New-York tribune., 1878-03-16
TIMBER DEPREDAIIONS.
A TALK WITH COMIISSIONFR WILLIAMSON.
FEW INTERLsTING FACTS ABOUT TIE CHARAC-
TER AND EXTENT OF TIE DEPKEDATiONS.

TER AND EXTENT OF TIE DEPREDAToNs.
lBY TELEGRAPH 10 TIE TRIBUNEi
| WAsuNGToN. March 15.-The widespread inter
est that has been aroused in the subjec, of timber
dcrrcilatious by the wholesale prosecutions on the
one hand and the efforts of those who have suffered
through these prosecutions to obtain relief from
Congress on the other will make explanation of
this controversy b. General williamson, Conmis-
soner of the General Land Office. interesting at this
| time
"The small proportion OF timber yet remaining on
the public lands of the United States" General VIII
hanson says, is found upon the Pacific coast, on
the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, upon Lake Superior
and west Of IT, in the $ ate of Minnesota and in the
Territory Of Dakota. Al this timber is stil' being
largely lerrcdatcd upon. Ii Is estimated that $40,
100000 worth of tuber has been cut from the pub
lie lands and shipped ont of the country within the
last twerty years to such places as Japan, China,
South America. the West Indies and Europe.
On the Atlantic and Gulf coasts the trade has been
almcIt uninterrupted by any action e this depart
men. for twenty years more, and lines of vessels
! have been established between the European ports
and the ports on those coasts to carry this timber.
while the greater part OF all the timer shipped
| broad from this country has come from the public
! lands These dopredationS going on 10 such
extent aS to convince any person who investigates
the matter that at the present rate of theft, the tim
Der will he scarce that is to say that all
! accessible timber VIII actually be cut off III the
/ quarter Of a century,
SPECULATIVE PURCHASE OF LANDS.
! "Very few If any of tho timber lands Of the
| United States are now Slbirct To sale for cash
the General continued; that is ta say, purchaser
| cannot 60 to a land flee and buy them for money.
| The lands are held under the pretence that they
are for homestead and prcGmpion settlers. Now
] ,f al
most universally uuft for cultivation. they
! not arabic l1uds Congress pr,tcndS to hold ii for
settlers under the homestead and prcemptIon laws.
vet it is passing such acts rs that providing
| for the issue OF Sioux hali-brcod scrip,
The act fur Red Lake and Pembina hai.6reed scrip,
aGd the set granting additional hOmtstcads to SOL
dicrs or persons who served in the late war. This
sorlp has heretofore contained provision that al
! lowed IT To bc located upon timber land without
regard to its agricultural quality. In that
way interested persons have had COM
pete monopoly for the purchase of such
classes of scrip the laws creating II have
| been passed. They have understood the laws they
| knew for wha; purposes they got the laws passed,
and they knew what phrases were inserted having
An Interior meaning, and they have at once pro.
cccdcd Ia u-c the knowledge thus had for the pIr-
| pose Of procuring such lands.'
"Ilaw Is such legislation you refer to passed :"
was asked the General.
! Every Congrcs. Il made mp largely Of new mem-
| bers who cannot possibly look back and see what
] the status Of these land matters is. or
| look forward to see the results which will
follow their ill-adv,cd legislation. But all the
scnp issued has not been genuine In Southwest
| Missouri there manufacturing establishment
! and one which il cost the Government many thon-
sand. Of dollars to ferret ouu for he purpose of max
! ing fraudulent i,>ur- of this kind oi scrip There
| were i7S fnudu mt entries made III les than a
| year. iu California. az the tlsaa Land ONCE en-
| tirrly of forged scrp, with foundation at
| all for II in fact. Combinations have existed.
! not alwa,s with yi"w of cutting snd shipping the
lu,ub.r at once but with the intention OF getting
! possession of tia, timber lands and holding them
! nuil they had hrcrmr of value. Very many large
! fortunes have been made in Minnesota by getting
| lands in this way aud holding them until the
stumpagc has been worth $50 an acre.
FOREIGNERS ~ TIE TRADE.
Concerning the cutting of live oak, the Colnmis-
sioncr said II am informed. and believe, that II
large quantity of live oak and shiphnding timbcr
has been cut from the naval reserves by trespSSerS
and then sold to the Cove rnmcn at large prices inn
mediatcy after. have also learned from continual
and current runor, winch cannot, however, verify,
that German, French. English, and Belgian Con-
suls have carried on large commerce with their
Governments and have engaged in shipping away
1--we oak and red cedar, taken from our naval re-
serves"
gentleman from Alabama, who happened to he
present and heard this statement by the Commits
sioncr said il had been common rumor for four
years that the trade had been carried Oh with great
activity aud that cOnsuls were engaged in the
timber cYporiaion.
General Williamson continued: "Whcn the Land
Office made the seizures at PascagOula, Miss IT immc-
diately drew forth representations from the Belgian
Charge d'Aflaires al interim. Ii was stated that
az, t1.l
| some years ago, at Pascag0ula, Miss. where he
founded an important commercial house, whose
| speciality is the purchase of timber. and which
| has at Pascagoua steam saw-mills and other
establishments. and dispatches every year
n large number of vessels laden with wood
| 70 various parts of Belgium and France
Special agents having visited Pascag0ula. and
| called on Mr. De Smet, he told them that he had
never taken part in this Illegal traffic. but that he
had purchased the wood which he sent to Europe
in good faith, in open market. requiring from the
sellers written declaration concerning the origin
of the wood sold by them. Subsequently,
under n power granted by Judge Hill. the
special agent went to Mr. DO Smets
establishment, and seized all the wood that was IN
his saw-nills and storehouses leaving Mr. DE Snet
| unable to load the vessels which he had in port.
| and threatened with having to pay considerable
| Sims by way of dcnurragc dead freight 10
| seventeen vessels which were expected; these
| damages being liable to amount to Too.ooo ana
! that failure to I'LL his contracts may cause MN
| a loss of k2O,O The Charge dAtiaire.s made an
appeal for the relief of Mr. De Smet. The vessels
| were subsequently, released. nut the aYchts hau
| unt exceeded their instructions III making the
| seizures for tho timber, though possibly bought IN
good faith was none the less timber Illegally taken
| from Government lands - ~ , 49,,
"The timber lands in none of the States said tho
General 'or Territories are subject to sa e for cash,
and can only be disposed OF llh9er tne iioIes,dau
| usually mountain land and unsuryeyed and in many
regions of the country il is impossible for settler to
| 49,, tn,Lnr ,yitiout bcinp n teprcdatOr.