Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1840-09-21

ernor aud to others and that he had in repeated
instances permitted frauds of this character d be
perpe'rated, violated the law and the Presidents
presentation, and tho express instructions of the
Commissioner Of the General Land Office:
mat humorous afiidavits are on file in the Land
Ofhce winch establish these facts, and they were
reported to the House by of its commits ees at
the late session:
That in The year ls37 person was appointed
ny lie PRESIDENT to examine into the conduct Of
THIS Officer, who in his Report says: II think tho
register cannot be clearly cOnuictedby the evidence
offered to me, that he positively knew that the
lands were valuable mineral lands at the lime of
permitting these entries, although knOtCn 10 almost
every one else. Nor have | had any evidence of
tered going to prove that he was in any way BEN
Gifted thereby; but think IL tcds The dnfy OF the
register always before allowing one party to fter
upon his oath, or that of his friends, lands befare
denied to another, TO be sure to ascertain at least
whether The first applicant waived his claim or
not. This he has not done.
" Some Of the Ldnds reserved from sale By hePres.
'dent proclamation of May, 1885, hare, IN copt,a-
rem ion Of that proclamation been since sold al pr-
"On looking over the instructions sent from tire
General Land Office to Mr.. Sheldon (ihe register)
Nov. 81 1885, perceive he is informed that The
question rs TO hdugttng Messrs. Strong and Cat
Inns application to enter 77,220 ncres] or not was
then under consideration aud that he is directed
other persons, until advised of The decision respec-
ting the present application. Notwithstanding this
positive order, Mr. Sheldon has sold 40 acres of
This hcntcat land"
And from pages and of No 10 Of tie Doc
unleDts of the House, make the following ex-
tract in relation to this officer: "
lie had the public lands cried for sale in an,
unusual way, not authorized by law.or the terms
OF the Presidents proclamation, and in such
manner that no person could tell what tracts
offered for sale. see the statement of Col. J.
II. Gentry, and the affidavit Of ClmiIes Brackenl
ale did not perlnit any person to bid oil the
tracts reserved by the United States Superinteud-
ent of the Mines on the day of sale, and after
wards swore that they had been offered Mt the
public sale. He entered some of these tracts
himself, ami allowed other persons to make en-
tries tchJ icere mt The first applicants. See he
statement of Col. Gentry; Vests Report, Doc.
297, page 357; The aiiidavits of Joseph Bailey, >.
Oliver, r. II. Myers and William Field.
He refused to allow pre.emptors TO pure has3
the t0hote of the quarters occupied by them, be-
cause they contained mineral, and afterwards al
lowed other persons to enter the reserved parts of
each quarter. In these eases he decided that the
United States was JOINT occupant, and granted
floating rights to the pre- emptOrs in virtue OF this
Joint occupancy. see the letters of j. p. Shell
don to the Commissioner, OF Nov so, 1894, aud
August g. 1885, and the alidavts oil =. Oliver
and VIM. Field.1
"Ile sold in the year 1886, Two years after his
appointment, lead mines which had been known
and worked from the year 1927; which had well
died. millions of pounds of mineral, and were ac-
tualy worked a, the time Of sale. See the aft
davis Of \. II. Gilmore, n. White Lyslnder
Gilmore, J. NJ. Srne!ser, Abner Carson, c. Brark-
EN-, w. Davidson, J. G. Browner and BR. Glllelt.1
He sold AT various times, and in one instance
to himself, mineral lands which were returned to
him by respectable citizens containing mineral
NM on rnu MI
to make the entries SEQ the preceding atfida-
Wits, and also those of Col. VIM. S. Hamilton.
Solomon Oliver, aud R. H. Myers.
" He sold to others several tracts, which were
held and worked, under permits granted6yhe Lead
mine Agent, at the time Of sale and had been 90
occupied from the year 1897. See utfidavts of
A. NJ. N'avllIe A. Lnoney, A. Bean, W. 5. Bean,
q. SalIee; Document No. -, pages 6, 7, and s
lie sold several mineral tracts, and also lands
claimed 10y ple-enptorS, after the applications had
been referred to the Commissioner OF The General
Land Office, ami before his decision and contrary
to his express Instructions See Vests Report
and Doc; letter OF Strong and Chlin; also, pa
pers in the case OF Brucken aud Parkinson and
The letters of the Commissioned
"The Grand Jury presented ibis officer in TIE
following language: 'We the Grand Jury for the
County of Iowa. .Ic present. that The practices in
the Registers Office at this place are such as to
bold out strong inducemcnt for the commission
OF the crime OF peVuy A.C. Dodge, Foreman"
These facts, which were duly laid before the
President, are now submitted to you, that you may
determine whether he has faithfully performed his
duty.
For this neglect and disregard ct the interests
of the Territory and of the General Governments
and tor these gross acls Of mai administration, the
Executive alone is responsible. DISTINGUISHED IS
we are, we canno; forget that we are still Ameri-
can freemen. When our petitions have been spurn-
ed by The rulers you have set over us, because we
have no voice M the party pollIics of The country
when those rulers have hlled offices with
political mendicanls from other States, having Ho
knowledge OF, or interest in common with us il
is our right, 10 address ourselves 10 you, tho only
source OF power, and ask a redress of grievances.
J. d. DOTY.
New York Sept. 7, 1870.
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