The National Park

Tho following is the report of the Commïtteo ou Public Lands, to tho House of Representativos, describing tho wonderful región known as tho "Yellowetone Country." It was on tho stréngth of the facts herein stated that Congress passed thebill, setting apart this región tbr a National Park. Tho bill now boforo Congress has for its object the withdrawalfromsottloment, oceupanoy, or sale, under the laws of the Unitod Stal es, a tract of land fifty-fiveby sixty-fivu milos, about Ihc souroes of tho Yellowstono and Missouri rivers; and dedicates and sets it apart as a great na tional park or pleasuro grouud for the benefit and enjoymont of tho poople. Tho entirearca comprised within the liinits ui the reservation contemplated in this bil] isnot susceptible of eultivation with any degreo of certainty, and tho winters would bo too severo for stock raising. Whenevcr the attitude of the mountain districts exceeds 0,000 feot above tido-wnter, their sottlnment becomes problematical unless thoro are valuable mines to ittract people. Tho entire area within tho limits of tho proposcd reservation is over C,000 fcotiu ultitude, and the Yollowstono lake whie.li oeoupiea fin arca 15 by '22 milos, or 330 square miles is 7,427 feet. The ranges of mountains 'that hem the valloys in on every sido ris(! to tho height of 10,000 or 12,000 feet, and aro c with snow"all tho year. These mountains are all of a volcanic origin, and it is not probable that any mines ör niineralsof valuo will ever bo fouud there. During tho months of Juno, July and August the climato is pure and most invigorating, with scarcely any rain or storms of any kind ; but the thermometer frequently sinks aslow as 26. There is frost evory month of the year. This whole región was in comparatively modern gooloftical timos tho scène of the most wqndurful voloanic activity of any portion cf our country. The hotsprii: the geysors represent tho last stages - tho venta or escapo pipos - of theso remarkaable volcanic manifostations of tho intornal forces. All theso spiings are adornad with docorations more beauliful tha;i Imjtvin art ever eonecivcd, and which havo required thousands of ycars for tho cunning hand of nature to forra. Persons are now waiting for the spring to open to enter in and tako possession of theso romarkable curiositics, to niako merchandise of these beuutif ui specimens, to funce in these rare wonders so as to charge visitors a feo, as is now dtme á"t Niágara Fulls, for tho sight of that which ought to bo as f ree as thu air or water. In a few yeurs this región will be a place of resort for all classes of peoplo trom all parts of tho world. The gcysers of Iceland, which have been objects of interest for the seientific men and travelers of the. entiro world, sink into insignificance in comparison with the hot springs of the Yellowstono and Pire Hole üasins. As a placo of resort for inv:ili'ls it will not be exeelled by any portion of the world. If this bill faüa to boconio a law this session, the vandals who are now wa i ting to enter this wonderland will, in a eingle scason, despoil beyond recovery theso remarkable ourioBities which have requircd all the cunning skill of nature thousands of years to proparo. Ve )avo alieady shown that no portion of this tract can ever bo made availablo for agricultura] or mining purposes. 32ven if tho nltiludo and the climato would permit tho country to bo mado availablo, not over fit'ty square milos of the catiro arfa eould ever bo sottlod. The valleys are all narrow, hetnmed in by high volcanic mountains liko gigantic walls. The withdraval of tho tract, thcroforo from salo or sottleiueut takes nothing from the value of tho public domain, and it is no pecuniary loss to tho govemment, but will lio regardëd by the entire civiliscd world as a step of progress and an honor to Congress and tho nation.