Wyoming Whereas by Proclamation No. 1259, dated December 20, 1913, and Executive Orders Nos. 2257, 2291, 2497, 2523, and 3040, dated October 14, 1915, December 27, 1915, December 7, 1916, January 30, 1917, and February 25, 1919, respectively, certain designated lands in the State of Wyoming, comprising part of the public domain, were withdrawn from settlement, entry, sale, and any and every other manner and form of appropriation or disposition under the public land laws of the United States for the protection of the water supply of the United States military post known as Fort D. A. Russell (now Fort Francis E. Warren) in the county of Laramie and State of Wyoming, so long as the continuance of said reservation shall be necessary to provide protection for the water supply of the said Fort D. A. Russell (now Fort Francis E. Warren), and until such time as the Congress or the President of the United States shall otherwise direct; and Whereas by Executive Order No. 4678, dated June 29, 1927, the said Proclamation No. 1259, dated December 20, 1913, was revoked in so far as same affected the southeast quarter of the northeast quarter and the northeast quarter of the southeast quarter of sec. 8, T. 14 N., R. 70 W., sixth principal meridian; and Whereas it is desired that control and administration of the lands withdrawn by said Proclamation No. 1259, dated December 20, 1913, and the said Executive Orders Nos- 2257, 2291, 2497, 2523, and 3040, dated October 14, 1915, December 27, 1915, December 7, 1916, January 30, 1917, and February 25, 1919, respectively, as amended and Modified by the said Executive Order No. 4678, dated June 29, 1927, be vested in the Secretary of War; Now, therefore , it is hereby ordered that the control and administration of blowing described lands, to wit: N. ½ sec. 2, NW. ¼ sec. 4, lot 4 and S. ½ sec. 6, and N. ½ sec. 8, T. 13 N., R. 70 W, sixth principal meridian; E. ½ E. ½, NW. ¼ NE. ¼, SW. ¼ SE. ¼, and SW. ¼ sec. 2, S. ½ sec. 4, N. ½ SE. ¼ and lots 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 7 sec 6, N ½ NE ¼ NE ¼ NW ¼ S. ½ S. ½ and N. ½; sec. 8, N. ½ N. ½ and S. ½ sec. 10, NW. ¼ sec. 12, W. ½ SW. ¼ and SE. ¼; sec. 14, lot 1 sec. 18, NE. ¼ NE. ¼, S. ½ N. ½, S. ½ SE. ¼, and SE. ¼ SW. ¼ 22, SW. ¼ sec. 24, N. ½ S. ½, SE. ¼ NE. ¼, and W. ½ NW. ¼ sec. 26, N. ½ and SW. ¼ sec. 28, and NW. ¼ SE. ¼ sec. 30, T. 14 N., R. 70 W., sixth principal meridian; N. ½ S. ½, SE. ¼ SE. ¼, and SW. ¼ SW. ¼ sec. 20, SE. ¼, S. ½ SW. ¼ sec. 22, NW. ¼ and E. ½ sec. 26, N. ½ and SW. ¼ sec. 28, lot 1, NE. ¼ NW. ¼ and SE. ¼ SW. ¼ sec. 30, sec. 32, and NE. ¼, N. ½ NW. ¼, W. ½ SW. ¼, SE. ¼ SW. ¼, SW. ¼ SE. ¼, and E. ½ SE. ¼ sec. 34, T. 15 N., R. 70 W., sixth principal meridian; S. ½ N. ½ sec. 2, T. 13 N., R. 71 W., sixth principal meridian; S. ½ N. ½ sec. 32, and sec. 34, T. 14 N, R. 71 W., sixth principal meridian; and being the same lands referred to in Proclamation No. 1259, dated December 20, 1913, and in Executive Orders No. 2257, dated October 14, 1915, No. 2291, dated December 27, 1915, No. 2497, dated December 7, 1916, No. 2523, dated January 30, 1917, No. 3040, dated February 25, 1919, and No. 4678, dated June 29, 1927, be, and the same are hereby, transferred from the Secretary of the Interior to the Secretary of War, subject to all public and private valid existing easements thereon and other valid existing rights and claims thereto. HERBERT HOOVER The White House, April 3, 1931.
Executive Order 5592—Transfer of Control and Administration of Lands to the War Department for Military Purposes, Wyoming
Executive Brief • At a Glance
The control and administration of blowing described lands, to wit: N. ½ sec. 2, NW. ¼ sec. 4, lot 4 and S. ½ sec. 6, and N. ½ sec. 8, T. 13 N., R. 70 W, sixth principal meridian; E. ½ E. ½, NW. ¼ NE. ¼, SW. ¼ SE. ¼, and SW. ¼ sec. 2, S. ½ sec. 4, N. ½ SE. ¼ and lots 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 7 sec 6, N ½ NE ¼ NE ¼ NW ¼ S. ½ S. ½ and N. ½; sec. 8, N. ½ N. ½ and S. ½ sec. 10, NW. ¼ sec. 12, W. ½ SW. ¼ and SE. ¼; sec. 14, lot 1 sec. 18, NE. ¼ NE. ¼, S. ½ N. ½, S. ½ SE. ¼, and SE. ¼ SW. ¼ 22, SW. ¼ sec. 24, N. ½ S. ½, SE. ¼ NE. ¼, and W. ½ NW. ¼ sec. 26, N. ½ and SW. ¼ sec. 28, and NW. ¼ SE. ¼ sec. 30, T. 14 N., R. 70 W., sixth principal meridian; N. ½ S. ½, SE. ¼ SE. ¼, and SW. ¼ SW. ¼ sec. 20, SE. ¼, S. ½ SW. ¼ sec. 22, NW. ¼ and E. ½ sec. 26, N.…
Plain-English Translation & Framers' Constitutional Analysis
Early Statesman synthesis distilling legal jargon into practical meaning, statutory anchors, and structural constitutional impacts.
Signed by President Herbert Hoover on April 3, 1931, this order concerns Transfer of Control and Administration of Lands to the War Department for Military Purposes, Wyoming. The control and administration of blowing described lands, to wit: N. ½ sec. 2, NW. ¼ sec. 4, lot 4 and S. ½ sec. 6, and N. ½ sec. 8, T. 13 N., R. 70 W, sixth principal meridian; E. ½ E. ½, NW. ¼ NE. ¼, SW. ¼ SE. ¼, and SW. ¼ sec. 2, S. ½ sec. 4, N. ½ SE. ¼ and lots 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 7 sec 6, N ½ NE ¼ NE ¼ NW ¼ S. ½ S. ½ and N. ½; sec. 8, N. ½ N. ½ and S. ½ sec. 10, NW. ¼ sec. 12, W. ½ SW. ¼ and SE. ¼; sec. 14…
Key Directives & Operative Actions
The control and administration of blowing described lands, to wit: N. ½ sec. 2, NW. ¼ sec. 4, lot 4 and S. ½ sec. 6, and N. ½ sec. 8, T. 13 N., R. 70 W, sixth principal meridian; E. ½ E. ½, NW. ¼ NE. ¼, SW. ¼ SE. ¼, and SW. ¼ sec. 2, S. ½ sec. 4, N. ½ SE. ¼ and lots 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 7 sec 6, N ½ NE ¼ NE ¼ NW ¼ S. ½ S. ½ and N. ½; sec. 8, N. ½ N. ½ and S. ½ sec. 10, NW. ¼ sec. 12, W. ½ SW. ¼ and SE. ¼; sec. 14, lot 1 sec. 18, NE. ¼ NE. ¼, S. ½ N. ½, S. ½ SE. ¼, and SE. ¼ SW. ¼ 22, SW. ¼ sec. 24, N. ½ S. ½, SE. ¼ NE. ¼, and W. ½ NW. ¼ sec. 26, N. ½ and SW. ¼ sec. 28, and NW. ¼ SE. ¼ sec. 30, T. 14 N., R. 70 W., sixth principal meridian; N. ½ S. ½, SE. ¼ SE. ¼, and SW. ¼ SW. ¼ sec. 20, SE. ¼, S. ½ SW. ¼ sec. 22, NW. ¼ and E. ½ sec. 26, N.…
Constitutional & Societal Entities Impacted
Policy Areas & Topics
The Framers' Constitutional Council
1787 PrismEvaluating this order against the constitutional debates of 1787 and the limits of Article II executive power.
"When the President acts in absence of either a congressional grant or denial of authority, he can only rely upon his own independent powers, but there is a zone of twilight in which he and Congress may have concurrent authority."
James Madison
Separation of Powers & Legislative Primacy
"Power is of an encroaching nature, and it ought to be effectually restrained from passing the limits assigned to it." — Federalist No. 48 (1788)
Madison would view this order with watchful scrutiny. Operating in the 'Zone of Twilight' where Congress is silent, each such directive establishes an administrative precedent that steadily expands the executive perimeter at the expense of legislative primacy.
Alexander Hamilton
The Energetic Executive & Unified Command
"The direction of war implies the direction of the common strength; and the power of directing and employing the common strength must be under the direction of the single hand of the Executive." — Federalist No. 74 (1788)
Hamilton would forcefully champion executive discretion here. For foreign entanglements, commerce defense, and national security, deliberative assemblies are too slow and faction-ridden. A unified, energetic Executive exercising swift command is precisely what the Philadelphia Convention intended for national preservation.
George Mason
Bill of Rights, Due Process & 10th Amendment
"The president will be surrounded by flatterers and sycophants... and the great powers of the executive will gradually absorb the liberties of the people." — Cato IV (Anti-Federalist, 1787)
The Anti-Federalist prism advises continuous democratic vigilance. Even routine administrative directives aggregate centralized federal power away from town halls and state assemblies toward a distant executive apparatus.
Five Measurable "Constitutional Friction" Dimensions
An objective audit measuring potential separation-of-powers tension against the United States Constitution and established Supreme Court doctrine.
Legislative Encroachment & Purse
Operates within delegated statutory execution without modifying legislative appropriations or taxing powers.
Executive Scope & Faithfulness
Exercises standard supervisory executive authority to faithfully execute existing statutes.
Federalism & State Sovereignty
Engages state and local partners in cooperative federalism programs.
Due Process & Individual Rights
Focuses on internal governmental operations with no direct impairment of private rights or property.
Youngstown Jacksonian Tier
The order relies on inherent Article II executive discretion, civil service management, or foreign diplomacy where Congress has neither expressly approved nor prohibited action.
This order operates within Justice Jackson’s Zone of Twilight, resting upon concurrent presidential authority or congressional silence.
Scholarly & Legal Citations
Exec. Order No. 5592 (Apr. 3, 1931), https://executiveordersarchive.org/orders/app-executive-order-5592-transfer-control-and-administration-lands-the-war-department-for.