Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-12-20

the command Of the Department Of West Point, to
duty as Superintendent of the U. s. Military Acad-
envy, according to his brevet of Major-General.
and will relieve Major-GeneTal John N. Schofeld.
~ Brigader General c. C. Augur is assigned to
the command OF the Department of Texas.
81 Colonel Henry j. Hunt, Fifth Artillery, Is as
signed to temporary command of the Department OF
the South, according 10 his brevet of Brigadier-
General.
q The States of Arkansas and Louisiana and In
dian Territory will constitute military depart
mept and will be known as the Department OF
Arkansas with headquarters at Little Rock, Arkan-
sas. Colonel Z. 5. Mackenzie, Fourth Artillery is
assigned TO this command, according to his brevet
OF Brigadier-Genera
constitute the Military Division Of the Gulf, with
headquarters at New Orleans. Najor-General John
ID Schotield is assigned to this command Until
this division shall have been organized, command
ing Generals Of the Departments Of Texas and
Arkansas will report to the Leutenant-Colonel COM
manding the Military Division of Missouri.
(6) Brigader- General n a. Miles is assigned to the
command of the Department Of the Columbia. Until
the arrival of General Miles ut his headquarters, the
command Of the Department of the Columbia will
be exercised by Colonel Frank Wheaton, Second In
fantry according to his brevet Of BrgadierG
By command of General Sherman.
r. G. DRUM, Adjutant-General.
IMPORTANT 70 SETTLERS.
WASHINGTON, December 1Sth.-There has
been and still is much well grounded com
plant in California of the great expense and
other hardships to which settlers are fire.
quently subjected by having to travel long
distances from home, and being witnesses to
determine at remote places the mineral or the
agricultural character of their lands Rep
resentative Page, since his arrival here
fortnight ago, has urged this evil upon the
attention of the General Land Office, and at
his instance Commissioner, Williamson has
prepared and issued to-day the following cir
cular, addressed to all Registers and Receiv-
ers throughout the country:
Gentlemen In every case where it becomes
necessary, under the law and existing instructions
OF this office, to require hearing to be held and
testimony taken, for the purpose OF ascertanng the
mineral or agricultural character of land. you
directed TO cause such hearing to be heard before
duly qualified officer whose Office is located near
est to the land in dispute, the distance to be COM
p1ted by ordinary routes of travel Whenever local
land offices come within this rule, the hearing will
be held before the Register and Receiver, 1t is in
tended to these hearings to be held, SO far
practicable, in such manner as to cause the least
inconvenience to persons interested Should it APP
pear therefore, by written stipulation OF all par
ties that this purpose will be best subserved by the
designation OF any particular officer, authorized to
administer oaths within the land district in which
the land in controversy is situated the instructions
therein may be departed from in accordance with
such stipulation II may also happen that the Off
Ger who could otherwise be selected is an interested
party, or some other good reason may appear why
his designation would be improper, and in such case
you will oirect the hearing to be held before the
next nearest officer.
MISCELLANEOUS CONGRESSIONAL ITEMS.
WASHINGTON, December 19th.-Consider-
alton of the consular and diplomatic appro-
priation bill having been completed in Com
mittee of the Whole yesterday, it will be
promptly passed By the House of Repre-
sentatives tomorrow, and as none Of the re-
naming appropriation bills are ready, the
House will then doubtless resume consider
alton of the funding bill, with view of
passing it, if possible, before the Christmas
recess. There is some talk OF holding even
ing sessions tomorrow and Tuesday, for the
purpose Of speedily exhaustirg the debate on
this measure, but as many members are
absent, the effort to pass the bill before the
holiday adjournment will very possibly have
TO be abandoned.
The Senate will tomorrow take up the
House adjournment resolution, and finally
dispose of it, probably, by Concurrence.
a struggle for precedence may next be eX-
pscted, as friends of half a dozen different
propositions have already given notice of an
intention to bring forward their respective
pet measures Immediately after the passage
of the educational bill, which will be the
last subject disposed of by the Senate before
Fridays adjournment. Among them are the
resolution reported last session from the
Elections Committee, declaring that Senator
Kellogg is not entitled to his seat, the bill to
allot lands in seyeralty to Indians, the five
per cent. claim and the Ben Holiday bill.
