Esg. Re
gtsfer, Land office, West, and Nicholas
Perkins, ESq' Register, l.. o. East Of
Pearl river.
TREASURY DEPARTMENT,
March %, 1907.
SIR,
] enclose the copy of " An act to
prevent set dement's being made on lands.
coded to the u. States, until authorised nv
law"
1t is hereby enacted, LIST. That persons
who had settled on the public lands before
the passing of the act. March 81, 1907 }
and did on that day reside on the same, NAV,
by application to the register, or to the re-
gister's special deputy, OBTAIN, on certain
conditions, permission to remain Oh SUCH
lands.
I'd. That it shall be lawful for the Pres-
dent OF tie u. 5. toremovv all those whon,A,
settle on the land after the passing Of tns