REPORT. 



To His EXCELLENCY, F. F. Low, 



Governor of California : 



SIR As required by law, the "Commissioners to Manage the 

 Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Big Tree Grove " beg leave to submit 

 the following report : 



The Senate and House of Representatives of the United States, 

 by an Act approved June 30, 1864, granted to the State of Califor 

 nia, on certain stipulated conditions, the Yosemite Valley and the 

 Mariposa Grove of Big Trees ; and, by an Act of its Legislature, the 

 State accepted the same and pledged itself to the fulfillment of these 

 conditions. In the language of the Act of Congress, the grant was 

 accepted " on the express conditions that the premises shall be held 

 for public use, resort and recreation, and shall be inalienable for all 

 time." It was also stipulated by Congress that the management of 

 the premises thu^ granted should be in the hands of nine Commis 

 sioners, of whom the Governor of the State should be one, and who 

 should also have the power to fill vacancies in the Board caused 

 either by death, removal or resignation. To the Governor was also 

 confided by Congress the power of appointing his eight associates, 

 the first Commissioners, and this was done by Executive proclama 

 tion, dated September 28, 1864. The Commissioners first appointed 

 were F. Law Olmsted, J. D. Whitney, William Ashburner, I. W. 

 Raymond, E. S. Holden, Alexander Deering, George W. Coulter and 

 Galen Clark, all of whom continue in office, with the exception of 

 Mr. Olmsted, who has returned to the East and resigned his place, 

 which has been filled by the appointment of Henry W. Cleaveland of 

 San Francisco. 



The surveys necessary to establish the boundaries of the grants 

 in question, as required by the Act of Congress, were duly made in 