What will be the result Of this anticipated
wrangle over order of business Is very uncer-
tain.
Representative Page has prepared joint
resolution for introduction tomorrow of spe-
cial interest to the italian element of Califor-
MAS population. It is designed to accom-
piish all that can constitutionally be done by
Congress towards making the anniversary of
the discovery of America national holiday.
OF course the power of Congress in this re-
spect is confined to the District of Columbia,
but 10 case it is thus exercised, the example
may perhaps in time be followed by State
Legislatures The joint resolution is as fol-
lows:
America on the 18th day of October, Ammo Doaini,
1892 and whereas it is fitting that this should
be commemorated by appropriate recognition OF
its anniversary; therefore, be i:
Resolped, By the Senate and House Of Represent.
atves of the United States in Congress assembled,
that Section o93 of the Revised Statutes relating to
the District of Columbia, be and the is hereby
amended by adding to the days therein declared to
be legal holidays within the District of Columbia
the 18th day of October, and such day shall be 9
holiday for all the purposes mentioned in said
ton
The section referred to makes Christmas,
New Years Day, Fourth of July and Thanks
giving Day legal days in the District of
Columbia, the same as Sunday, and provides
that commercial paper maturing on any of
them shall be payable the day previous.
The Secretary of the Interior has affirmed
the decision of the Commissioner of the Gen
eral Land Office in the long pending Caliior-
mia case of the Rancho de La Laguna. Two
surveys were made of this ranch-one by
Deputy Surveyor Freeman and the other by
Deputy Surveyor Cans. Freeman's survey
was rejected by the Surveyor General of Cal
ifornia. and Cans survey approved by him.
Commissioner Williamson overruled this
action, and Secretary Schurz having now af
firmed the Commissioners decision, the
patent will issue upon the Freeman survey.
Secretary Schurz yesterday, in pursuance
of a recommendation made by Commissioner
Williamson. dismissed the appeal taken by
j. HI. Moore in the case of the Pueblo land
grant, containing upward of 81, 200 acres of
land, in New Mexico. The patent was issued
a few days ago, and has been transmitted to
the Surveyor-General of New Mexico for de-
livery.
PACIFIC COAST POSTAL CHANGES.
WASHINGTON, December 19th.-The follow
ing Pacific ooast postal changes were made
last week Office Willcox, Pima
county, Arizona, Augustus f. Barke, POST
master. Postmastsrs appointed-Seth J.
Snedan, Bishop Greek, Inyo county, Cal;
James K Vail, Forbestown, Butte county,
Cal; John W. Perkins, Roberts Landing,
San Josqxin county, Cal; David Jacob. San
Pablo, Contra Costa county, Cal; Charles
II. French, Santa Ana, Los Angeles county,
Cal; Mrs. Mary E. Blackwell, Alvord,
Grant county. Oregon Mrs. NJ. A. Barnum,
Hebron, Washington county, Utah; John
Morgan, Mill Creek, Salt Lake county,
Utah.
COMMISSION APPOINTED TO VISIT INDIAN
TERRITORY.
WASHINGTON, December 19sh.-The Pres
ident has issued the following request:
EXECUTIVE MASsIoS
WASHINGTON, December Is, 1880
request the following gentlemen to proceed TO
Indian Territory as soon may be, and after
conference with The Ponca tribe of Indians 10
tain the facts III regard their recent removal and
present condition, far is necessary tosdeter-
mine the question as to what justice and humanity
REQUIRE should be done by the Government Of the
United States, and report their conclusionaan
recommendations IN the premises: BrigadierGen-
eral George Crook, u. s. A.. Brigadier-General Nell
son a. Miles L. S. A. William Stickney, Wash
ington Walter AlIsa,- Newton, Mass. 1t is the
n,frpose of the foregoing request TO authorize the
t,o,nmissiou to take whatever steps may in their