1892 Arkansas swamp land claims.
1894 Bills relating to forest reservations.

Creation of Yellowstone National Park.
Legislation relating to assessment work on mining claims.
Legislation relating to mineral land laws in reservations.

Legislation relating to Minnesota gold and silver lands. 1894 Timber on the public lands.

Relating to the establishment of schools of mines. 1896 Relating to the establishment of schools of mines.

Examination of mineral lands in California.

Surveyor-general for Alaska. 1898 Relief of homestead claimants who served in the war with Spain.

Authorizing the leasing of portions of forest reserves.

Creation of Yosemite National Park. 1899 Bills relating to forest reservations. 1900 Alaska legislation relating to homestead laws, timber and stone lands,

mining claims, and placer-mining laws.
Providing for negotiating for or bonding the groves of Sequoia
Gigantea, or big trees, in Calaveras and Tuolume counties, California.
Preservation of the prehistoric monuments and ruins on public lands.
To set aside certain lands to be known as the Petrified Forest National
Park of Arizona.
Setting aside a preserve for the American bison.
Preserving the rights of persons who have had un perfected land titles

in regions included within forest reservations.
1901 Relating to homestead laws and railroad rights of way in Alaska.

Rights of way for telephone and telegraph lines in Alaska.
To set apart certain lands in New Mexico to be known as the Cliff

Dwellers' Park.
1902 Creation of Wind Cave National Park.

Land offices in Alaska.
1903 Game animals, birds, and fish in forest reserves.
1905 Relating to aboriginal monuments and ruins.

Alaska coal-land laws.
Granting right of way through the public lands for reservoir sites.

Alaska Central Railway.
1906 Relating to the establishment of schools of mines.

Alaska Central and Alaska Short Line railways.
Allotment of homesteads to natives of Alaska.

The subject of American antiquities. 1908 The bill (H. R. 9205) making applicable certain provisions of the

statutes of the Territory of New Mexico to the school lands of that Territory, and referred it to the Committee on the Public Lands. Legislation to extend the provisions of the mining laws of the United

mineral claims heretofore made by deputy mineral surveyors during
their incumbency in office; and (H. R. 15443) to authorize the
exploration and purchase of mines within the boundaries of private land
claims, were taken from the Committee on Mines and Mining to which
they had been referred and were referred to the Committee on the Public
Lands.
Distributing the annual message of the President referred so much of
the message as related to the public domain" to the Committee on the
Public Lands.
Granting a street railway company right to operate its railway across the
Hot Springs Reservation.

Establishment of the Glacier National Park in the Rocky Mountains. 1911 Authorizing suit for forfeiture of right of way granted to the

Washington Improvement and Development Company through the
Colville Indian Reservation in the State of Washington. Resolution
requesting information from the Secretary of the Interior and the
Secretary of Agriculture concerning the diversion of the waters of Lake

Tahoe. 1912 The Committee on Irrigation of Arid Lands, (Committee on Irrigation

and Reclamation), was discharged from consideration of the bill (H.R. 12826) providing for the discovery, development, and protection of streams, springs, and water holes in desert or arid public lands of the United States, and the bill was referred to the Committee on the Public

Lands. 1914 The bill (S. 655) authorizing the Secretary of the Interior to survey

lands formerly reserved as a part of the Assiniboine Military
Reservation but now abandoned for that purpose, and which had been
referred to the Committee on Military Affairs, should have been
referred to the Committee on the Public Lands.
The bill (S.533) proposing the consolidation of certain lands belonging
to the public domain in the Ochoco National Forest was taken from the
Committee on Agriculture and referred to the Committee on the Public
Lands.
Providing for reference of the President's message referred to the
Committee on the Public Lands that portion of the message relating to

“conservation.” 1915 Establish a national park in the Territory of Hawaii (Referred initially

to the Committee on Agriculture) 1916 The reference of the bill (S. 43) relating to lands formerly part of an

Indian reservation, was transferred from the Committee on Indian
Affairs to the Committee on the Public Lands.
The Committee on Naval Affairs was discharged from the consideration
of the bill (H. R. 9045) for the restoration to the public domain of lands
reserved for naval operation and not now needed for that purpose, and

a

1917 Establishment of a national park in the Territory of Alaska.

Relieve the owners of mining claims who have been mustered into the
service of the United States from performing assessment work during
the term of such service.
Punish persons who make false representations to settlers and other

pertaining to the public lands of the United States. 1919 On motion of Mr. John E. Raker, of California, by unanimous consent,

the bill (H. R. 416) returning to the public domain land formerly reserved as a bird reservation was taken from the Committee on Agriculture and given to the Committee on the Public Lands. Reference of the bill (S. 2789) for the consolidation of forest lands in the Sierra National Forest to the Committee on Agriculture, and asked unanimous consent that the reference be changed to the Committee on the Public Lands. After brief debate the request was agreed to and the

bill was referred to the Committee on the Public Lands. 1920 Change the name of the Sequoia National Park to Roosevelt National

