Letter of the Commissioner of General Land Office, stating that information called for by Senate resolution of February 26, 1885, cannot be furnished during the present session of Congress.

MARCH 3, 1885.-Referred to the Committee on Public Lands and ordered to be printed

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,

Washington, March 2, 1885.

SIR: Senate resolution of the 26th ultimo, directing me "to furnish the Senate copies of the reports of special agent of the Land Department, Wilson T. Smith, with accompanying affidavits and papers sent to the Commissioner of the General Land Office in August and September, 1883, which reports, affidavits, and papers referred to the illegal timber-land entries and fraudulent issuance of titles under the act of June 3, 1878, in the Humboldt land district, California, said entries being confined to townships 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 north, ranges 1 and 2 east, Humboldt meridian, and townships 7 north, range 2 east, and 13 north, range 1 east, Humboldt meridian, and embracing over 100,000 acres of red wood timber land; also copies of the reports of Special Agents George D. Orner and W. H. Goucher, of the Land Department, sent to the Secretary of the Interior and Commissioner of the General Land Office, which refer to the same illegal timber-land entries in Humboldt County, California, and inform the Senate what action has been taken by the Commissioner and Secretary of the Interior as to the cancellation of the illegal timber-land entries in the above-described townships; and if any patents have been issued by the Commissioner since June 1, 1883, under the act of June 3, 1878, for timber lands in the above-enumerated townships, to give the date of their issuance, name of entrymen, and description of land," was received and referred to the Commissioner of the General Land Office for report. I have the honor to transmit herewith his letter to me, of this date, in which he states that said resolution calls for copies and information which could not, with the clerical force at his command, be prepared in less than two weeks, and that it is, therefore, impossible for him to answer the call during the present session of Congress.

Very respectfully,

H. M. TELLER,

Secretary.

The PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE PRO TEMPORE.