The union Democrat. [volume] (Sonora, Calif.) 1854-1946, 1871-12-23
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,
GENERAL LAND OFFICE.
WASHINGTON, d. c., Dec. !, 1871.

WASHINGTON, ID. c., Dec. !, 1871.
Register and Receiver Stockton, California
-Gentlemen Under authority Of the Hon
orahle Secretary of the Interior you are here
by directed to withhold from disposal as agri-
cultural the lands in the following designated
townships in your District, until the non
mineral character Of the same shall have first
been established at hearing to be had be-
fore you after due notice and in the manner
set forth in the accompanying circular In
structions of May 6, 1871.
This course has been forced upon the De-
partment by several circumstances, among
which may be cited the fact that the majority
of applications for mining titles from Califor-
MIA are for lands not marked mineral upon
the official township plats; that in making
these returns of surveys large areas in the
heretofore reserved mineral belt are marked
upon the pla.s as agricultural lands, y while
upon the same plats aud within the tracts so
returned as''agricultural land are annotations
of quartz lodges" mining bitches" shy
draulic mines," "diggings," etc., the plat
thus contradicting itself and leaving this Of
fee in the dark as to the true quality of the
land.
In case now pending before this Office, of
an application for patent for a quicksilver
mine which has been worked for years, it is
found that the surveyor failed to mark the
land as mineral, and the tract falling within
the grant, was patented to the Western Pa
cifc Railroad, before said application was re-
ceved.
Experience having shown that this 'ofhce
cannot with any degree of safety judge of the
character of these lands, whether mineral or
agricultural, from the date furnished by Such
returns, and there being no authority of law
for the employment of a competent geologist
to investigate the matter, the head of the De-
partment has, in consideration of the public
interest, and to prevent the indiscriminate
absorption of the mineral lands of the public
domain through the instrumentality of insult
ficient returns, found 1t irlperatively necessa-
ry to adopt the course herein announced,
both for the protection Of those who have al
ready expended time, capital and labor in
opening and developing these mines, and cit
liens who may hereafter desire to exercise
their legal right to do so.
The following designated townships In
your district come within this order, and you
will treat the same as if returned as mineral
lands until the non-mneral character is dis
proved, unless otherwise directed by this of
flee, viz:
Townships l north, ranges II, II, Is, IA and
Beast Townships north, ranges IL. IL, Is,
IA and Is east. Townships 3 north, ranges
10, II, IL and IS east. Townships south,
ranges II and IA east. Township 4 south.
range Is east. Townships south, ranges l6
and II east. Township 6 south, range Is
east. Townships south, range Il and Is
east. Township south, range Is east.
Township 9 south. range Is east. Townships
40 south, ranges 90 and % east. Townships
IL south, ranges % and % east. All Mount
Diablo Meridian.
Please acknowledge receipt hereof as n.
Very respectfully,
Willis DRUMMoND,
Commissioner.