Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1843-01-10

Of the Hon. WILLIAM s. HAMILTON, of
IOao0 county, on the Resolution to appoint COM
mittec to draft Memorial to the President ot'Me
United States praying for REMOVAL OF J..
ID. DoTY, FROM THE OFFICE OF GOVERNOR OF THE
TERRITORY; in Ac House Of Representatives.
December 8, 1912
Mr.. SPEAKER:-As I am the mover of
the resolution for the appointment of COM
mttee to draft Memorial to President
Tyler, for the removal of James ID. Dotv,
from the Office Of Governor Of this Terri
tory; it will be expected that should give
my reasons for offering it. | am aware
mat tlTe f1icIIls II governor VIII charge
my opposition to personal hostility, to the
excitement ofthe moment, because the gov
ernor has refused to meet the Legislature
at this time; but hope 10 satisfy all who
hear me, that have other and better ground
for my opposition, than personal hostility,
or momentary excitement.
But sir, why should we pass this resolu-
ton; and afterwards the memorial that is
to be introduced by that committee? In ad-
dltlon to this late act of bare-faced despot-
ism, his past life shows him totally unfit
for the station of governor which he now
occupies. The history of the man since
he first came into the Territory, | now
propose to give; and | would that he heard
me, as some who still, for some selfish
motive cling to him, hear. That history |
shall review with truth, referring gentle
men TO the proofs in support OF my re-
marks.
He started in his Ubiquitous course at
, Green Bay as one Of the Judges of the then
territory Of Michigan, SO early as 1885,
During his pcregrinations through the ter
| rltory as Judge, he formed acquaintance,
and became the agent of u large number
OF the old French inhabitants Of Prairie du
CHEN and Green Bay. He was, as such
Judge, charged before President Jackson,
as having attempted to defraud the general
| government in relation to certain land
claims at Prairie du Chen and Green Bay.
! lie had prevailed on several native French
men to employ him as their agent to pro-
! cure the patents for their lands, allowing
him the eXhorbitant fee of one-fourth of
any claim he might procure. To secure
his fee, he took care to draw up deeds in
| his own hand writing, conveying TO him
self the undivided one fourth part of any
tract he might procure for the claimants,
| having the tracts SO numbered as to cores
pond with the surveyed plat Of the tract,
and to secure the tract on which the clai-
mants were respectively located; and pro-
curing the signatures Of the claimants to
these deeds in due form, he had them re-
corded in the registry of deeds of Brown
| county; whore they can be found at this
| day. In the execution of this his nefarious
scheme of delrauding the general govern
mcnt, and cheating the ignorant natives out
OF their Just rights, and not content with
the eXtrayagant fee he had charged, this
judicial attorney selected two honest but
ignorant natives, by the name of Joseph
Bosyert and Francis Medium, as the in
struments Of his crimes. From these men
he procured two deeds in their own proper
names. Then changing their names to Jo-
Seph Greenwood and Francis Laventurc,
he procured two other deeds; all of which
can be recorded at Green Bay. In the
same duplicate manner he drew up the APP
| pllcatlons and other papers necessary TO
| procure the grant for these men, and leav-
ing the Courts, he left the Territory, and
set out for Washington City, with them in
his pocket. He was allowed to carry this
matter SO far as to procure the Introduction
OF bill into Congress confirming the four
CLAIMS to the two men, when the whole
matter was exposed, and the matter then
slept. But the transaction meeting the ears
OF General Jackson, he refused TO reap
point him to the office Of Judge when his
term Of office expired short time after
This was among his first acts, and showed
plainly that he is kNAVE and SCOUN-
DREL.
But, sir, have not done with this Uni
ted States Judge. In his capacity ofiudge
he was guilty of crimes, that ought to
stamp him with eternal intamy and dis
grace, and caused him to be held in detes-
tatlon and contempt by the honest and good
OF mankind. | pass over the escape of
certain Indian murderer, from Justice, and
the grant of an island at the foot of Lake
Winnebago, made by the Indians to Judge
Doty soon after. | pass over this matter,
yelled in so much mystery, and come next
to 4 transaction at Prairie du Chen. As
Judge of the United States district court,
he approved the bond of John Hays, the
sheriff Of Crawford county; when by the
law Of the Territory of Michigan, the APP
prevail must be made by the judges of the
county court. This is not all, Hays became
delauter, and his bail were prosecuted
in Iowa county on the bond Doty had thus
approved, and caused to be filed among
the arc hives Of the court. The judicial
attorney, having lost the ermine, appeared
for the defendants, and plead the very fact,
that the approval being illegally rendered
void the bond, as a reason why the plaintiff
should not recover. But in the course of
the trial, another far more startling fact
was discovered, it there appeared not only
that Doty had no right to receive and ap-
..ra.o lie hnnI Of the sh riff uavSA h,,t