List of town sites on the public lands, the date of entry, and area, &c.-Continued. Do. May 21, 1869. November 4, 1870. April 1, 1872. May 30, 1872. July 12, 1869. List of town sites on the public lands, the date of entry, area, &c.—Continued. June 1, 1871 New Harmony. ..do 120 Do. June 24, 1871 February 26, 1873 Mendon City. Fayette Do. Summit .do 80 Do. Jewell City Neodesha Elk Falls Do. Howard City. Camanche List of town sites on the public lands, the date of entry, and area, &c.-Continued. The act of May 26, 1824 (see sec. 2286, R. S.), authorizes the pre-emption of quarter sections of public land, at $1.25 per acre, for the establishment of seats of justice (court-houses) in counties. ACT AUTHORIZING THE PRESIDENT TO RESERVE-SEC. 2380, R. s. Iowa.. 160 May 26, 1824. Minnesota 160 Do. Oregon 160 Do. Nebraska. 80 Do. .do 160 Do. Washington. 153.45 Do. Oregon 33.23 Do. CHAPTER XXVI. MINES ON THE PUBLIC DOMAIN. PRECIOUS METALS AND OTHER VALUABLE DEPOSITS. The precious-metal bearing States and Territories of the public domain are California, Colorado, Oregon, Nevada, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Dakota, and Washington. Lead and copper lands in Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin were sold under special mining laws, the mineral being conveyed with the soil, and are included in cash entries. Under the acts of 1866 and 1872, and the placer act, there have been patented to June 30, 1880, 3,978 lode or vein claims, containing 38,435.11 acres, at $5 per acre, realizing $197,778, and 1,303 placer claims, containing 110,186.03 acres, at $2.50 per acre, realizing $288,767; total, 5,281 claims, containing 148,621.14 acres, and realizing $486,545. MINERAL RESERVATIONS IN NORTHWEST TERRITORY. In the ordinance of May 20, 1785, for the disposal of lands in the "Western Territory," it is ordered that there shall be reserved "one-third part of all gold, silver, lead, and copper mines, to be sold, or otherwise disposed of as Congress shall hereafter direct," the deed to be given by the Commissioners of the Loan Office, with a clause of reservation in the words of the act. The mineral resources of the country at that time were but little known. Our present Western precious metal regions, and the base-metal belt of the Mississippi, were almost entirely within the domain of France and Spain. The copper regions of Lake Superior had just come into possession of the United States by the definitive treaty of peace with Great Britain. Some gold and lead had been found in the Southern colonies-now States-but not on public domain, and economic minerals were but little known or used. The reserving clause in the ordinance of 1785 suggets the reservations as to minerals, by way of royalty or sovereign dues, in some of the crown charters for colonization in America, and further shows the existing doubt as to the policy of the Government in relation to holding, leasing, or selling mines and mineral lands. CONGRESSIONAL ACTION. By resolution of April 16, 1800, Congress authorized the President to employ an agent to collect material information relative to the copper mines on the south side of Lake Superior. This contained a clause “and to ascertain whether the Indian title to such lands as might be required for the use of the United States in case they should deem it expedient to work the said mines, had been extinguished." Thus Congress at this period seems to have had in mind the direct working and control of mines by the United States. March 3, 1807, Congress, by section 5 of an act for the sale of certain lands now in Ohio and Indiana, provided that lead mines in Indiana, with as many contiguous sec |