boundary of the State of New York and to the Pacific Ocean became the northern boundary line of the public domain.

EASTERN BOUNDARY OF THE UNITED STATES.

The present eastern boundary line of the United States-the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico-was settled by the preliminary treaty and by the definitive treaty of peace with Great Britain, September 3, 1783, and subsequently by treaty of purchase with Spain at Washington, February 22, 1819, between John Quincy Adams on behalf of the United States and Luis de Onis on behalf of Spain, by which was ceded to the United States by Spain the provinces of East and West Florida.

This eastern boundary line of the United States became the eastern boundary of the public domain south of 31° north latitude and in the State of Florida; the continuation of this eastern line of the public domain northward from 31° north latitude the western boundaries of the States of Georgia, South and North Carolina, Virginia (now West Virginia), Pennsylvania, and New York, to the northern international boundary line.

WESTERN BOUNDARY OF THE UNITED STATES.

The western boundary line of the United States from latitude 49° north, going south, the Pacific Ocean, was determined by discovery (Captain Gray's, 1791), and the purchase from France of the province of Louisiana, under treaty at Paris, France, April 30, 1830, by the United States, concluded by Robert R. Livingston and James Monroe on behalf of the United States, and Barbé Marbois on the part of France, and by the purchase from Spain of the Floridas February 22, 1819, from latitude 49° north (confirmed by various treaties set out in description above of northern boundary lines), along the Pacific Ocean to about latitude 42° north. From latitude 42° north, going south, by capture and the treaty of Guadaloupe Hidalgo, between the United States and Mexico, February 2, 1848, between N. P. Trist, on behalf of the United States, and Luis G Cuevas, Bernardo Couto, and Miguel Atristain, on behalf of Mexico, which extended the present western boundary of the United States from parallel 42° north latitude, going south, to the point between the thirty-second and thirty-third parallel of north latitude, now forming the division line between the United States and the Republic of Mexico.

The entire western boundary line of the United States is the western boundary lino of the public domain.

SOUTHERN BOUNDARY OF THE UNITED STATES.

By the definitive treaty with Great Britain, September 3, 1783, the southern boundary was described as follows:

South by a line to be drawn due east from a point where the northernmost part of the thirty-first degree of north latitude intersects a line drawn along the middle of the Mississippi River east to the middle of the river Appalachicola or Catahouche, thence along the middle thereof to its junction with the Flint River, thence straight to the head of Saint Mary's River, and thence along the middle of Saint Mary's River to the Atlantic Ocean.

The present southern boundary line was settled, beginning at the Atlantic Ocean and running west, by the treaty, at Washington, of purchase, from Spain by the United States, of Florida, February 22, 1819, which extended the line westward along the southern coast of Florida to the limits of the Louisiana Purchase of 1803; by the treaty of purchase from France by the United States, at Paris, April 30, 1803, of the province of Louisiana. The eastern boundary of this latter purchase, as claimed by the United States in her controversy with Spain as to the boundaries of the provinces of East and West Florida, were conceded by Spain in the treaty of purchase of February 22, 1819.

This extended the boundary westward from the west boundary of Florida, west of the meridian 87° west longitude along the south coast of Louisiana, to the Sabine River.

By the annexation of Texas, December 29, 1845 (the act of the Congress of the United States), the southern boundary was extended southwestward from the Sabine River along the Gulf of Mexico to the Rio Grande River, up and along the Rio Grande River, running northwest, and forming the boundary line between the United States and Mexico, to the plateau of the Sierra Madre, 31° 47′ north latitude, from the turning point westward on the boundary line between the United States and Mexico; which was further extended by the Gadsden Purchase of the Mesilla Valley by the United States from the Republic of Mexico, at the city of Mexico, December 30, 1853.

This extended the southern boundary westward from the point 31° 47′ north latitude on the Rio Grande, established by the annexation of Texas and the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, to a point on the Colorado River twenty miles below its junction with the Gila River, thence north to the line between California and Lower California.

By the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, February 2, 1848, the southern boundary between the United States and Mexico was fixed as starting in the Gulf of Mexico, three leagues from the land opposite the middle mouth of the Rio Grande River, and up the middle and along that river to the boundary of New Mexico, touching the point 31° 47' north latitude; thence north to the thirty-third parallel north latitude on the plateau of the Sierra Madra; thence west on a random line to the Gila River and along it to a point twenty miles north of its junction with the Colorado River; thence across the Rio Colorado west to the Pacific Ocean, following the division line between Upper and Lower California.

