Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1835-05-06

THE FRAUDS OF THE LAND OFFICEs.-1tI
is a matter of notoriety at Washington, that
the frauds upon the public and private indi-
viduals, committed by the land agents of the
Government, are equalled only by those of
the Post Office Department. So great and
alarming had they become, that the Senate
found it their boundcn duty to appoint COM
mittee to investigate the charges preferred,
as they had in the case of the Post Office,
Accordingly committee was appointed, the
session before last, with authority to send for
persons and papers, and grant commissions
to take depositions, where the attendance of
witnesses before them could not be had
The New York Daily Advertiser furnishes
the following synopsis ofa part of the Report
In giving an account of their proceedings,
the Committee say, "that most of the per-
sons who have been large purchasers OF the
public lands, in conneXion with combinations
or companies of spectators, who were sum-
moncd to give testimony concerning the
frauds practised by such companies, have
either declined or positively refused to appear
before the Commissioners TO CERTIFY" And it
lis added, that Many of the spectators
were persons, filing high offices in the States;
| in which the public lands purchased by them
are situated, and others possessing wealth
! and influence ,all of whom naturally united TO
render this Investigation odious among the
! people and III tins manner influenced nume-
! rous witnesses to refuse their testimony to
! facts within their knowledge, touching the
matters into which the Committee were in
! structed to inquire"
| They then go on to say, that the Commits
| sioners were in some instances threatened
! ,cith personal uiolence; that all who testified
were denounced and PIT an .ftar by those
whose conduct was the subject Of scrutiny
and that in one instance, The life Of one Of The
Commissioners ras attempted; which tailed,
but in the attempt the assailant lost his own
life.
These fraudulent practises have been car
, ried TO the greatest extent in Alabama, Mis-
sssippi, and Louisiana. In the first Of those
States it appears, that "an organized band OF
spectators has been formed, with a large
capital, on which Immense purchases have
been made of the public lands and Indian re.
servations, in the tracts of country lately ce.
ded to the United States by the Creek, Choc-
taw, and Chicasaw tribe Of Indians. The
first Proclamation of the President Of the u
States for the sales of the lands acquire,
from Creek Indians, by the late treaty will
| that tribe, was promulgated only four peek'
before the sales took place ; and, consequent
lily, the inhabitants of that country had 10 op
Iportunity of procuring the necessary funds
to purchase the small tracts of land which
they had settled and cultivated nor, indeed
did they know, with few exceptions, trhen ant
D tchere the sales took place"
II After reading this statement in the report
no person will be surprised to hear, "tha
!, none but spectators attended those sale,
and made purchases, and that so great wa
the sacrifices made in the sales for want o
: bidders. that n single section icds bid off at a
bout eight hundred dollars by the agent of
company, and sold on the nclt day for as ma
ny thousand dollars as ii had cost the purchase
| hnndreds."
@ That this department would prove, upon
thorough examination, to be thoroughly COZ
rupt, we have not for long time cntertaine
y doubt. This report will probably disclos
many facts and transactions which will cor
firm this belief Indeed, the few instance
;, contained in the part of the report which ho
been published, go far to establish the in
preston, that it is imbued with fraud frol
end 10 end.
But who can be surprised nt this, when
z is seen, that men are kept in offices of grei
;. importance, who are not only altogether NJ
fit for their places, but whose conduct prove
that little or 10 regard is paid to the laws, {