, 1889-12-05

sumption tnat congress uOcs not
intend that forfeiture shall be
exacted, and that there Is no need of
further delay. There should certainly
be found somewhere the moral courage
to give evidence Of title to railroads Us
II Is given to individuals, IL 1t Is intend
ed that any possible forfeiture will not
be insisted upon. The obligation, how.
ever, fairly rests upon congress, and 1t
Is hoped the latter will assume it and act
without further delay. Not only rail.
road companies are Interested i'll de-
cision OF the matter, hut also govern
ment citizens who have purchased from
the, companies, relying upon the grant,
and settlers who are In anticipation OF n
restoration of these lands to the public
domain, and who have settled upon
them under the homestead or other laws.
AS to such portions of land grants as are
co.terminous with those portions OF
roads still unconpleted, 1t Is estimated
that 100000 acres might be restored to
the, public domain by an immediate
declaration OF forfeiture"
Regarding Oregon road grants, the
secretary says: ''lhe attorney general
has been furnished with all the data
necessary, for tho purpose of institutiug
suits In the matter, Investigations are
being made into illegal grants of what
are supposed to be swamp lands. Re-
garding mineral lands, 1t isreported that
the work of examining ex-parte mineral
entries Is in arrears about two years
and half, and In contested cases about
two months. There have been suspended
lists Of railroad selections, involving
1901, 207 acres, on the question whether
tho company shall be required to furnish
mineral atfidavits or not. The question
presents itself in regard to mineral lands
lying within the grants of railroads
running through IMMORAL belts and
which would otherwise because of their
] mi l,,. k.,,, .l.I tt,,
road grants. If legislation Is not
made on this subject, the department
will have to decide by such light as may
be obtained as to the real nature of
lands, whether mineral or not, how
overldifficult the inquiry may be, and
whatever responsibility assumed. IL is
deemed best however that a law should
be passed by congress enabling the land
department thoroughly and within the
reservation OF the law to investigate
before u railroad is entitled to any con-
cession whatever. Mineral land should
be preserved for the people, and there is
no claim on the part OF railroads to ob'
tain these sources Of vast wealth not in.
tended for them that should be hu.
mored to the least degree beyond the
law. Protests are greatly increasing
made by parties claiming to have dis
covered valuable mineral deposits
upon lands entered as agricultural
Regarding mining claims, the report
SAYS there are several thousand old min.
| ing applications, some dating back sew
eral years, for which no entries have
been made, and the secretary rcnews his
| former recommendation that delinquent
applicants be compelled to complete
proofs and pay for claims within speci-
| lied time or submit to a forfeiture and
cancellation. 1t would be we'll to have a
law passed making certificate of entry a
bar to any mining claim based upon a
discovery made subsequent to entry.
SURVEYS.
Under the head of surveys, the secre-
tary calls attention to the report of the
acting commissioner general OF the land
office In the matter of allowances made
to deputy surveyors by the first comp
troller in 1856 and 1887, which, in his
opinion, were grossly irregular. These
allowances relate to certain con.
tracts in California under the de.
post SYSTEM" and the act
ing commissioner recommends an
investigation be directed in these cases
to the end that money or some portion
thereof, paid out in this illegal manner,
may be recovered to the govern ment.
The acting commissioner says special
agents report that efforts have been
made by certain wealthy individuals
and corporations to fraudulently acquire
titles to large tracts of coal lands; and
says extensive bodies of these lands,
which will eventually be of great value,
nre being illegally Appropriated, the
guards and restrictions OF law, as IL now
stands, being entirely insufficient to
prevent such monopoly by unscrupu-
lous SPECTATORS.
It is recommended that thorough
geological survey he authorized by con.
gress, and the secretary be given discre.
tionary powers to reserve from sale all
or any portion of lands supposed to con.
tain coal, and II lie deem Ii advisable to
lease for a period of years lands so re.
served upon such conditions and re-
strictions as will compel lessees to fur
nish settlers with coal at moderate
prices.
Strenuous efforts are being made by
the department to prevent and punish
unlawful appropriation of public tim.
Referring to the dangers of forest fires,
ETC., threatening our great forests, be.
sides other depredations, the secretary
earnestly recommends congress to APP.
point com mission tn take into consid-
ation the subject OF public timber
/
best method for their treatment, man
ageInent, or disposal
The secretary reviews the report oil
the commissioners of patents, features nj
which have been given before and en-
dorses the commissioner recon-.
mendations.
In reviewing the work Of the geologi-
cal survey, the secretary says:
"ResearcEcs upon quicksilver of tho
Pacific slope ana iron ores of the Lake
Superior region have been especially v
important The metallic products o
the United States during 1883 amounted
in value to 1886, 2i5, 4O3. In addition
non-metallic minerals we. produced tC
the value of S32S, ,9l4, 52s, i..aking IA tota
OF S59l, $50 Y3l. The wealth oi the an
nual mineral product of the country
continues to increase yearly, the increase
of 1856, 1897 and 1888 being respectively
S6i per cent, 16J per cent and 004 pei
cent for each year over its predecessor
II is worthy of note that this increase Il
largely in non-metallic minerals, the ex
peiisc and uses of which are made known
through scientific resources rather thai
through application of old methods IL
exploration OF well known minerals.
zone of tile most important works o
geological surveys Is n study of soils anC
de velopment of methods for the recla
nation of waste lands, and this work il
progressing well.
IEDiAN AFFAIRS.
The Indian affairs are treated at lengt
in the report, and the state ment is mad
that the improvement Of the Indian ser
vice in all its branches has been tn
earnest purpose of the present admins