The Gadsden purchase moved the line south between the point 31° 47' north latitude on the Rio Grande, being now the southern boundary of New Mexico and Arizona, to the point twenty miles below the junction of the Gila and Colorado rivers, being the eastern point of the line between California and Lower California, and thence north. The southern line of this purchase is described as extending west from the point 31° 47' north latitude; thence due west one hundred miles; thence south to the parallel 31° 20' north latitude; thence along the said parallel of 31° 20' to the one hundred and eleventh meridian of longitude west of Greenwich; thence in a straight line to a point on the Colorado River twenty miles below the junction of the Gila and Colorado rivers; thence up the middle of the said river Colorado until it intersects the present line between the United States and Mexico; and this is the present boundary between the two Republics.

This left the extension of the line from the Gila and Colorado rivers west to the Pacific the same as established by the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, and thus the southern boundary line was extended from the Atlantic to the Pacific in the period from November 30, 1782 (the preliminary treaty of peace), to the Gadsden purchase of December 30, 1853-about seventy years.

The entire southern boundary of the United States is the line of southern boundary of the public domain, excepting the southern boundary of Texas.

BOUNDARIES OF ALASKA.

The boundaries of Alaska and contiguous islands are fully set out in the convention for the cession of the Russian possessions in North America to the United States, at Washington, March 30, 1867, by William H. Seward on behalf of the United States, and Edouard de Stoeckel on behalf of Russia.

This treaty refers to the treaty made by and between Russia and Great Britain of date February 28-16, 1825, which defined the eastern limits of Alaska where it joins the British possessions. The boundary line between the United States and the British possessions is all marked and determined, except as to the Alaska purchase. The entire area of Alaska is public domain.

REFERENCES HEREUNDER.

For treaties of cession, conventions, settlement of boundaries, and purchases of territory since July 4, 1776, to February 1, 1871, see Senate Ex. Doc. No. 36, third session Forty-first Congress. As our national boundaries are now fully established, reference is only made to authorities under and by which they were made.

For reference to treaties and conventions by which our national boundaries have been made and acknowledged, see laws of the United States relating to public lands, compiled by Albert Gallatin, 1817; laws of the United States compiled by Mathew St. Clair Clarke, 1823; laws of the United States, vol. 1, Brown & Duane, 1815; and treaties and conventions since 1776, State Department, Washington, D. C., 1871.

The expenses and costs of all commissions for making treaties and commissions for marking boundaries under treaties under the Department of State can be found in Senate Ex. Doc. No. 38, second session Forty-fourth Congress.

NATIONAL AND PUBLIC DOMAIN.

AREA OF PUBLIC DOMAIN.

The public domain embraces lands known in the United States as "public lands," lying in certain States and Territories known as the "Land States and Territories," and was acquired by the Government of the United States by treaty, conquest, cession by States, and purchase, and is disposed of under and by authority of the National Government. It contained 2,894,235.91 square miles, or 1,852,310,987 acres. ing the area of Tennessee, the actual public domain was 1,821,700,922 acres.

AREA OF POLITICAL DIVISIONS.

Deduct

By the definitive treaty of peace with Great Britain of September 3, 1783, concluding the Revolutionary War, our national territory was defined as extending westward from the Atlantic to the Mississippi River, and from a line on the north of the lakes to the thirty-first parallel and the south boundary of Georgia, embracing about 830,000 square miles, or 531,200,000 acres. Of this 341,752 square miles, or 218,721,280 acres, were included in the thirteen original States constituting the American Union.

LEGISLATIVE CREATIONS.

Kentucky, Vermont, and Maine were subsequently erected out of territory claimed respectively by Virginia, New York, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire by virtue of grants from the British Crown prior to the Revolution. These States embrace 82,892 square miles or 53,050,880 acres, which, added to the area of the thirteen original States, aggregates 424,644 square miles.

CESSIONS BY STATES TO THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT.

The territory embraced within the present States of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Tennessee, that part of Minnesota lying east of the Mississippi River, and all of Alabama and Mississippi lying north of the thirty-first parallel, was held by Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, under grants from Great Britain, during their colonial condition. These territorial interests were surrendered to the General Government of the Union by the last-named States at different times hereinafter set forth, and constituted the nucleus of our public domain with some reservations as to former grants, and was the remainder of the territory conceded to the United States under the definitive treaty of 1783, and consisted of 404,955.91 square miles, or 259,171,787 acres. This was the public 'domain of the United States on April 30, 1803, the date of the Louisiana purchase, and for which the original survey and disposition laws were made.

The United States were recognized by the Crown in the definitive treaty of peace

with Great Britain as "free sovereign and independant States, and that he treats with them as such, and for himself, his heirs, and successors relinquishes all claims to the government, proprietary and territorial rights of the same, and every part thereof." The Government of the United States acquired as custodian for the Nation lands known as the public domain as follows:

From States (colonies prior to July 4, 1776) ceded under the Confederation and under the Constitution.

