The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1879-03-14

for tho state through her agents, TO
select it. This il required by the net
of congress approved March l2, 1850,
by the acts of our legislature approved
Oct. 10, 1862, and Oct. 2G, 1870, the
joint resolution Of Oct 10, 1874, and
is the subject Of a special letter of in
structions addressed by the secretary OF
the interior to the governor of Oregon,
under date of March Is, 1875. Lists
Of such selections must hc filed With
the surveyor general and the local
land offices. 4 selection is oua thing
aud its confirmation by the interior dc-
partmont is another thing. \ seleo-
ton may be rejected or approved, in
whole or in part, but selections are u
necessary and Indispensable FIRST step
and must loo made, otherwise thefs'ls
nothing for the department to act upon.
These selections ure also necessary in
order to Withdraw the lands from sale
under order of the commissioner Of the
general land office dated July 10, 1919,
for, il the lands are not SO withdrawn,
they may be sold or otherwise disposed
of by the general government before
the state claim is adjusted. Upon this
subject the following cNtrac, from let
ter addressed br the commissioner
of the general land Office to the register
and receiver of the Linkyillc land Office,
dated Sept. Q, 1875, will he found to
the point:
As soon as tho state auth1riliea OF Oregon
began To corporate wiki the department
| In trying To havs tho claim Ia tho state
| lands alleged To- be- swamp adIusigd, the
negi~ter aud receiver wero promptly mott
| fled To Withhold the lands thus claimed
| from further disposition. Such uoitc" nt
/ first iucludcd only thuao lands that were
| reported by tho surveyor general as hay
/ ing been shown to his satisfaction lo he
swamp, but subsequently, July 80, is''}.
| at tho request .f the state authorities, hIl
/ lands which tho state claimed swamp,
and had hlod lists thereof ia your oiltc,'
wrro included, provided the lands had
| been surveyed since March, II. ls|).
II will thus ho seen that tie first
step is 10 make the selection. the ace
ond step WAS to have the lands with
drawn, the third step 10 have the lands
| patented 10 the state. ana that neither
the second or third steps can be effected
until after the first has bcea made.
Tho first aud second have been taken
to large amount OF land. aud three
patents or certified lists, embracing
three large tracts o. SWAMP land. have
been executed - this state by the in.
terror department. Ia the Klamath
| basin, where reside. thr lands have
| been selected Ia accordance. 2itA the
| L. $. Surveys principally mad. by d.
+ i. Thompson They were Withdrawn
| from sale under the order above
mentioned, aud since thrn - large ror
ton have been patented to ID" state.
] ain IL purchaser. under the state title,
| to some Of the Lands. hut DO noJ cl1im
a foot or swamp land that wa, uu- seg
rc.ated bv -. T. Thomua1u's survey,
from She dry OF nrah'c land. aud rsptt
scntei on the Ilats og las survey AS
water" or "lakr" After 'ie lsua=
| had been selected, sold L. different per
sons and certificates o. pas hise isslci.
signed hy the governor, secretary ol
state and state treasurer. With the state
seal attached, "a small portion OF tine
lnud. comparatively, vas Jumped hy
the 'cattlemen' (cngaEsd ia the bust
ness Of raising beef cattle for the san
Francisco market under the proyiRious
Of the homestead and pre-cmption Laws
who wished 10 secure the lands for the
wild hay AMI grass they yield after ia,
subsistence Of the annual overflow
This gave rise to Il number Of land con
tests. st one time the number Of iii
iugs in the local land Office, con;lietin.
with the state selections, exceeded 80
Most OF these filings have now, howey
cr, been Cancelled by the general Lane
office, only few remaining. which vii
be adjusted Mt au early day Tins IA
the survey of y. Z. Thompson has beer
approved the facts involved rcquir
whether it will or not remains to b
seen.
In referring to the several amount
paid to the state agents for their scr
vices in making swamp land selections
the committee gives it as its "opinion
that all sums paid for such services ar
loss to the State. Indeed Does III
committee expect these men to wor'
for nothingl How can the selection h
made, and the necessary proofs furnish
ed, in conformity with the requirement
Of the Secretary Of the Interior, excep
they are made by State agentsl AnC
if they perform the services, why nc
pay them the compensation allowed b
/, lawl The clerk of the board perhaI
; erred in requiring the agents to max
out their reports in the manner
which they were presented. Whel
: surveys were necessary the agent WI
: compelled to employ assistants, wi
4 acted AS chainmen, etc, apd, when |
: came before the board to present his IA
! count, he was required to sign fsrecei
= for the gross sum allowed for the Sc
i vices of his entire party, and their ira
; cling expenses, as provided in section
L Of the act of Oct. 26, 1870. Perhaps
e would have been better if the accoul
o had been made out so that the amour
e allowed to each individual would ha
; covered not only his services but h
n subsistence, leaving it entirely At Il
it option of the recipient to spend his ov
o money for oysters, sardines, or an
| thing else he desired. But it seems
le me that this is small matter, and tn
l. an intelligent committee, actuated
IS honorable and just motives, would ha
IS carefully analyzed the expenses in ca
10 instance (taring into consideration t
at number of persons employed, the nuI