grants from the public domain, as it is not now known where the lines may run; the uncertainty prevents the settlement and sale of contiguous lands to actual settlers. The owners of the grants which have been confirmed by Congress claim all the minerals embraced within their limits, upon the ground that the unqualified confirmation by Congress, and subsequent issue of patents, operates as a quit-claim to the minerals on the part of the United States Government. The Spanish and Mexican governments reserved the right to the minerals unless expressly granted; therefore, if the United States patents include the minerals, they not only make good the grants made by Spain and Mexico, but convey additional rights, and there is no inducement to prospectors to make discoveries. The surveyor general reports fine agricultural land and much undeveloped mineral wealth, for the development of which capital is necessary. Washington Territory.-The surveyor general of Washington Territory reports that most of the appropriation for public surveys in that district has been expended in surveying lands on the Columbia River, the settlers on which had petitioned the surveyor general for a survey of that section of country while this Territory was under the administration of Oregon; also, that until last summer only a portion of the land along the river in what is known as the Chehalis country had been surveyed, the deputy returning the unsurveyed portion as "mountainous and unfit for cultivation," while subsequent settlement and cultivation show it to contain much rich and valuable agricultural and timber land. The best land in the Territory is most difficult to survey, and at the rates now allowed for the work per mile it will be impossible to have any work done in this portion of the Territory, unless the settlers or parties interested volunteer to make up the entire working party for the deputy surveyor, a practice objectionable as being liable to abuse. The surveyor general recommends that the Government sell the timber lands in limited quantities to lumbermen, in order to secure the timber from wanton destruction and to realize something like an adequate value therefor. The lateness of the season will render it impossible for the surveyor general to make any of the appropriation available until next spring. The surveying service under the appropriation of $40,000 for the survey of public lands in Washington Territory during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1876, and under the deposits made by individuals for the survey of agricultural and mineral lands, amounting to $3,519, the service progressed to nearly full extent of the means applicable to the field and office work. There were surveyed during the above period 728,500 acres, under ten surveying contracts, involving 39 townships of subdivisional survey, aggregating in 1,916 linear miles of field work. The office work consisted principally in the examination of the returns of the surveys, protraction of the township plats, of which there were constructed 132 plats, and of the compilation of 450 lists of descriptive notes of boundary corners, quality of soil, and timber for the use of the local land office, required by law to be furnished to the registers and receivers. Oregon. The surveyor general of Oregon reports that during the year ending June 30, 1876, twenty-seven contracts for surveys were entered into, and under them returns have been made to his office of one hundred and seventy-six townships with an area of $2,889,418 The number of miles run in making these surveys was 8,341, at a cost of $106,409. acres. The amount of special deposits for survey of public lands and mineral claims during the year was $29,694. The deposit for office work was $985.33. There were prepared in the office of the surveyor general 672 plats of public and Indian lands, including originals and copies for the local and General Land Office, also 24 plats of mineral surveys. 2.-SURVEYS. The surveys of public lands in the United States for the past year were as follows: Minnesota Nebraska California. Nevada Oregon Colorado.... Washington Territory Utah Territory. Dakota Territory. Idaho Territory Montana Territory Wyoming Territory Florida... Total.... .... Acres. 1,080, 046.00 3,314, 508.30 1,872, 849. 15 859, 944.88 2, 171, 439, 56 1,605, 248. 14 867,655.85 1,003, 132. 04 474, 269.86 1,080, 685.55 2, 102, 486. 47 835, 675.06 1, 129, 227. 42 900, 599.00 946, 555, 59 27, 183. 39 20, 271, 506. 26 Which, added to the amount surveyed prior to 1st of July, 1875, makes an aggregate of 702,059,612 acres surveyed since the commencement of operations under the present system, and leaving unsurveyed an estimated area of 1,132,665,244 acres. 3. The following table exhibits the progress of surveys and the disposal of public lands since 1865: 4.-SURVEY OF INDIAN RESERVATIONS. In pursuance of the provisions of the sixth section of an act of Congress approved April 8, 1864, (13 Stats., page 41,) and under the appropriations of $292,680 of June 23, 1874, and $191,820 of March 3, 1875, respectively, for the survey of Indian reservations, and subdividing portions of the same, there were surveyed during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1876, the following Indian reservations, to-wit. Colorado River. Devil's Lake. Sioux, (mouth of White Ute........ Pawnee. Chippewas of the Miss. Otoe and Missouria Lac Court d'Oreilles Seneca, Cattaraugus, New York Yakama Surveys. 5. ABSTRACT OF SURVEYING OPERATIONS REPORTED BY SURVEYORS GENERAL. Under the several appropriations made by Congress and special deposits by individuals for the surveying service during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1876, operations in the field and offices of the seventeen surveyors general progressed to the following extent, to wit: 56, 778 484, 825 7,000 $13, 503 $6,379 Colorado 84 200 8,957 129 12 60,000 Private claims. 10, 000 9, 300 3,000 4, 446 560 19 89 283 21 Dakota $55,673 50,000 Indian..... 8, 300 14, 123 Florida... 1,690, 218 16, 312, 660 50,000 10,000 4,500 1,500 9 Kansas. 8, 300 2,000 For more detailed account of the surveying service in the foregoing districts, I respectfully beg leave to refer the Department to the annual reports of the respective surveyors general accompanying this report. 140, 000 14,000 500 945 GOO 1,357 672 93, 128 12, 100 3,000 3, 105 216 650 1,334 207 779 70 55,000 10, 100 2,500 300 600 4-0 742 210 67,527 10,900 0.0 300 400 685 152 456 58,512 9,500 500 |