Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1840-09-22


benefit, instead Of paying the public credl-
tors:
That he has used this sum Of money for
purposes for which he did not receive it,
and for this reason the legislative assembly
removed him from the Office OF fiscal agent.
That as the law officer Of the United
States for that territory, he gave an opin-
ion for which he charged, and has been
paid fee from the treasury of the United
States, on question which he procured to
| be raised relative TO the title OF the Terri
tory to the land upon which the public
| buildings are erected, when he was at the
same time the Attorney Of the persons who
set up a claim TO the land:
That under a resolution of the House,
he was instructed by the Secretary OF the
Treasury to make inquiry into and receive
evidence in relation TO charges made by
the inhabitants of The Mining District, that
the land officers had permitted many frau
dulent entries to be made Of the mines OF
Government; that he gave notice that he
would at Mineral Point on a certain day
attend for the purpose Of hearing their COM
| plants, and taking their aiIidavits; that he
! left the Territory before that day, and au-
| thdrized a man TO attend in his place, TO
perform duty which he could MT dele
gate, and who had been one Of the clerks
in the land Office at the time when it was
alleged that the frauds were perpetrated,
and who was therefore in some degree inn
| pliCated.
He has rc-appointed the Register Of the
| Land Office at Mineral Point, and still per-
| ssts in continuing him in that office, alter
! it was proved that he had sold the Oldest
and most valuable mines in the U. States
10 the person who is now the Surveyor Ge-
neral, to the connexions OF the Governor,
and to others; and that he had in repeated
instances permitted frauds of this charac-
ter to be pcrpctrated, violated the law and
the Presidents proclamation, and the OK
press Instructions of the Commissioner of
the General Land Office.
That numerous ailidovits are on file in
the Land Office which establish these facts
and they were reported to the House by
one of it's committees at the late Session.
That in the year 1887 a person was APP
pointed by the President to examine into
the conduct Of this officer, who in his re-
port says: al think the register cannot be
clearly convicted, by the evidence offered
70 me, that he positively knew that the
lands were valuable mineral lands at the
time Of permitting these entries, although
we'll known TO every one else. Nor have
had any evidence offered going to prove
that he was in any way benefited thereby
but think it was the duty Of the register
always, before allowing one party to enter
hot Of nc frfp In nd
before denied to another, to be sure to as
certain at least whel---.r tire first applicant
waived his claim or not THIS he has not
DONE
"Some of the lands reserved from sale
by the Presidents proclamation of May,
1885, have, in coutravention Of that proc
lamaton, been since sold at private sale.
"On looking over the instructions sent
from the General Land Office to Mr. Shell
don (the register November 9, 1886, !
perceive he is informed that the question
as TO admitting Mcssrs. Strong & CatIin's
application Ito enter II, 800 acres or not,
was then under consideration; and that he
is directed not to a2loto any Of these tracts
to be entered By other persons, until advi-
sed of the decision respecting the present
! uppllCdllOll' MISUNDERSTANDING tHiS fOSt-
TIVE ORDER, Mr.. Sheldon HAS SOLD l4,770
acres Of THIS IDENTICAL LAND"
And from pages and Of No. 10 Of
| the Documents Of the House, | make the
following extract in relation 10 this officer:
''He had the public lands cried for sale
in an unusual way, not authorised by law
or the terms Of the Presidents procIama-
ton, aud in such a manner that no person
could tell what tracts were offered for sale.
See the statement Of Col. J. II. Gentry,
and the affidavit of Charles Brackcn.
ale did not permit any person to bid on
the tracts reserved by the United States
Superintendent of the Mines on the day Of
sale, and afterwards swore that they had
been offered at the public sale. He enter
! cd some of these tracts himself, and allow
| cd other persons to make entries 3cho were
not the first applicants. See the state
mont of Col. Gentry; VESTS Report
297, page 357; the aflidavits of Joseph
Bailey, S. Oliver, X. II. Myers, and Will
liam Field.
ale has refused to allow prc-emtors TO
purchase the achole Of the quarters occu-
pied by them. because they contained min
eral, and afterwards allowed other persons
to enter the reserved parts of each quarter.
In these cases he decided that the United
States acdS a joint occupant, and granted
floating rights to the pre-emptorS in virtue
of this joint occupancy. (See the letters
of J. p. Sheldon to the Commissioner, Of
Nov. 30. 1884, and August 8, 1886; and
! bo of Oliver ! W., IE;oIl \