KiJiforidJ ( 'omniciit. 305 
iiiii' all surveys of a scientific character undi'r llic War or Interior 
Departments, and the snrveys of the Land Otiice. and to report 
to Congress, as soon thereafter as may be practical >le, a plan for 
-snrveying and mapping the territories of the United States, on 
such general system as will, in their jndgment, secure the best 
results at the least possil)le cost." 
A committee of the Academy rei)orted recommending two dis- 
tinct bureaus or departnu'uts, under separate heads, one for sur- 
veys of mensuration, to include the Coast and (Jcodetic survey 
and the topogrnphical work of the Jiand Survey otiice. and one 
for the determiiuition of all (juestions relating to the geologic 
structure and natural resources of the pidjlic domain. 
The sphere and duties of the latter were more fully defined: 
■•The best interests of the public donudn recpiire. for the pur- 
poses of intelligent administration, a thorough knowledge of its 
geological structure, natural resources and products. Tlie domain 
•embraces vast mineral wealth in its soils, metals, salines, stones, 
clays, etc. To meet the recjuirements of existing laws in the dis- 
position of the agricultural, mineral, i)astoral. timber, desert and 
swamp lands, a thorough investigation and classification of the 
acreage of the public domain is imperatively demanded. The 
committee therefore recommend that Congress establish, under 
the Departnu'ut of the Interior, an independent organization, to 
be known as the United States geological survey, to be charged 
with the study of the geological structure and economic resources 
■of the pultlic domain; such a survey to l)e placed under a director, 
who shall bi' appointed by the president and who shall report 
• lirectly to the Secretary of the interior.'' 
This report was favora))ly received, and the act of (^ongress 
which estal»lished the W 8. (Jeological survey Olarch H. ISTlt), 
included in an act making api)ropriations for ••sundry civil ex- 
penses" has the following words: ••For the salary of the director 
i)f the geological survey, which otiice is hereby established, under 
tlie Interior |)e[)artnient. who shall 1k' appointed b\ the president 
by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, six thousand 
dollars; J^roriihd . That this olficer shall have the direction of the 
geological survey, iind the classification of the public lands, aiul 
the examination of tlii' geological sti'ucturi'. mineral resources 
and i)roducts of the national domain, and tliat the director and 
members of the geological siii'vey shall have no persoiinl or 
