The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-12-19

Csc a. "a rs.si.s. a. = 4 .asl saf ~ .aass ssA
tcf % gcctiseT, ancl dllsfsnt nalnaess &aslset
ncume.gs q ths .au,s esss 49, ,slsei s.s.ss-.ssa
oalendas ,sst whisk - a. uylnton q 49, 49, esaia
never have besn oouiessliassa 80 soSfsss
The -. allowed - a. rsssas sad .ssitsi a. iaa
de at "a aga MI. lsss 80 ssalssa shs ~ "a
stins rule u tht orr - - tai hsto ~ ha 81 a.
receiycl of rahus npaneya who , hsA sesstaatis ~
the sans . 10 he ease a m~,s frsei ~ eni,assf
Is Festrctsd By k~ anrssias az fgis Il a. dspast
nent % Az anouHl ~hioh aAisd g fiss ssslaiail
LANDS sold VIII not sxrred n ths nsgNNes a. naki
mum o. 81 500 tH any oas a@fisl ysaa
In the last annual Tsllst - ths oaes 4 staiet
that most literal Ilicy haa lexa sgaes ana eeat -
be continued. Ia she aisloeai ~ ne Fts dsnaalA ~
wards those making settismsnt. threen ma skesIa
far Congress may make Etanis - Ne @na ntniss
proyement purposes Sis believed % h. ths tas ply ~
the government she rula ians q utnsl ~
tiers thereon and withhold thsm, a. ~ - lsaetebls
from speculators
The wisdom Of the PFC sIaiou 1llsy ; ~ loaFss a.
subject Of controversy u y estalishea " ths htqsy
Of every neghboThood and settlement throuskou ihe
West. This Is said Ia full view q Che laci that many
fraudulent presumption claims established ~ sSaalon
and perjury and that such win D. the caa. ntas1
the most digent administration n ta and tpe oN ~
fees, especially during periods aeh - that throash
which we have recently Iases wbeh s,s sliit q 9.sa
ation has possession Of the puic mind bat this cass
of cases when compared with the great body ~ honest
claims, made by living upon the lands y too inoo
siderable to weigh against our policy The uss % ie
lands should pass Immediately from the government ~
the who TO cultivate the soil No ia a. may
be avoided the spoculator should not 10 allowed - @
tervene
With view to a complete and practical policy,
amendment of the presumption laws recommended 20
the last Congress- the effect that time should be Ga
ed within which the settler upon unoeTed land should
complete his entry by the requisite proof and payment
The proposed amendment not adopted, and the
of MAX A
his own pleasure provided IL be done before the time
fixed for the public sale of the land To compel pay-
ment and the contamination Of the entry, II
sary to proclaim the land for public sale Numerous
and extensive settlements In Kansas Nebraska and
Minnesota and In portions Of Town, Wisconsin, and
Michigan, formed during and prior to 1856, have SO far
matued and the lands have been 80 long occupied as TO
justify the government in expecting and requiring pay
ment.
1t is recommended that preemptors upon nggaed sur
ueyd lands shall have year from the date OF settle
ment and those upon unsurred lands shall have one
year after the return of the township pats TO the local
Office within which to pay for the same and that the
right Of presumption upon unsred lands be made gene
ra that the law in this respect may be uniform the
privilege being limited under existing laws to California
Oregon, Washington Minnesota Kansas, Nebraska, and
New Mexico.
The twelfth section Of the act OF ed july 1854 rea
ting Kansas and Nebraska requires notice of the tract
claimed by preempors to be filed within three months
s'after the survey has been made in the field IL Is
recommended that this provision be modified to give
the three months the survey has been made and
turned thus assimating it to the other statutes on the
same subject Where two persons may have
settled upon and improved the tract before the sur
vey the entry should be made by them jointly, and the
maximum quantity Of hundred and sixty acres to each
allowed adjacent of unoccuped lands
Legislation to this effect is recommended.
The recommendation of the last annual report is renew
ed that the act of Sd March, 1883 be amended to
render United States reserved sections along the line OF
railroads liable to presumption we'll when the settle
ment may have been made after before the final alot-
ment; that is, at any time before the public sale
The general law of Sd March, 1885, and the special act
of Sd March, 1857 granting prescriptions to contractors
carrying the mails through the Territories west of the
Mississippi have engaged the attention of the depart
men and to facilitate operations under these laws, cir
cular letter of instructions has been prepared in which,
as regards the general statute it is held that to cons
tutc a right of presumption the mail route which the
claim is based must form part of system stretching
ateraly the territory, being link in or part OF
connected from the line of the States west of the
Mississippi to the Pacific and that benefit privilege
conferred by tho said act routes stretching length
wise in northerly or southery direction in the territory
and forming no part OF said connected route
PRIVATE LAND CLAIMS
The class of titles known as 'tprivate land claims
which had their origin under the governments that pre-
ceded in sovereignty the different sections of coun
try constituting territory constantly coming
before this Office for examination in all their diversity of
forms and those finally confirmed and properly surveyed
are carried into patent Under this head individual In
dian reserves also referred and are passed into patent
after critical examination of the whole basis of title,
resting on treaties and statutory provisions.
class of claims at the Saut Ste Marie, Michigan of
which official cognzance had been taken under the act of
Congress approved Goth September 1885, has been thor
oughly examined at this office. Eighty -four Of these
have been finally confirmed for thrtywo of these the
payments required by law have been made and patent
certificates have been returned to this from the local
Office.
Returns of the surveys, with the necessary transcripts
showing the final confirmation and survey Of ranches and
other claims in California coming In and subject
to critical examination and carried into patent where
found complete in all the proceedings Eight of these IT,
ties have been carried into patent including aggregate
of 100 600 acres and covering hundred and
seventeen pages of record
In connexion with the geological reconnaissance which
has been made in Oregon and Washington alluded to in
the foregoing and the discovery of extensive coal fields in
those Territories the attention of this Office has been
drawn the immense growth and great value of the tim
Der for naval purposes in the Pacific slope
1t is reported that the red fir for mass roots Of the
white oak CEDAR and various kinds of fir suitable for
ship knees On Hoods canal, in the vicinity of Fort
Gamble and at Steacoom, white pine found in great
abundance, and of excellent quality.
The facilities for the transportation of timber from
Washington Territory great; the harbors in Puget
Sound being reported deep and quite accessible admitting
ships of the largest draught.
As incidental matter connected with the disposal Of
the public lands this Office in the elder land States has
instituted system susceptible of extension to any part of
the public domain operating through the instrumental
ty of the local land Offices for the protection of the pub
lie timber.
This system, both simple and economical, has been
found efficient In suppressng to great extent the mis-
chief waste and has operated in most salutary