This was in pursuance of a resolution of the Congress of the Confederation passed Tuesday, October 10, 1780, providing for the reception and care of such unappropriated lands as might be ceded by States to the United States, and for the disposition of the same for the common benefit of the United States.

The dates of cession of these lands to the United States were as follows:

*An act to change the conditions of the cession of March 1, 1784, only so far as to ratify the fifth article of the compact of the ordinance of 1787.

Area of cessions.

Massachusetts (disputed) claimed (estimated)*.

Connecticut (disputed) and Western Reserve and Fire-lands (estimated)*.

From New York and Massachusetts cession, actual.

From Virginia (disputed and undisputed) to the United States (exclusive of
Kentucky and including area of Western Reserve and Fire-lands)..
South Carolina cession

North Carolina cession, nominal, because the area of Tennessee was almost
covered with reservations.

Georgia cession..

Total actual State cessions to the United States for public domain

*The area above was also claimed by Virginia and included in her cession. Connecticut's jurisdictional cession of the Western Reserve and Fire-lands, containing about 4,300,000 acres, included under Virginia cession.

LANDS ACQUIRED BY PURCHASE AND TREATIES-PERIOD, PRICE, AND QUANTITY.

1. From France.

From France, April 30, 1803, under the administration of President Jefferson, known as the Louisiana purchase, done by treaty at Paris, France, by Robert R. Livingston and James Monroe on behalf of the United States, and Barbé Marbois on behalf of the First Consul, Napoleon Bonaparte, in the name of the French Republic. This embraced as finally settled those portions of the States of Alabama and Mississippi south of the thirty-first parallel, the entire surface of the States of Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, and Oregon, all of Minnesota west of the Missouri River, all of Kansas except a small portion west of the one hundredth meridian and south of the Arkansas

River, all of Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington, and Indian Territories, with a part of Wyoming and Colorado. This cost, according to the original treaty stipulation, 60,000,000 francs, or $15,000,000, in money and stocks; the interest on the stocks to time of redemption, $8,529,353; claims of citizens of United States due from France paid by United States, $3,738,263.98; a total of $27,257,621.98, and added to the public domain 1,182,752 square miles or 756,961,280 acres.

2. From Spain.

From Spain, by treaty February 22, 1819, under the administration of President Monroe, done at Washington, D. C., between John Quincy Adams, Secretary of State, on behalf of the United States, and Louis de Onis, Minister of Spain to the United States, on behalf of His Majesty Ferdinand VII., King of Spain. It secured to the United States the territory known as East and West Florida, now the present State of Florida, for the sum of $5,000,000 in bonds similar to those issued for the Louisiana purchase, the interest on which to the date of redemption being $1,489,768, made the total cost $6,489,768. This added to the public domain of the United States 59,268 square miles, or 37,931,520 acres, including certain grants.

3. From Mexico.

From Mexico, by treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, under the administration of President Polk, concluded February 2, 1848, by and between Nicholas P. Trist on behalf of the United States, and Luis G. Cuevas, Bernardo Couto, and Miguel Atristain on behalf of the Republic of Mexico. This cession gave to the public domain of the United States the States of California, Nevada, and part of Colorado, also the lands in the Territories of Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico, excepting in the last two the Mesilla Valley, adding to the national domain approximately 522,568 square miles, or 334,443,520 acres. It cost (treaty stipulation) $15,000,000.

4. From Texas.

From the State of Texas, by purchase, under the administration of President Fillmore. The United States, by act of Congress of September 9, 1850, purchased from Texas her claim to certain public lands north of parallel 36° 30′, and between that parallel and 32°, and lying west of the one hundred and third meridian, now included in Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, and also the "public land strip." This cost $16,000,000, in 5 per cent. bonds, interest and cash. The lands in this cession were estimated at 101,767 square miles, or 65,130,880 acres, and this was added to the public domain, being already, by the annexation of Texas and the confirmatory clause of the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, embraced within the national domain.

5. From Mexico.

From the Republic of Mexico, by purchase, under the administration of President Pierce, known as the Gadsden purchase, under treaty made at the City of Mexico, December 30, 1853, by James Gadsden, United States minister, on behalf of the United States, and Manuel Diez de Bonilla, José Salazar Ylarregui, and J. Mariano Monterde on behalf of the Republic of Mexico. In consideration of the concession by Mexico of the abrogation of sundry treaty stipulations in the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, 1848, and the payment of the sum of $10,000,000 by the United States to Mexico, a strip of land known as the Mesilla Valley, and lying in the present Territories of New Mexico and Arizona, on their southern border, was added to the national and public domain of the United States. It contained 45,535 square miles, or 29,142,400 acres. Cost, $10,000,000. This territory now lies in New Mexico and Arizona; 14,000 square miles in New Mexico, and 31,535 square miles in Arizona.