GRANT OF CERTAIN LANDS TO LOS ANGELES, CAL. FEBRUARY 23, 1909.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House and ordered to be printed. Mr. SMITH, of California, from the Committee on the Public Lands, submitted the following REPORT. [To accompany S. 8929.] The Committee on the Public Lands, to whom was referred the bill (S. 8929) withdrawing from entry and sale and granting unto the city of Los Angeles, in the State of California, certain lands therein described, have had the same under consideration and report it back with the recommendation that it pass. The following report has heretofore been made on an identical House bill: The city of Los Angeles is engaged in bringing in a new water supply, the conduit being cement-lined. The clay in this lake bottom is valuable for making cement, and some months ago the city bought a ranch of about 3,000 acres surrounding this lake under the belief that she was securing the lake land. It appearing that she does not have the title, this legislation is sought. Relative to the status of the title to this land, the Secretary of the Interior submitted the following letter to the chairman of the Committee on Public Lands of the Senate: DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, SIR: I am in receipt of request from your committee, through its clerk, "for information as to the law and the facts," and for such suggestions as I "may see fit to offer," relative to bill S. 8929, entitled “Withdrawing from entry and sale and granting unto the city of Los Angeles, in the State of California, certain lands therein described," and in response thereto I have the honor to submit the following report: Township 32 S., R. 34 E., M. D. M., in which the land involved is situated, was surveyed in 1854 and again in 1855. In the plat of the first survey appears a Dry Salt Lake," bounded by meander lines covering land in sections 20, 28, and 29. In the later survey the "Dry Salt Lake," bounded by meander lines, covers only land in sections 28 and 29 and about half an acre in section 33, aggregating, as appears from the plat, 251.11 acres. The land in said sections 29 and 33 is within the granted limits of the Southern Pacific Railroad, but that portion of the "Dry Salt Lake" lying within said sections was excluded from the patents to the railroad company, presumably because it was considered saline or mineral land, to which the grant did not attach. H R-60-2-Vol 1-81 The land in said sections 28, 29, and 33 in said township, which the bill proposes to authorize the city to purchase, which lies outside of said "Dry Salt Lake," has been patented in accordance with the subdivisions found in one or the other of said plats, and it is presumed that said patents include all of the land outside of said lake, and possibly some shown by the later survey to be within it. Yet, by reason of the conflicting surveys and the patents issued under one or the other of said surveys, it is possible that some small portion of the land outside of said lake may not be covered by such patents. While there are no adverse claims on file in the General Land Office for lands in said lake, locations may have been filed therefor under the mineral laws. February 12, 1907, said sections were temporarily withdrawn from all forms of disposal pending legislation thereon. If, therefore, it is deemed wise to enact legislation by which the city may procure title to all unpatented land in said sections 28, 29, and 33, I suggest the amendment of the bill by striking out all of it after the enacting clause and inserting in lieu thereof the inclosed draft of an amendment, or one containing similar provisions. Very respectfully, Hon. KNUTE NELSON, JAMES RUDOLPH GARFIELD, Secretary. Chairman Committee on Public Lands, United States Senate. 2d Session. No. 2325. SUNDRY CIVIL BILL. FEBRUARY, 23, 1909.-Ordered to be printed. Mr. TAWNEY, from the committee of conference, submitted the following CONFERENCE REPORT. [To accompany H. R. 28245.] CONFERENCE REPORT. The committee of conference on the disagreeing votes of the two That the Senate recede from its amendments numbered 8, 9, 10, 11, That the House recede from its disagreement to the amendments Amendment numbered 19: That the House recede from its disagreement to the amendment of In lieu of the sum proposed insert two hundred and fifty thousand Amendment numbered 25: That the House recede from its disagreement to the amendment of In lieu of the matter inserted by said amendment insert the follow- Refuge, Point Judith, Rhode Island, twelve thousand dollars; and the Senate agree to the same. Amendment numbered 26: That the House recede from its disagreement to the amendment of the Senate numbered 26, and agree to the same with an amendment as follows: Add at the end of said amendment the words to be immediately available; and the Senate agree to the same. Amendment numbered 27: That the House recede from its disagreement to the amendment of the Senate numbered 27, and agree to the same with an amendment as follows: Add at the end of said amendment the words to be immediately available; and the Senate agree to the same. Amendment numbered 34: That the House recede from its disagreement to the amendment of the Senate numbered 34, and agree to the same with an amendment as follows: In lieu of the sum named in said amendment insert sixty thousand dollars; and the Senate agree to the same. Amendment numbered 38: That the House recede from its disagreement to the amendment of the Senate numbered 38, and agree to the same with an amendment as follows: In lieu of the sum named in said amendment insert one hundred and fifty thousand dollars; and after the word "dollars," at the end of the said amendment, insert the following:, and the said commission shall complete their entire work and make their final report, and the commission shall cease on the first day of March, nineteen hundred and ten; and the Senate agree to the same. Amendment numbered 40: That the House recede from its disagreement to the amendment of the Senate numbered 40, and agree to the same with an amendment. as follows: Restore the matter stricken out by said amendment amended as follows: On page 100 of the bill, in line 5, strike out the word "fifty" and insert in lieu thereof the word twenty-five; and the Senate agree to the same. Amendment numbered 43: That the House recede from its disagreement to the amendment of the Senate numbered 43, and agree to the same with an amendment as follows: Add at the end of said amendment the words to be immediately available; and the Senate agree to the same. Amendment numbered 46: That the House recede from its disagreement to the amendment of the Senate numbered 46, and agree to the same with an amendment as follows: In line 4 of said amendment, after the word "services," insert the words for the Senate Office Building; and the Senate agree to the same. |