Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1854-04-26
TO TRESPASSERS ON PUBLIC LANDS.

TO TRESPASSERS ON PUBLIC LAMBS.
The object of the Government has been TO sci
its timber lands, and hence the most that there
should ever have been done was to have com
PEELED the trespassers to have entered the land
trespassed upon. Government has just issued n
circular upon this subject dated March, which
send to you. ,Y-r ftfEg
By comparing that circular with the one Of
January, you will see how Government changed
its mind in relation to the agents within two
short months. ..,os \, so
GENERAL LAND OFFICE,
March, 1854. {
SIR Since the Circular Of January %, 1854,
was prepared several questions have arisen, and
been decided, which require further Instructions
TO be given you for the discharge Of your duties,
and in making returns Of your operations
I. Where parties enter and pay for all the
lands on which they have heretofore committed
depradations or waste, you will release their tim
Der; but where they fail or refuse to do this,
YOU will hold on to the timber, whether cut un-
der alleged permission or not, as there is no au-
thority law for permitting or sallctioning such
trespass
g Where persons mix timber cut from private
property, with that taken from government
lands, you will seize the whole, under the estab-
lished rule in relation to confusion of property.
8. When you are perfectly satisfied, that
reasonable price cannot be obtained tor timber
at the place of seizure because of combinations,
or want Of bidders, and that greater amount
than such price, and the additional cost Of re-
moving it, can be secured by transporting it to
another market, you will cause such removal to
be made in the usual and most economical man.
ner.
A. Where there is no legal process for con-
demning timber cut from the public lands, the
Intervention and action Of the Marshal, under
former instructions, must Of necessity, be as
your deputy-where there is such process, it
must be followed.
5. All moneys received either by yourself, the
Marshal, or District Attorney, must be deposited
in some one of the United States repositories,
to the credit of the judiciary fund, cihom abaie-
naent of any kind, either for your own compen-
sation, the pay of your deputies or assistants, or
for incidental expenses of any kind, as required
by the act of lS49.
6. To enable you to carry on your duties sue
cessfully, therefore, you should send on an es-
innate before the close Of each quarter, of the
amount that will probably be required for that
quarter, for your own salary, pay of assistants,
and incidental expenses.
7. Your accounts will be transmitted quarter
ly, with brief report of all the transactions of
your agency, as heretofore required.
In charging your own expenses, you will spe-
city the journeys made, giving the names of pla-
ces, from, through and to which you travelled,
the distance between each and date of each Jour-
ney-with vouchers in detail for each itcm.-
The accounts Of your assistants must specify
the particular duty on which they were engaged
the necessity for these services-the time de-
voted to each branch of the duty and the same
detail as to Journeys and Incidental expenses
Your assistants must make affidavit, that their
expenses were necessarily incurred in the line
of their duty.
8. In employing assistants you will select on
ly such as are entirely reliable-limit their SER
vices to such times as are indispensaby neces.
sary-procure their services on the most reason.
able TERMS and advise them that such expenses
only as are absolutely necessary will be allowed.
9. You will at once enter into bond in the sum
of t,centy thousand dollars, for the faithful per-
Torrance of your duties, and that you aciH depoS-
ite all money that may come into your hands
from any source belonging to the government.
You will report each sale as soon as made, the
estimated feet of round or hewed timber, and
boards, the number of thousands Of shingles,
&C., disposed of, and the amount received for
each description of property. As soon after
sale as practicable, you will depoSite all The mon
ey received, aOithom abatement of any kind for
any purpose, in the nearest government depos-
tory. These deposites will be made until 9TH
erwise directed to the credit of the judiciary
fund. In making acquisitions you will invaria-
bly, state the amount of funds in hand at that
time.
Your prompt and faithful attention to these
instructions is indispensable to the faithful exc
cution of the trust con6ded to you, and the
promotion of the public interests and in all
your transactions you will be governed by the
strictest economy compatible with the efficient
discharge Of your duties.
Very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
JOHN WILSON, Com'r.
CIRCULAR TO TIMBER AGENTS.
GENERAL LAND OFFICE,
January, %, 1854.
SR:-The Secretary of the Interior having
committed the whole subject of the Timber
Agency to the care and direction of this office, it
is deemed expedent to embody the instructions
heretofore given, and those now deemed proper,
in a +" Circular" for full information and correct
reference.
1t will be your duty, by every means in your
power, to ascertain where waste or trespass has
been, or is being committed, on public land by
cutting timber, or removing it or other valuable
property therefrom. That you may understand
fully and particularly the nature of your duties,