Granted school section-Relinquishment or reconveyance by State.-A mere relinquishment to the United States of lands grauted to the State would not operate to divest the State of title, nor would a formal deed of reconveyance answer the purpose with out authority residing in the Executive branch of the Government to receive the title back. This office may receive reconveyances of land where evidence of title has erroneously issued, in order to restore the land to its original state as public, and dispose of it according to law, but it has no general authority to receive reconveyances by deed of lands where the title has passed from the United States properly, either by patent or other evidence of title, or by operation of law. Where title to a tract in a school section passes to a State by operation of law, this office would have no authority to accept a formal reconveyance by deed to the United States without authority from the granting power--the Congress. (To register and receiver, Durango, Colo., April 17, 1891; case of Michael Dermody.)

L.-DRAUGHTING DIVISION.

In this division is performed all the draughting required by the Gen eral Land Office, and the platting of surveys and calculation of areas of public lands when required. It has the custody of all official fieldnotes of surveys of the public domain and plats and maps (including photo-lithographic copies) relating thereto. Maps of the United States and of States and Territories are compiled in this division from official surveys. Maps, diagrams, copies of plats and tracings are prepared and constructed for individuals and for departmental and other official purposes.

The following is a statement in detail of the work performed in this divison during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891, viz :

The original drawing of the map of the United States was revised and corrected up to date and placed in the hands of Messrs. Julius Bien & Co. for publication, and an edition of 11,000 copies is now being rinted.

Maps of Oklahoma and Indian Territories, Kansas, Missouri, and California (in two sheets) were compiled, and tracings for publication were made of Oklahoma and Indian Territories, Kansas, Missouri, California, Washington, and Idaho, and placed in the hands of the publisher. Maps of the States of Colorado and Montana and the Territories of Arizona and Utah were revised, and tracings for publication are now in process of completion.

Six hundred and fifteen railroad maps have been examined and reported upon.

Two hundred and fifty railroad maps have been prepared with land district designations.

Twenty-seven certified copies of maps, plats, and diagrams have been constructed, and fees collected to the amount of $295.75.

Two hundred and ten certified tracings were made, and fees collected to the amount of $830.75.

For office use there were 142 maps and tracings made or prepared. Sixty-nine copies of plats on drawing paper have been constructed for local land offices.

Four thousand seven hundred and ninety-eight photo-lithograph copies of plats have been sent to applicants, and fees received to the amount of $1,223.25.

Eight hundred and thirty-one photo-lithographic copies of plats have been verified, certified, and sent to surveyor-generals, registers and receivers and State officers.

Two hundred and fifty-five volumes of field-notes have been prepared for binding and properly indexed, of which number 38 volumes have been bound and placed in the files.

Seventeen volumes of plats of surveys have been arranged, indexed, and bound.

Plats of new surveys to the number of 926 have been examined, entered upon the working diagrams, and filed for reference.

Two hundred and thirty-eight copies, on drawing paper, of railroad maps and diagrams, were made for office use.

Seven hundred and twenty-nine letters were received, 490 letters were written, 71 referred, and 158 required no answer.

Twenty-two blue prints were made and fees collected to the amount of $56.50.

Fifty-two tracings for local land offices were made.

Under a contract for photo-lithographing worn, defaced, and needed plats, 494 tracings were examined and sent to the contractor. Of these there have been returned 44, with 15 copies of each, in all 645 plats.

The work of properly filing and labeling the 700,000 photo-lithographic plats in the custody of this division, which was begun in 1889, has been completed.

A great amount of miscellaneous work not classified, such as computation of areas, explanations referable to lines of surveys, and the correct reading of plats, has constituted a very considerable part of the labor of this division.

INT 91-VOL I— -15

M.-DIVISION OF ACCOUNTS.

The following is a summary of the work performed in the division during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891:

Letters received..

Letters written

22, 917 11,346

Accounts adjusted and audited

5,338

7,657

Duplicate certificates of deposit received and recorded... These accounts, covering $7,243,208.40, show receipts and disbursements as follows:

RECEIPTS.

631 Quarterly accounts of receivers of public money

23 Accounts of moneys collected on account of depredations on pub. lic timber

654 Total receipts....

DISBURSEMENTS.

$5, 468, 175.00

5,849.00

5,474, 024.00

1,454 Quarterly accounts of receivers, acting as disbursing agents..... 258 Quarterly accounts of surveyors-general, acting as disbursing

agents

4 State fund accounts..

80.3 Repayment accounts for land erroneously sold.

7 State swamp-land indemnity accounts.

8 Reimbursement accounts, act March 3, 1887.

144 Accounts of deputy surveyors

3 Indian accounts

1 Return of deposit accounts...

2,002 Miscellaneous accounts, including those of inspectors and special agents, and contingent, transportation, and other accounts

4,684 Total disbursements

To which may be added, salaries of General Land Office....

859, 532.00

238, 681.72

80, 692.00 53, 213. 12 24,502.91 2,017. 15 144, 676. 36 68, 118.00 228.00

297, 523. 14

1,769, 184. 40 538, 871.30

2,308,055.70

The work of this division is entirely up to date with the exception of the accounts of deputy surveyors. During the year just closed we have been handling the current work as it came in.

The deputy surveyors' accounts are entirely independent of the disbursing accounts of surveyors-general, all of which are adjusted to date. The repayment accounts for lands erroneously sold are promptly attended to as the applications for repayment arrive in this office.

This division prepares all estimates of appropriations required for the land service and also the reports relative to the expenditures of moneys appropriated.

A report of the condition of all appropriations appertaining to the surveying service, which shows the amount expended, the estimated liabilities outstanding, and the balance on hand of each of fifty separate appropriations, is prepared weekly for the Secretary of the Interior.

These reports, with others required by various public officials, now form an important branch of the work of this division, and entail considerable labor upon the clerical force. The following tables are submitted, including a recapitulation of the land business done in the several States and Territories during the past fiscal year, together with other tables of importance in connection with the sales and disposal of the public domain.

Amount deposited by individuals for field and office work on account of the survey of public lands in the several districts during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891.

Amount deposited by railroads for field and office work on account of the survey of public lands in the several districts during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891.