THE CIVIL GOVERNMENT OF ALASKA 175 



Yukon. The policy of the Government is to lease for a nominal 

 sum sufficient area and water frontage for commercial, manu- 

 facturing, and shipbuilding purposes. The Government has 

 also a military station near Circle City and another on the Copper 

 river. 



Special legislation relating to Alaska has, up to the present 

 time, had reference simply to the narrow strip along the south- 

 ern coast, known, as stated above, as the Panhandle, and to the 

 Pribilof and Aleutian islands. Its provisions are not sufficiently 

 flexible to permit of its extension to the interior by executive 

 action. There is, however, one exception, wherein the Secretary 

 of the Treasury is authorized to extend the customs laws through- 

 out the Territory. 



The laws of the United States relating to mining claims and 

 the rights incident thereto were put in force in Alaska by the 

 act of 1884 and the act of March 3, 1891. 



The laws relating to lands and titles are as follows : 



The mineral land laws of the United States. 



Townsite laws which provide for the incorporation of townsites and 

 acquirement of title thereto from the United States government to 

 the townsite trustees. 



The law providing for trade and manufactures, giving each qualified 

 person 160 acres of land in a squai'e and compact form. Applica- 

 tions for townsites and for trade and manufacturing purposes are 

 to be made to the marshal and clerk at Sitka. The coal-land reg- 

 ulations are distinct from the mineral regulations or laws, and the 

 jurisdiction of neither coal laws nor public-land laws extends to 

 Alaska, the territory being expressly excluded by the laws them- 

 selves from their operations. The act approved May 17, 1884, pro- 

 viding for civil government in Alaska, has this language as to mines 

 and mining privileges : 



"The laws of the United States relating to mining claims and 

 rights incidental thereto shall, on and after the passage of this act, 

 be in full force and effect in said district of Alaska, subject to such 

 regulations as may be made by the Secretary of the Interior and 

 approved by the President, and parties who have located mines or 

 mining privileges there, under the United States laws applicable 

 to the public domain, or have occupied or improved or exercised 

 acts of ownership over such claims, shall not be disturbed therein, 

 but shall be allowed to perfect title by payments provided for." 



There is still more general authority. 



The act of July 4, 1866, says : 



"All valuable mineral deposits in lands belonging to the United 

 States, both surveyed and unsurveyed, are hereby declared to be 

 free and open to exploration and purchase, and lands in which 

 they are found to occupation and purchase by citizens of the United 

 States, and by those who have declared an intention to become 

 such, under the rules prescribed by law and according to local cus- 

 toms or rules of miners in the several mining districts, so far as the 

 same are applicable and not inconsistent with the laws of the United 

 States." 



