Show FOR CUTTING TIMBER A Report ofthe Committee on Mines and Mining NOMINATED AND CONFIRMED I A Long List or Names of Officials Presented by the President and Accepted by the Senate WASHINGTON March 23 Senator Stewart Stew-art from tho committee on mines and mining min-ing made a report in regarito the timber depradations in Nevada which was laid on the table Mitchell offered a resolution which went over authorizing the committee on mines and mining to continue their inquiry into the causes of delay in considering the contested con-tested cases in the mineral division of the land office Sundry messages in writing were received re-ceived from the President and the Senate immediately went in to executive session to act upon them TIMBER CUTTIXO SUITS By a resolution of the Senate on tho 7t1 of January last the committee on mines and mining was instructed to ascertain all the facts and circumstances connected with tho crcumstnces bringing of certain suits by the United States against persons for cutting timber for mining and domestic purposes in Nevada and if such suits have caused any interruption state in mining operations in the MAUK THOU OTiS LAVT3V In accordance with this resolution Senator Sen-ator Stewart submitted a report to the Senate today of inquiry by the committee into th subject The report says since 1S4S miners have made their own rules andre and-re limiting the extent of mining claims covering the right of possession and regulating tho useof lumber and water for mining purposes The legality of these rules and regulations was affirmed by decisions de-cisions of the courts AHTUOniTT FROU CONGKE33 C The practice of cutting timber was continued con-tinued the report says until 1S77 when Secretary Schurz caused prosecutions to be instituted against the miners in some of the territories for cutting timber The matter was brought to the attention of Congress and on June 3 1878 an act was passed authorizing miners in mining districts dis-tricts of the United States to fell and remove re-move timber for mining and domestic purposes pur-poses Tho miners the report says treated this act as a settlement of the question and were not interfered with again for some tnt In April 18S2 tho district attorney of Nevada advised the prosecution of miners in that state for using scrubbytimber for mining and domestic purposes AS IXVBSTIOATIOJfj Later the department of the interior sent a special agent into th3 stat who was authorized to make thorough investigation of the alleged cutting The special agent advised the institution of three suits for timber trespass The department subsequently subse-quently authorized these to be instituted These suits and soven others were brought in December last and the result was that the two principal mines in Eureka closed down The conclusion of the committee is that the suits brought by the United States have been creat destruction to mininsr in dustry in eastern Nevada that they are needless and vexatious and that the attorney attor-ney general in authorizing three of these suits must have done so under a misapprehension misappre-hension of the facts |