44 JOHN WESLEY POWELL. 



Region. Subsequently Congress authorised the appointment of a 

 "Public Lands Commission" to investigate the whole subject of 

 the land laws, and Powell, being made a member of it, devoted 

 much time in 1879 and 1880 to its work. Its report, in four thick 

 volumes, is a monument to its industry, but the reforms it advo- 

 cated have only in small part been made. 



The survey developed as a sequel to the exploration of the 

 Colorado canyons came eventually to be called the Survey of the 

 Rocky Mountain Region. From similar small beginnings Dr. F. 

 V. Hayden, likewise an explorer and geologist, developed the Sur- 

 vey of the Territories, and Captain George M. Wheeler, an engi- 

 neer officer of the regular army, developed the Survey West of the 

 looth Meridian. All these were sustained by Congressional appro- 

 priations, their lines of investigation were largely the same, and 

 they were rivals. The evils resulting from rivalry were many and 

 were fully recognised, but for many years no reduction was made 

 in the number of organisations because Congress could not agree 

 which one to select for preservation. It was finally proposed to 

 abolish all three and create instead a Geological Survey whose 

 chief should be appointed by the President of the United States, 

 and of this proposition Powell was the most active advocate. It 

 was adopted by Congress in March, 1879, and the direction of the 

 new-born United States Geological Survey was given to Mr. Clar- 

 ence King, a geologist who had already won distinction as chief of 

 the Fortieth Parallel Survey. 



Zoologic and ethnologic researches, which had been conducted 

 by the Surveys just abolished, were not included among the func- 

 tions of the new organisation, but Congress made a special provi- 

 sion for ethnologic work by establishing a Bureau of Ethnology. 

 Major Powell was made the Director of this Bureau and he was 

 thus enabled to continue one of the most important lines of investi- 

 gation of the survey he had been willing to have abolished. 



The direction of the Geological Survey was held by Mr. King 

 less than two years; he resigned in March, 1881. President Gar- 

 field immediately named Major Powell as his successor, sending 

 the nomination to the Senate. It is the custom of that body to 

 refer each nomination to an appropriate committee and take action 

 only after the committee has made its report; but when the nom- 

 inee is a senator his confirmation is considered immediately with- 

 out asking the advice of a committee. It is one of the open secrets 

 of the executive session of the Senate that Major Powell's nomina- 



