368 Proceedings oe the 



mittee on Forest Reserves and the Protection of Game. 

 The amendment of April 8 was reported back to the 

 Senate by the latter committee with favorable recom- 

 mendation. 



When the Sundry Civil Bill was under consideration 

 in the Senate on May 5, 1897, Mr. Pettigrew offered 

 the amendment of April 8 as an amendment to an 

 appropriation for the Geological Survey. (Congres- 

 sional Record, vol. 30, p. 899.) After discussion in 

 the Senate, it was accepted on May 6 (Congressional 

 Record, p. 908-925) and soon after went to the Con- 

 ference Committee of the Senate and House on the 

 Sundry Civil Bill, where minor amendments were 

 made to the provision for the administration of the 

 forest reserves. On May 27 the Senate agreed to the 

 conference report (Congressional Record, p. 1278- 

 1285), and on June i the House of Representatives 

 accepted it. (Congressional Record, p. 1397-1401.) 

 On June 4 the President approved the Sundry Civil 

 Bill, and thus completed the legislation providing for 

 the survey and administration of the forest reserves 

 of the United States. 



The period from March 4, when President Cleveland 

 killed the scheme to revoke all forest reserve procla- 

 mations, to June 4, when President McKinley signed 

 the act containing the forest reserve legislation, was 

 a strenuous one for those directly interested in the 

 protection and utilization of the public forests. Con- 

 ferences ^yere held at the office of the Secretary of the 

 Interior, Cornelius N. Bliss, and many hours of anxious 

 suspense followed the formulation of a plan that met 

 with the approbation of the department and of the 

 members of Congress from the western states directly 

 affected by the forest reserve policy. The new law 

 was not ideal, but it was all that could be obtained 

 under the conditions then existing. 



