, 1860-02-17
Report Of Select Committee Relative to tho
Registers and Receivers Offices.


Registers and Receivers Offices.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. upon com
plant having been entered against the land
officers at this place, and their almost Grim
inal dssSliction of duty-it was thought
proper By ths late House Of Representa-
tives to appoint committee to investigate
the truth of these charges, and to report
upon the condition in which the affairs of
these Offices had and were being conducted.
At the head of this committee was appoint.
ed Mr.. H. M. KNAPP, Of Clarke county,
who in due course of time submitted the
following report and recommendation asthe
result Of mature reflection: Ut might,
perhaps, be proper to add that Mr. GAR
FIELDE, the Receiver, leas absent al he time
Tie report tOaS made, but returned shortly
afterwards, after a months absence from
Olympia, during which time the Office was
closed to every inhabitant of Washington
Territory.)
Mr.. SPEAKER:-Your Committee, on the
part Of the House, who were appointed to
investigate the condition of the Registers
and Receivers Offices, have obtained the fol
lowing facts:
The Office was organized in 1854, by the
appointment of II. G Mosely as Register,
and the only business that appears to have
been transacted by him was the receiving
and filing Of notifications No books were
opened, no copies Of letters kept, and in fact,
scarcely any necessary arrangement was
made for keeping the records Of the Office.
Mr. Mosely was succeeded by VIM. A.
Strickler, who conducted the Office very
nearly in the same style as his predecessor.
Many Of the final proofs Of settlers claiming
under the donation law were made during
his term Of Office, but they were merely filed
with the original notification, without being
entered on the tract books or connected
with the public surveys; and at the time Of
his resignation, the books and papers Of the
Office were in worse state il possible than
at the time he assumed the duties thereof
Mr.. Strickler was succeeded by VIM. B.
Rankin, who remained in the Office but a
very few months, and he is subject to as much
censure as either Of his predecessors, as we
cannot discover that he has performed his
duties as Register. He left on leave Of
absence, since which time nothing has been
heard from him. There are but very few
Of the claims entered on the tract books;
many, if not nearly oil, Of the papers which
have been forwarded to Washington having
been transmitted without being entered on
the books and copies retained in the Office,
so that from the organization Of the Office up
to the present time nothing but the mere
notifications are on file. There are many
conflicts between different claimants under
the donation law, but owing to the continued
absence of either Register or Receiver
these contests cannot be settled, causing a
great deal Of trouble and expense TO claim.
ants.
The records of the Office could not possibly
be in worse condition, and if allowed to
remain as they are, must inevitably cause
great confusion and trouble in the future
1t would be impossible to have the work
brought up under eighteen months to two
CNCu WIN buC dooobduOSO OuC VI NMO
competent clerks There are none Of the
blanks necessary to- making final proofs in
the Office, and settlers are driven to the
necessity of having these papers made out
at their own expense. There are about 1000
donation claims, and Of that number only
$50 are connected with the public surveys
by plating, although some $50 have been
returned by the Surveyor General and about
400 have been taken by legal subdivisions.
And in view Of these facts, your Committee
would recommend that memorial be passed
by this Legislature asking for the appoint
ment of Register and Receiver for this
office, at this place, and also for an appro-
priation of three thousand dollars to bring
up and get in shape the business of this Off
ce. And in conclusion, your Committee
would state that no censure should attach to
VIM. M. Randall, the present acting Regis
ter, as we believe he has done all iu his pow
er to accommodate settlers and claimants,
also to bring up the work Of the Office
All of which is respectfully submitted
H. NJ. KNAPP,
Chairman
BE Il resOlred By The Legislative Assembly
of The Territory of Washington, That a
copy Of tbs foregoing report be sent to our
Delegate in Congress, that he may submit
the same tn the proner denartment and