Descriptive list of tracts in the Plattsburg land district, Missouri, selected by Messrs. McLaughlin and Felix.
In the month of February, 1857, the applicants appeared at the General Land Office, complaining that, on the 26th of November, 1856, they
appeared at the district land office, at Plattsburg, to locate certain lands for a colony of actual settlers; that the office was then closed. In that month
they filed in the General Land Office a map, descriptive list, and the warrants to effect the locations they desired, and demanded the interposition of
the bureau in their behalf. As the office was unlawfully and arbitrarily closed by the then register, James H. Birch, and as the act of 1850 (vol. 9,
page 521,*) made it imperative on the General Land Office to effect locations when applied for, that office, on the 6th of February, 1857, despatched
to the register, James H. Birch, the aforesaid plat, descriptive list, and warrants, with instructions to permit the locations of the tracts applied for by
Messrs. McLaughlin and Felix on the 26th of November, 1856. The said map, list, and warrants thus sent, February 6, 1857, reached the register at
Plattsburg on the 7th of March, 1857, according to his letter, B, herewith; but these locations were not finally carried, under said instructions, into the
records of the local land office until August 6, 1857. Yet, subsequent to the date, March 7, 1857, of Register Birch's acknowledged reception of
them, he allowed the following locations to be made of the same lands by others between the 11th and 31st of March, 1857, the latter date inclusive:
