Presidential Order Constitutional Neutral (+0.02)

Executive Order—Restoration of Lands to Public Domain

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Friday, August 4, 1882

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1 min read (291 words)

Plain-English Translation & Framers' Constitutional Analysis

Early Statesman synthesis distilling legal jargon into practical meaning, statutory anchors, and structural constitutional impacts.

This executive order, signed by President Chester A. Arthur on 1882-08-04, establishes federal administrative policy concerning "—Restoration of Lands to Public Domain." It outlines operative directives for executive department officers, delegating enforcement responsibilities and establishing official governance guidelines.

Constitutional Assessment: Reviewed under the Tenth Amendment and the principle of dual federalism, this order touches upon domains traditionally reserved to the sovereign States. The Framers would caution against any attempt to commandeer state officers or displace local police powers through federal executive fiat.

Key Directives & Operative Actions

▪ Formal executive instruction issued by the President establishing official administrative policy on —Restoration of Lands to Public Domain.

Constitutional & Societal Entities Impacted

🏛️ Sovereign State Governments & Localities 🏛️ Private Citizens & Property Owners 🏛️ Foreign Nations & International Entities

Total Words

291

1,744 characters

Estimated Read Time

1 min

@ 200 words / min

Flesch-Kincaid

31.4

Post-Grad reading level

Constitutional Polarity

+0.02

Framers' Alignment index

📜

Scholarly & Legal Citations

Exec. Order, "Executive Order—Restoration of Lands to Public Domain," Chester A. Arthur (Aug 4, 1882). Available at https://executiveordersarchive.org/orders/app-executive-order-restoration-lands-public-domain.

Official Document Text

Source: The American Presidency Project (UCSB Archive)

Original Source →

EXECUTIVE MANSION, August 4, 1882. It is hereby ordered that the following-described tract of country in Colorado, viz: Commencing at the northeast corner of the present Ute Indian Reservation, as defined in the treaty of March 2, 1868 (Stats, at Large, vol. 15, p. 619); thence running north on the 107th degree of longitude to the first standard parallel north; thence west on said first standard parallel to the boundary line between Colorado and Utah; thence south with said boundary to the northwest corner of the Ute Indian Reservation; thence east with the north boundary of the said reservation to the place of beginning, withdrawn from sale and set apart for the use of the several tribes of the Ute Indians by Executive order dated November 22, 1875, be, and the same hereby is, restored to the public domain. It is hereby further ordered that the following-described tract of country in Colorado, viz: Commencing at the intersection of the 37th parallel of north latitude with the 107th degree of west longitude; thence east along said parallel to the ridge described in Hayden’s Geographical and Geological Survey of said State as the “ National Divide” of the San Juan Mountains; thence following said divide in a general northerly and northwesterly direction to longitude 107 degrees and 23 minutes west; thence due south to latitude 37 degrees and 17 minutes north; thence due east to the 107th meridian of west longitude; thence south with said meridian to the place of beginning, withdrawn from sale and settlement and set apart as a reservation for the Muache, Capote, and Weeminuchee bands of Ute Indians by Executive order dated February 7, 1879, be, and the same is hereby, restored to the public domain. CHESTER A. ARTHUR.