New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-12-04

sct OF February II. is47, the warrants IN TIA, class
having teen held 10 be sssignatle. Measures have
tstn sdopsa 10 secure LocuTaoy and neasness IN the
typro.srg of all the pa,s nts, and su6eeting them 70
r,optr fest BY a careful examin atom or Board;
and the business generally in its mulhfarious de-
tails, Ia satisfactorily progressing
PACIFIC sURVEys-oREOoN.
Within the last half century our peculiar system
of puhue land Surveying, commencing IN the rlch
valleys of the ONO and It's trlcu'ares-the early
tteaier Of the daYDg pioneers OF Western cviliza-
uonhss been ent'nced over me vsst expanse OF inc
numerous pubic land States and Territories, since
brought into political existence on the Atlantic
slope. Since the adjournment OF the last Congress-
It's practical extension 10 the Temotes, verge Of orr
Pacific border has been commenced There the IN
cusrious land surveyor is now found greeted by the
adventurous expectans Of advancing civilization in
oregon, between the Cascade Mountains and the
stretching his chain along the fertile valleys of
the UmpQua and the Willamette or Otherwise labor
ing in his vocation, a. times encompassed with diff
cOltles demanding IDdOmltable energy to overcome.
Amid tie formio able hill ranges, extensive forests
and mountains which impar to the physical features
OF the country extraordinary grande ur, the surveyor
engaged In surmountipg obstacles unprec edenied
in ms profe al experience That which TO the past
generation was almost an Ctoplan idea, the settle
meIt and surveying OF Oregon, IS nov rapidly be-
coming practical business reality. under the pro-
visions OF the act OF 9th September 1850, " To
create the Office of Surveyor General OF the Public
Lands in Oregon, and to PROVIDE for the survey and
TO make donations to settlers OF the said public
lands"
accompanied by corps Of experienced deputies,
promptly departed on his duty with the earliest
steamer that succeeded the adjournment of Con-
gTtss, might engage in his work Immediately on his
arrival there TO this end the facilities had all TO be
furnished by this Office Accordingly. besides the
special orders respecting his general duties and their
DETAILS Instructions, forming printed manual, for
the field operations Of his deputies also prepir
ed with much care and IN all minuteness OF detail.
In the preparation OF The details II was studiously
aimed with what success inc must determinel so
TO start the Pacific surveys as 10 profit by whatever
suggested itself susceptible oimprOvement in the
surveying operations Of the past.
The act OF the 9th September, $50, authorized
the Department. should II deem eypedient 20 cause
the Oregon surveys 10 be executed according TO the
principles Of what is called the "Geodetc Method"
That method as IA as II cOntemplates the use OF
the plane table, instrument not IN use In our land
surveying service, has not been adopted. Our
rectangular system involves the necessity of nsii-
tutiTg series after seTes OF corner boundaries for
townships, sections and quarter. sections, six miles,
one mile, and half mile apart, whether IN pral-
lies, dense forests or rugged hills or mountains and
to perform such service, which is the chic. end Of
the surveying laws. the ground must be peranbu-
lated and chained, and is done according to the
compass and, under circumstances where the mag
nelc needle IS affected by local causes of attraction
Burts solar compass has of late years come into
requisitlon. The plane table no ~ever available in
open country. and where lands extremely
valuable, IN determining areas with great nicely,
and In effectng Typographical surveys by means of
trlaDgulatlons from given base u.s. nevertheless,
regarded not equally well adapted to prosecuting
surveys In te OcnefJ oil fOrcsl. ana 10 tne Spe
cai requirements Of the existing provisions of law
regulating the public land surveying service, and
particularly in view Of the increased cost and delay
that would be involved in the attempt to introduce
the "Geodetc Method" into our own service, the
adoption of It was deemed lnexpedent.
With your appreciation, however, and as proposed
IN nv last annual report IL deemed useful to In
stitule on the principal base and meridian lines OF
the public surveys III Oregon ordered to be estab-
lished by the &C, referred to, system OF riangula
tons from the recognized legal staonsto all promi
next objects within the range OF the theodote BY
means of which the relative distances of such Oh
ects in respect those main lines and also TO each
other might he acquired, calculated and proracted.
with the view Of contributing 10 the knowledge of
the topography of the country in advance Of the pro-
crossing linear surveys, and to obtain the elements
for estimating areas of valleys intervening between
the spurs of the mountains.
In ordering the extension OF the lines OF the pub
lie surveys over the Territory Of Oregon, 1t was
deemed necessary to draw the special attention OF
the Surveyor General for that Territory to the third
article of the treaty concluded on the 18th August
1910, between the United States and Great Britain,
which provides that in the future appropriation OF
The territory south Of the 46 deg. north latitude
1.-The posSessOry rights ofthe HudSOn's Bay Company
and of all British subjects who may be already IN
the occupation of land, or other property, lawfully
acquired within the said Territory, shall be respect
" the farms, lands ard other property belonging TO
the Pugets Sound Agricultural Company on the
north side OF the Columbia River shall be confirmed
to the said Company" with the stipulation, how
ever, "that in the situation of hese farms and
lands ShOuiO De cOnsldefeu by tnc thlteu STATES
to be of public and political Importance, and
the United States Government should signify
desire TO obtain possession of the whole or any
part thereof the property so required shall
be transferred TO SAID Government at a proper
valuation, to be agreed upon between the parties"
AS no steps had been taken by our Government. $50
far as the General Land Office advisejl 10 avail
itself OF the hight Of purchase recognized IN the
treaty, and as no measures had been prescribed by
Congress, for ascertamlng and detachlng from tue
public domain the particular lands which the treaty
mos uc Ia re- opyDlVpl eel
assume, with your sanction the response )llty, as
necessary preliminary measure OF ordering the sur
yeyor General to call upon the claimants or their
agents, present TO him the evidence OF the rights
they ay claim to be protected by the treaty, and 10
show him the original localities and boundaries OF
he same which they held al the date Of the treaty.
He was further instructed, whenever this may be
done to his satisfaction, to avoid any sectional or
other minute subdivision of the lands covered by
such claims but that he must necessarily extend
the township lines over them, so as TO indicate on
the returns of survey, their relative position and
connection with the public domain. He has also
been required TO report the result of his proceedings
in the premises. II becomes now important, and
beg leave, therefore, to recommend that provision
be made BY Congress for prompt summary, ana
final adjustment of the said claims In order that all
within the puIvew OF the treaty may be respected,
and the United States protected from any act within
itsstipulatioDs.
The Surveyor General of Oregon is, by the act Of
1850 constituted the arblter and registrar Of the
claims which may be interposed by settlers for do
nation rights.
MS Jaw a. h'" 4S"'N' IL
land system as applicable 10 Oregon, and will give
rise TO many new and difficult questions IN the pro-
eress OF its application.
In order that the Surveyor General might DC
enabled TO act with promputude III deciding on
those claims, and TO obyIate further delay which
would attend future correspondence on these mat
tiers, this Office, after full consultation with the
late Delegate from the Territory, instructed him on
all the points that could be anticipated and he de-
parted provided with all the facilities within the
power Of the Department 10 furnish, for executing
the diverse and complicated duties entrusted by law
to his management. His returns of the maps OF the
surveys of the base and meridian lines have Just
been received,
In order 70 develop to some extent the geology
cal resources of Western Oregon as was desired by
the people of that Territory, gentleman recon-
mended by DR.. Owen, United States Geologist for
Miscnnsin and Iowa aud who had boon for YeaIs