have been surveyed and reported to this office, at a cost to the general government of upwards of $170,000. The field-notes of the survey show the land in many places in the valleys to be of good quality, with great want of water and timber, but generally to be third rate and sandy, interspersed with dry beds of salt lakes, rugged and broken near the mountains, with no timber or water. We have nothing bearing upon the unsurveyed part of the tract or the mountains therein. Looking to our limited knowledge of this region of the State, our want of information in regard to the extent of the mineral wealth of its mountains, and considering the great extent of the grant, and the large outlay already made by the United States for the survey of the same, I can find no ground which would warrant me in recommending a transfer as a pure gratuity of the proprietary interest of the United States. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Hon. J. THOMPSON, Secretary of the Interior. JOS. S. WILSON, Commissioner. B. GENERAL LAND OFFICE, January 25, 1861. SIR: I have the honor to enclose herewith, for transmission by the department, my reply of this date to a communication from Mr. Vandever, of the Committee on Public Lands, House of Representatives, submitting a bill granting certain lands to California, in the southeastern part of the State, to aid in introducing and furnishing fresh water therein. Mr. Vandever is desirous of the early transmission of my reply. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, JOS. S. WILSON, Commissioner. M. KELLY, Esq., Acting Secretary of the Interior. C. GENERAL LAND OFFICE, January 25, 1861. SIR: I have had the honor to receive from you a memorial, dated January 7, 1861, from O. M. Wozencraft, esq., asking a cession to the State of California of what the memorialist designates as the Colorado desert," accompanied by a bill entitled "An act granting certain public lands to the State of California in trust for the uses and purposes therein mentioned." This bill recites that by an act of her legislature, approved April 15, 1859, the State of California conveyed to O. M. Wozencraft and his associates all the right which the State then had or might thereafter acquire to a tract of land in the southeastern part of the State, bounded as follows: on the north by the San Bernardino public survey base line; on the east by the Colorado river; on the south by the south boundary of the State; on the west by the base of the main range of mountains; upon the conditions that the grantees should "introduce and furnish a plentiful supply of wholesome fresh water along the line of travel between the San Gorgonio Pass and Fort Yuma and between Carriso creek and Fort Yuma." This bill, which you have brought to the attention of this office, would, if matured into a law, accomplish the object contemplatedof a cession to the State in the southern part thereof and within the boundaries above mentioned of about 3,000,000 of acres. For the views of this office touching the proposed cession, I have the honor to refer to the printed copy, accompanying the papers referred by you, of my report to the Secretary of the Interior, dated March 16, 1860. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Hon. WILLIAM VANDEVER, House of Representatives. JOS. S. WILSON, Commissioner. D. GENERAL LAND OFFICE, February 18, 1861. SIR: I have the honor to return herewith the letter to you, dated February 16, 1861, from Hon. William Vandever, of the Committee on Public Lands of the House of Representatives, respecting a proposed grant of lands to California in the southeastern part of the State, to aid in the construction of canals, &c., for the purpose of introducing water therein. Upon this subject we reported, on the 16th March, 1860, that the contemplated grant embraced an esti mated area of about six and a half millions of acres, upwards of three and a half millions of which had been surveyed at a cost of upwards of $170,000. The matter was again before this office in January last on a modified proposal, reducing the extent of country proposed to be granted to about three millions of acres. Our information as to this region of the State is derived from surveying returns. The statements before the Senate Committee on Public Lands, as appears from this report, (1st session 36th Congress, No. 276, dated June 14, 1860, printed copy herewith,) represents the greater portion of this region to be a waste sandy desert, destitute of water and vegetation. It is understood, however, that of the triangular three million part con templated by the memorial, there is a considerable body of, good, arable land, stretching, lengthwise, from southeast to northwest, yet all requiring water, its destitution in that respect rendering the country generally unfit for settlement. The water project is designed, it is understood, to open the way for intercommunication through the country for all purposes, and it is through that means portions of the lands, it is expected, will be redeemed. I would therefore respectfully suggest that should Congress contemplate favorable legislation, it be conditioned: that the Secretary of War be authorized to cause a survey and examination to be made as to the practicability of supplying water to this region, as proposed, and as to the character of the soil, &c.; that should it appear from such survey that the work is a feasible one, and that the tract in its present condition is uninhabitable and incapable of cultivation, that power be conferred on the Secretary of War to make the grant absolute, with proper limits as to extent and conditions as to completing the work within a limited period, to be stipulated by them; that the lands shall be subject to the disposal of the legislature of the State for this work and no other; that they shall be disposed of as the work progresses, and if not completed within a limited time, to be fixed, the lands unsold to revert to the United States. