e appropriated to be disbursed by the
Secretary of the Treasury in bestowing rewards upon W.T. Lopp,
Artisarlook, and native herders, who rendered material aid to the relief
expedition.

WILLIAM McKINLEY.

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _January 19, 1899_.

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith a second report on the investigations of the
agricultural capabilities of Alaska for the year 1898, in accordance
with the acts of Congress making appropriations for the Department of
Agriculture for the fiscal years ending June 30, 1898, and June 30,
1899.

WILLIAM McKINLEY.

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _January 19, 1899_.

_To the Senate of the United States_:

I herewith return without approval Senate bill No. 708, entitled "An act
for the relief of Albert E. Redstone."

My objections to the bill are:

First. It assumes that the beneficiary, Albert E. Redstone, sustained a
loss by the incorporation of his preemption claim within the limits of
the Sierra Forest Reserve. This reserve was established by executive
proclamation of February 14, 1893 (27 Stats., 1059), issued under
section 24 of the act of March 8, 1891 (26 Stats., 1103), and contains
the following saving clause for the protection of existing claims under
the public land laws:

* * * Excepting from the force and effect of this proclamation all lands
which may have been, prior to the date hereof, embraced in any legal
entry or covered by any lawful filing duly of record in the proper
United States Land Office, or upon which any valid settlement has been
made pursuant to law, and the statutory period within which to make
entry or filing of record has not expired; * * *

Mr. Redstone did not sustain any loss by the creation of this reserve,
because his rights, if he had any at that time, were fully recognized
and protected by this provision in the proclamation.

Second. Mr. Redstone's preemption declaratory statement was filed April
6, 1889, and alleged settlement upon the same day. The land covered
thereby had not been proclaimed for sale, and under sections 2265 and
2267 of the Revised Statutes, Mr. Redstone had thirty-three months from
the date of his settlement within which to make proof and payment for
the land, but in fact he never attempted to make such proof or payment.
His preemption claim had therefore expired by operation of law long
before the creation of this reserve. After his filing had thus expired
Mr. Re