The New York herald., 1851-12-03


Il vas dssirahls that the Surveyor Gsnsrsl, Who,
accompanied BY . corps Of expsrisnoed dsputies.
promptly departed on hi. duty with the earliest
steamer t1at succeeded the adjeurnmsnt Of Con
his arrival there. To this end the facilities hsd all
70 be furnished BY this office; Accordingly, besides
the special orders respecting his general duties and
nal, for the field operations Of his deputies, we're
also prepared with much care, and In al minute
ness Of detail! In the preparation Of the details IL
dstermine) 50 to start the Pacific surveys ss to
profit by whstever suggested itself - susceptible Of
improvement In the surveying operations Of the
past.
the Department, should It deem expedient, to cause
the Oregen surveys to be executed accordinS to
the principles of what Is called the "Geodetic
Methsd." That method, a. far - it contsmp plates
in eur land surveying service, has not been
adopted. Our rectangular system involves the
necessity of instituting series after series Of
corner boundaries for townships, sections and
quarter sections; six miles, one mile, and half
mile apart, whether in praries, dense forests, or
rugged hills or mountains, and to perform suoh SER
vice, which is the chief end Of the surveying laws,
is 50 done according to the compass and, under
circumstances where the magnetic needle u Affect
ed BY local causes Of attraction, Burs solar com-
pass has OF late years come into requisition. Tho
plane table, however available in An open country,
and where lands are extremely valuable, in deter
mining areas with great nicsty, and In effectine
topog rsphical surveys by means Of triangulations
equally we'll adapted to prosecuting surveys in the
density of the forest, and to the special require
meLS of the existing provisions Of law regulating
the public land surveying service, and particularly
be involved in the attempt to introduce the Geo.
detie method" into our own service, the adoption q
it was deemed iDexpedient;
With your approbstioa, however, and a. proposed
IN Iank Ivan va Aaau mad fvvu
institute on the principal base and meridian lines Of
the public surveys in Oregon, ordered 10 be estab-
ihed by the act referred to, system oftriangula-
mnsnt objects within the range Of the shsodolIss
BY means Of which the relative distances Of such OBJ
jects, in respect to those main lines, and also to
each other, might be acquired, calculated, and pro-
ledge Of the topography Of the country in advance
of the progressing linear surveys, and TO obtain the
elements for estimating areas Of valleys interven-
ing between the spurs of the mountains.
IN ordering the extension Of the lines of the pub
lie surveys over the territory of Oregon, it was
deemed necessary to draw the special attention Of
the Surveyor General for that territory 70 the third
1916, between the United States and Great Britain
which provides that in the future appropriation OF
the territory south of the 49 deg. rorth latitude,
.4he Possss'Sry rights Of fthsHudsons Bay Company.
the occupation Of land other property, lawfully
acquired within the said territory shall be respect
ed;' and to the fourth article which declares that
~ the farms lands and other property belonging to
north side Of the Columbia river shall be confirmed
to the said company" with the stipulation, how
ever, hat in case the situation of these farms and
lands should be considered by tho United 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 50 required shall
be transferred to said government at proper
valuation, to be agreed upon between the parties"
AZ no steps had been taken by our government
ESQ far as the General Land Office was sdvised)
to avail itself of the right Of purchase recognized
in the treaty, and as no measures had been pro.
scribe9 BY Congress, for ascertaining and deta ,hing
from the public domain the particular lands which
the treaty requires US to respect, it dsvolved upon
this office to assume with your sanction, the respon
dering the Surveyor General to call upon the
claimants or their agents, to present to him tbs
evidence Of the rights they may claim to be pro.
tected BY the treaty, and to show him the original
localities and boundaries Of the Same which they
held at the date of the treaty. He was further in.
structed, whenever this may be done to his satis.
faction, to avoid any sectional other minute sub
that he must necessarily extend the township lines
over them, 80 as to indicate on the returns Of eur
vey, their relative position and connection with the
public domain. He has also been required to re-
II becomes now i'm portant, andI beg leave, there
fore, to recommend that provision be made By
Congress for prompt, summary, and final adjust
ment Of the said claims, in order that al With
the purview Of the treaty may be respected, and
the United States protectsdfrom any act within its
stipulations.
The Surveyor General of Oregon Is, by the aet
of 1850, constituted the arbiter and registrar Of
tie claims which may be intsrpossd by settlers for
donation rights
Thislaw Introduces q new feature in the public
land sy stem applicable to. Oregon, and viii give
rfe to many newand difficult questions in the pro-
ofite applicatiOu
In order that the Surveyor General might bs
enabled to act with promptitude in deciding on
those claims, and to obviate further delay which
would attend future correspondence on these mat
ters, this office, after full consultation with the
late delegate from the territory, instructed him
all the points that could be anticpated and he de-
parted provided with all the facilities within the
power Of the department to 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 limos have
Just been received
In order TO develope, to some extent, the geolog.
cal resources Of Western Oregon, was desired By
the people Of that territory, 4 gentleman recon-
mended BY Dr. Oven, United States Geolsgist for
Wisconsin and Iowa, AMI who had been for years
in bis service, was despatched blythe department.,
ov erlant, to join the surveying corps west Of the
Cascade Mountains, with Instructions to connect
,b sSss as IA, WITH sss
were found in an unexpended balance OF an sppro.
priation for kindred objects and, limited though
though they be, Il hoped that results may be OBJ
tanned likely to advance the interests Of the grow
ing settlements on that remote border.
The act Of 27ta September, 1850, providing
Tor making surveys and donations Of pub-
lie lands in Oregon, has respect TO two
classes Of settlers. II grants to tho first
class Of actual settlers Of the public lands
there, who were such prior to December, $50,
Of the quantity Of half section, or $40
acres, single man; and, II married, the quantity
OF IN entire section, go acres-one-half to the
husband and the other TO the wife, in her own right
and 70 the second class, who are, or shall become
settlers, between 1st December, 1850, and LIST De-
cember, 1853. IL grants the quantity Of q quarter
section, or lbO acres TO single man; and, If mar
ried, the quantity OF half section, or 32o acres;
one halt the husband, and the other TO the wife,
in her own right
The frst class Of benekciaries embraces white set
tiers or occupants Americso half breed Indians in
cluded, above the age Of eighteen years, who arc
citizens Of the United States, residing in that Terri