Park.
Providing for the disposition of abandoned portions of rights of way
granted to railroad companies.
Granting the right to use certain waters in Yellowstone National Park

for irrigation purposes. 1921 Authorizing the lease of lands containing deposits of minerals, oil,

oil-shale, or gas by the State of Washington for longer periods than five
years. Providing for agricultural entries on coal lands in Alaska.
Providing for the disposition of abandoned lighthouse and life-saving
stations.
Reference of the bill (H. R. 3116) validating certain homestead entries
for certain public lands in Alaska was transferred from the Committee
on the Territories to the Committee on the Public Lands.
Appraisal and sale of the Vashon Island Military Reservation in the

State of Washington. 1922 The bill (S. 490) to consolidate national forest lands. 1924 The bill (H. R. 4319) authorizing the conveyance of certain public land

to a municipality for park purposes, which had beenreferred to the Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds, was taken from that

committee and referred to the Committee on the Public Lands. 1925 Subjects relating to those national parks created out of the public

domain. 1926 Subjects relating to mineral lands of the public domain and the entry of

such lands for homestead and agricultural purposes. The Committee on
the Public Lands has exercised a general but not exclusive jurisdiction
over the public lands with relation to their mineral deposits.
Bills relating to the entry and conveyance of public lands.
Granting of public lands for school purposes, and for the sale of lots

Committee on Private Land Claims

(1816 - 1911)

62nd Congresses

44th

History and Jurisdiction

The Committee on Private Land Claims was created on April 29, 1816 by a motion of Thomas B. Robertson of Louisiana. The jurisdiction was over matters relating to the settlement of individual claims to private lands in the States and Territories. The Committee on Private Lands was abolished in 1911 and the jurisdiction was passed onto the Committee on Public Lands.

Issues discussed by the Committee

The Committee focused its action on the documentation and resolution of conflicts relating to private claims to lands with in the States and Territories.

The Committee on Private Land Claims reported legislation concerning:

1884 ascertaining and settling private land claims in certain States and

Territories. 1886 Relating generally to private land grants of a certain class in Arizona. 1888 To provide for ascertaining and settling private land claims in certain

States and Territories.
To establish a United States land court and to provide for a judicial
investigation and settlement of private land claims in the Territories of
Arizona and New Mexico, and in the State of Colorado.
Establishment of a Land Court to investigate and settle private land
claims in the Territories of Arizona and New Mexico, and the State of

Colorado. 1898 Creation of land courts to resolve conflicts in land claims. 1890 To establish a land court and provide for the settlement of land claims

in certain Territories. 1892 Subject of Mexican land grants. 1898 To establish a court of private land claims and to provide for the

settlement of private land claims in certain States and Territories. 1905 Land titles in the city of Mobile.

Committee on Indian Affairs

(1821 - 1946)
17th — 79nd Congresses

History and Jurisdiction

The Committee on Indian Affairs was established on December 17, 1821, by Mr. Samuel Moore, Pennsylvania. The primary jurisdiction of the Committee was relating to the relation of the United States with the Indians and the Indian tribes, including appropriations therefore.”

Issues Discussed by the Committee

The Committee on Indian Affairs maintained jurisdiction over the care, education and management of the Indians and Indian lands. Issues arising out of the disbursement of Indian funds are held within the Committee on Indian Affairs, not the Committee on Claims.

Issues with in the jurisdiction of the Committee on Indian Affairs include:

Claims to be paid out of Indian funds and the adjudication of claims arising out of Indian depredations.

Bills relating to the adjudication of claims of Indiana and Indian
tribes against the United States.
Reservation, alienation, transfer, leasing, or allotment of Indian
lands.
Taxation, improvement, irrigation, and control of Indian lands and
the construction of roads, cutting of timber, and granting of
easements thereon.
Use, control, management, and expenditure of Indian funds.
Business and government of the Indian tribes (excluding
appropriations).
Care, education, and management of the Indians, including the
care and allotment of their lands.
Claims which are paid out of Indian funds.
Overdue bonds of certain States held in the Treasury as part of