Wisconsin herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1846-1849, 1847-02-20
Memorial
To Congress reiafiUe 10 the sale o.
certain lands.

Congress assembled:
The memorial Of the Council and
House Of Representatives of the
Legislative Assembly of Wisconsin,
respectfully represents:
That by the late proclamation issued
by the President of the United States.
for the sale of lands in the Mineral
Point land district, in The territory Of
Wisconsin. to be held at Mineral
Point, on the 24th day of May next, n
large number of tracts Of land are pro-
claimed for sale. which were entered
at the Mineral Point land Office sever.
nj years ago, some Of them as early as
1884, in accordance with the laws OF
the United States regulating the sales
Of the public lands. Some OF the said
lands we're entered by prc-empiion and
some we're purchased at public sale, at
prices ranging from one dollar and
twenty five cents to sixty dollars per
acre. The principal value of these
lands at present has been given TO them
in many cases by the labor and i'm
proyemonts by the pioneer settlers Of
the country, who came TO the country
at an early day and were exposed to
al the hardships and privations pecu-
liar to the settlement of a new and
wild country. Those privations and
hardsh;ps can be appreciated by those
and those only who are acquainted
with the nature and character Of saw
age and uncivilizcd Indian tribes, with |
which Wisconsin, in the days Of the
early settlement Of this portion of the /
country was filled. These settlers
have by their own hands subdued the (
forest, cultivated the prsirics, opened /
the mines, constructed roads, &c., and
have thus done much and every thing
towards developing the rich resources
Of the country and paving the way
for the unparalleled growth and set
Element Of the richest portion OF the
hitherto public domain of the United
States.
In other instances these same lands
have been sold and transferred by the
have purchased in good faith and paid
large considerations for Improvements
thereon, and from time 10 time have
made further and other valuable inn
provements, equal in many instances
To five times at least the original value L
Of the land. These lands so entered
and transferred from individual TO in
dividual. in some cnses many times.
and by deeds of warranty, are now of
fered for sale second time under pro-
lacmation.
As the most injurious and disastrous
consequences would result to large
and respectable portion of the citizens
Of Wisconsin, il the lands entered and
paid for should again be disposed of at
public sale, the legislative assembly OF
the territory of Wisconsin deem il an
act Of duty 10 the people residing in
said district to address your honorable
body in their behalf.
Your mcmorialis,s regard the wei
fare Of any orc portion of the territory
asintimately connected with the growth
and prosperity oil the whole, and
therefore that whatever concerns the |
prosperity of the people of the wcs-
tern par, Of the territory affects more
or less all other portions Of the, terri
tory.
OF the highest importance TO the
settlers Of the country is the tenure by |
which they hold their leases. IL the
tenure be fixed, stable aud permanent,
industry is encouraged. permanent and
valuable improvements are made, and |
a settled aud thrifty population occupy
the SOIL
II there have been occasional in
stances of fraud in the entry of lands
offered for sale, il is respectfully sug-
gested that the judicial tribunals Of the
land are alone the proper tribunals to
investigate such matters aud apply the
proper remedy, and that again TO ex.
pose to sale the lands embraced in
said proclamation which have been
once entered, without such entries hay
ing been set aside rs fraudulent by
decree Of competent judicial tribu-
nal. would be making the innocent
purchaser suffer from the acts of the /
fraudulent, and would be iraught with
injustice aud ruin TO large number
who have violated no law, and who
are not obnoxious to the slightest
charge Of having annoyed or deirauded
the government. Ii the object Of the
contemplated sale be to reach cases of
fraud in the entry Of these lands, the