D.-Statement of original plats of surveys of mining claims and copies transmitted since June 30, 1876.

E.-Statement of appropriation for surveyor general of Oregon and the clerks in his office for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1877.

done under contract No. 250. By William P. Wright's surveying account for work

Dec. 15

Courtenay placer mine.

M. A. Barber placer mine

James S. Howard

Dec. 27
1877.
Jan. 6

G.-Statement of appropriation for incidental expense of office of surveyor general of Oregon for fiscal year ending June 30, 1877.

DR.

CR.

Amount.

Estimate of funds required for the surveying service in the district of Oregon for the fiscal

year ending June 30, 1879.

FOR FIELD WORK.

For running, measuring, and marking the following lines within the agricultural and timbered districts of Western Oregon:

For surveying 160 miles standard lines, at $16

For surveying 1,600 miles subdivisional lines, at $10
For surveying 300 miles exterior lines, at $14

For surveys in Eastern Oregon:

For surveying 24 miles of standard lines, at $16
For surveying 120 miles exterior lines, at $14...
For surveying 600 miles subdivisional lines, at $10..
For surveying 100 miles of standard lines, at $10.
For surveying 840 miles of exterior lines, at $7.
For surveying 4,200 miles subdivisional lines, at $6.

Total amount for field work ...

$960 00 16,000 00

4,200 00

384 00

1,680 00

6,000 00

1,000 00

5,880 00

25, 200 00

61,304 00

For pay of messenger, purchase of stationery, and incidental expense of office of surveyor general in Oregon..

1,500 00

BEN. SIMPSON,

United States Surveyor General, Oregon.

P.-Report of the surveyor general of California.

UNITED STATES SURVEYOR GENERAL'S OFFICE,
San Francisco, September 13, 1877.

SIR: I have the honor to submit, in duplicate, the annual report of this office in relation to the surveying service in California during the fiscal year ending June 30,

1877.

I also forward tabular statements, in duplicate, as follows: A.-Statement of contracts entered into by the United States surveyor general for 1876-77, and payable from the appropriation for the fiscal year.

B.-Statement of contracts entered into by the United States surveyor general for California with deputy surveyors, for surveys of public lands during the fiscal year 1876-'77, and payable from the private deposits made in conformity with the act of May 20, 1862, and March 3, 1871.

BB.-Statement of contracts entered into by the United States surveyor general for California with deputy surveyors, for surveys of private land claims during the fiscal year 1876-77, and payable from the appropriation of $5,000 for surveys of private laud claims during the fiscal year.

C.-Statement of surveys of mines in California during the fiscal year 1876–77, made in conformity with the act of Congress approved May 10, 1872.

D.-Statement showing number of miles surveyed in California to June 30, 1877. E. List of lands surveyed in California from July 1, 1876, to June 30, 1877. F.-Statement of plats made in the office of the United States surveyor general for California during the fiscal year 1876-277.

G.-Statement of transcripts of field notes of public surveys sent to the department at Washington from the office of the United States surveyor general for California, during the fiscal year 1876-'77.

H.-Statement of descriptive notes, decrees of court, &c., of private land claims, to accompany plats for patents compiled for transmission to the department at Washington during the fiscal year 1876-77.

I.-Statement of special deposits for the survey of public lands in California during the fiscal year 1876–77.

J.-Statement of special deposits for the survey of mining claims in California during the fiscal year 1876-77.

K.-Statement of accounts of deputy surveyors paid from the appropriation for the surveys of public lands in California during the fiscal year 1876-'77.

L.-Statement of account of appropriation for office rent, stationery, pay of messenger, and incidental expenses of the office of the United States surveyor general for California during the fiscal year 1876-'77.

M.-Account of appropriation for the salary of the United States surveyor general during the fiscal year 1876-77.

N.-Statement of account of appropriation for compensation of clerks and draughtsmen in the office of the United States surveyor general for California during the fiscal year 1876-77.

O.-Statement of special individual deposits with the United States assistant treasurer at San Francisco, during the fiscal year 1876-77, for compensation of clerks and draughtsmen in the office of the United States surveyor general for California. P.-Statement of special deposit account for the fiscal year 1876-77.

PP.-Statement of account paid from appropriation for survey of private land claims for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1877.

SURVEY OF PUBLIC LANDS.

The scant appropriation made by Congress for the survey of public lands during the last year being entirely inadequate for the survey of all such lands as were required for immediate settlement; and, at the then reduced rates of compensation by the gov ernment for field work, it being impossible to find competent deputies who were willing to accept contracts under the government, it became necessary for settlers, desiring surveys to be made, to advance the funds necessary to pay for the work.

This has been something of a hardship upon settlers who required surveys to be made, since of the moneys advanced for the work nothing could be refunded above the amount allowed by the government for the field work, whatever excess paid therefor being lost to the depositor.

This has caused much complaint and dissatisfaction, which, however, has in part been remedied by the restoration of the original rates of compensation for field work. In this connection, I think it my duty to call the attention of the department to the embarrassments and substantial evils resulting from the inadequacy of the annual appropriat ons by Congress for the land surveys in California. Although most of the