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, MOSES KELLY, Esq., Acting Secretary of the Interior. JOS. S. WILSON, Commissioner. South. E. Range 12 east of San Bernardino meridian. Town. 17. Soil "light sand." 16. Land first, second, and third rate, soil sandy, scattered mesquite timber, no water. 15. Land level, soil first rate, some mesquite timber, no water. 14. Soil sandy, second rate, strewn with sea-shells, clumps of chemizal, no water. 13. Part sandy soil, no vegetation, part clay soil, and scattering bushes, no timber. 12. Land level, good first and second rate soil. 11. Land level, very rich alluvial soil. 10. Land level, soil red, first rate. 9. Land level, soil first rate, no timber. 8. Land second and third rate, rocky, broken, no timber. 6. Land second rate, rising, soil sandy, no timber, greasewood Town. 5. Land third rate, rocky and broken, no timber. 4. South part of township rocky and third rate land, north part undulating good land, no timber. 3. Land third rate, soil sandy, sloping and rugged, grease. wood bushes. 2. Land third rate, hilly and rocky, soil sandy, scattering bushes, no grass. 1. Land third rate, sloping and hilly, soil sandy, grease wood bushes, no timber. WASHINGTON, D. C., April, 1860. SIR: From the evidence adduced in reference to the physical geography of the lands called for by the State of California, it will be evident that the entire section is destitute of water, vegetation, and timber, and that owing to this, as well as the excessive heat and flouting sands, it is extremely difficult to cross over this region, and utterly impossible to remain on it. And though the field-notes of surveys of this region would establish the fact that there is second and third rate class of lands, yet in the absence of water, which they likewise establish, those lands must ever remain entirely sterile. And further, that, those lands can ever be reclaimed or occupied by any other system than the one proposed by the State of California is equally apparent, as the federal government never has and probably never will expend money for the reclamation of lands, more especially within the bounds of a sovereign State; and the State would be unauthorized in making a large expenditure for such purpose, without she had the fee simple in the lands. And moreover, the act of cession will be in conformity with and in furtherance of an established principle of the general government in thus donating lands to the State which require an expenditure of money and labor in their reclamation. And in making this cession the general government will but subserve her own interests; as it is by this means alone that she can pass into California (via the southern route) through her own territory. now dependent on Mexico in making their land transit with her mails, munitions, men, and supplies, and must continue to be so, unless water is furnished on this desert. In making this cession the general government has all to gain and nothing to lose, as the lands are shown to be entirely valueless; that there is not one section in the entire boundary that can be sold for one cent per acre. But in the event of introducing water on them the government will thereby save a large amount in her expenditure for the transportation of her munitions, men, and supplies, as she now makes a detour of fifteen hundred miles, when it will be but one hundred miles if water is introduced on this desert. And finally, it is evident that the amount spent by the general government for the survey of those lands has been misapplied without water can be introduced on them; and it is equally evident that the amount spent in building a wagon-road through the Gadsden purchase has been misapplied if the road is to terminate at Fort Yuma, and it must necessarily terminate there, if water is not introduced on this Sahara of America. It is to be hoped that your honorable committee will give this matter a close and thorough investigation. I shall then feel assured that you will come to the conclusion that this is the best, if not the only, disposition which can be made of the Colorado desert, or, as the Mexicans call it, "jornada del muerte," desert of death. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Hon. R. JOHNSTON, O M. WOZEN CRAFT, Agent for the State of California. Chairman Committee on Public Lands. To the honorable Committee of the United States Senate on Public Lands: HONORABLE SIRS: I would respectfully submit to your consideration whether or no there is an existing necessity in deferring action and making the cession of the Colorado desert, in compliance with the request of the State of California. It has been argued, I am aware, that it may be necessary to order an additional survey of this desert. I would submit, that inasmuch as the government has, at great expense, had a number of surveys made embracing all the information sought for, including a general survey, a topographical survey, a geological survey, embracing a hydrographical survey, all of which establish the fact that the entire region called for by the State is a desert, uninhabitable and valueless; and, moreover, the parties engaged in making those surveys were entirely at a loss to know how or by what means water could be furnished, or the formidable features of this desert changed, I would therefore submit whether or no the government would feel authorized to incur the expense of an additional survey of a section thus thoroughly surveyed, and proven to be valueless. Surely not; but if it be argued that a survey may be necessary with a view of proving or disproving whether or no the plan proposed by the undersigned is or is not practicable, I would submit that it would be an act of supererogation thus to determine a matter which the parties themselves propose to do, and at their own expense. And it is hardly probable that the general government will at this late date abandon a fixed principle and engage in works of internal improvement. But surely the government would not |