The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-07-21

by the people Of tina, country, there included within
her limits all tina, part Of Upper California which is stu
sted o the proposed Stale OF that nane and even the
southern portion of the Stale itself But the committee
have restricted Deseret OF Utah to all that part Of
the territory Of the United States included within the fol-
lowing limits 10 wit bounded the west BY the State
OF California on the north by the Territory Of Oregon on
the exs and south by the dividing ridge which separates
the waters flowing the Great Basin from those flow
ing into the Colorado aud the Gulf OF California
throwing into New Mexico, as think very unadysed
y the residue OF the territory lying of the State Of
California,
With respect such residue would observe tina the
remarks which have already made in regard 10 New
Mexico proper are In the general applicable shall there
FORE the present occasion, speak of Desere or iah
Is described in the bill
The nteror OF the Grea, Basin is wholly incapable Of
being inhabited. unless few be an exception has
no tree or shrub larger than the wild sage animal
considerable than the rabbit Colonel Fremont.
speaking Of this basin and its wreehed inhabitants
says:
The largest animal known in
1oId i.s and their made Of It's skim.
wS isss s only .s nas Il @
g. @ tor s saS ss habits and for
The only portion Of The basin known 10 be of much
value the valleys and the in the surrounding
mountains; as 10 which observe that all the valleys
within the rim oil the northern part above the parallel
of AZ deg and consequently in Oregon. The valleys
within the western ran are included in the State Of
California. and properly So as their most feasible
ncatons are with the country on the Pacific Nothing is
known OF valleys in the southern part of the rim the
county 10 understood TO be high and broken, but not
and 10 quite destitute OF water, and
|queny in great degree uninhabitable The valleys
within and without the eastern rim OF this basin usually
called Desere constitute the only portion oil these desc
late regions that be made the abode of civilized man
And here wish to call the particular attention OF the
Senate to the questionable character of the limits pro
posed by this bill for Dcseret or Utah. Why sweep
round the rim OF the Great Basin and separate the valleys
within the rim from those without The bill will part
mutilae the Mormon settlements. and expose the people
there to great Inconvenience II eastern California
by such m uncertain and difficult boundary as he d.
vdng ridge separating the waters flowing the Great
Basin from the waters flowing into the Colorado river
With view to bring before the Senate such facts
essential to just opinion on the question under consd
sntion. here submit to the Senate statement Gin the
form q . letter addressed to mysef) by John M Bern
hlse n 2, containing many interesting and important
details. DR. Bernhisel Is the agent of the people OF
ne ana nss Oeen n dung 'ns wno,s Of
York, a gentleman of responsibility and intelligence
and worthy Of all confidence His letter is as fol-
lows:
WASHINGTON CirY, June IS, 1880
Sir have received the interrog in relation to
Dserct contained in your communication OF yesterday,
In regard the country tho CHA and Colorado rivers
have knowledge, except from information which is
general and accessible 10 every one
The G,es, Basin OF which you inquire, believed is
about five hundred mies long, and by two hum
boundaries laid down Fsmont's map 1t has never
been fully explored but far has been, portion Of
table lands aud ,hrd Of esva.ed mountains
lew Of whose SUBMITS capped with perpetual
Some portions Of the Basin abound in rich aud nurciou
grasses. There are within limits many streams and
lakes, and OF the latter the remarkable the Great
Salt Lake, which about seventy miles length and thirty
to thirtyhve In breadth Its solution
Of murats q Soda or common salt Indeed they contain
audi when low. considerable quantities of 1t precip
lied No living exist ia h lake nr
earo In the topography OF this region that Of the
TO or Pacific ocean The sources Of the Colorado are in
me Rocky Mountains. lying IN Oregon and New Mexico
You desue MY opinion as 10 whetsr tho whole OF Cali
belonging to the United States. outside OF the limits
der tho government whether would be conve
70 separate the country siluatd the tributaries of
opinion the country exclusive of the State Of California
should be united under government, aud thok it
by the tributaries Of The Colo, ado from ina. OF tbs
Great Basin since the two are adjacent, and the
me never have convenient access Santa Fc; for
lofty ranges Of mounaias Intervene setw.sn them and
country Santa Pc is about eleven hundred miles,
!. Dc . e The way or The sons ps and
treat Salt Lake city only hundred and twenty
p one hundred and thirty miles.
You inquire what porons OF these countries inhab
be and Ask me 20 specify The valleys d'.,inguI'h,nx
veu, which united tho Colorado am clearly
the opinion that no portion Of extent OF county
ab,abls excepting the valley Of tho vntah, and perhaps
ia, of Green river, The valleys known in the Grca.
bailey. Yo.b valley, South valley sever valley and sand
tch valley. The Great Salt LAKE valley which Is
nh1 Ia recu about hundred and hfioon
red and twenty miles long. and from twenty - forty
road but the salt Lake occupies the part Of the
orbefn portion Ut It, The sM,tace OF the OF the
alley level bet ascepds gently either side towards
Ihe mountains There the Immediate vicinity ol the
ky, bearing the OF this lake, saline mineral
npfnx issuinN the base of mountain tho
which lUo degrees OF Fahrenheit Two milcs north OF
khis similar spring. Whose lbs degrees
shcnhct Tho character OF the best sol the valleys
kege,abIe loan, another marty oam, . third grav
PLY stratum containing sonr silica The latitude o
treat Salt Lake City Is ~ deg - min. ~ Its
lude sand three hundred test Tne climate
mider and dsier ia general Than u - IN the same Parsi
the Atlantic coast. The temperature the Salt
AXE valley tho wintrr more uniform than that
the ianc States the season. the thermometer
Haey descending There IL but little rain except
the mountains bcwoen the LIST Of May and the LIST oil
October, and hence the necessity for Irrigation in most
places which pbIe OF IL Tho Other valleys bear
general resemblance To the Salt Lake valley except that
hey smaller, South valley being thirty miles long
twenty broad, Utah valley about sixy long by twenty
road aud sand Piloh valley forty fifty long and
Perhaps twenty wide My ntor nation sufficient 10
isiiy in making statement IN regard to the sSe oil
Pc oner valley The only Timber 10 be found in this RS
ION 10 In the "ca~o~s on the banks OF few OF the
kraDs, and along the bases oil some OF the mountains
h.a, rye, barley, buch wheat, oats, and Indian
shic agricultural products and ali the garden vegeta
es peculiar to the middle and States OF this Union
DC produced great perfection. Cotton sugar, and
pc not susceptible OF cultivation in the region described
RbAcco and sweet potatoes be Produced in limited
Quantities.
kOoiy lew portions OF the valleys are well supplied with
and upon the rest bat limited crops bc raised
tiftcal irrigation IN sgriuturc - sable
kva oil land OF
Il Valleys which OF culyaton
pcauss they cannot be irfgs.d
bio waters OF Missouri rlvor il aLoat twelve
Rjars and fifty cents hundfed