The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1847-12-10


Canal Pre- .Tn,p'i"n >eiice.
Our readers win find in onr odver''s'n!
,.,,u,, To-day the r.,le. and rrgnlaiion'
.,,,,.d nv the boari cf Trustees OF the Hi
mi, and Michigan canal. under which SCI
,,.,, y, canal l,nds are 10 prove mp Their
nr.. empiion claims. Weinser, them gr0fis
for the information Of our readers Bv
very small piece Of small potato prescription
we are not permitted TO receive pay for m
scrtinr this notice. although cre'y Other pa
n,- ON the whole line Of canal is paid for in
.cr,inri il. We have stood alone among the
,,ncr, IN the line of canal in defending the
settlers AMI the state from the plnnderng
.cbcmes orthe canal board. and this little ad-
yertisinc patronage is withheld from us to
punish our temerity and to awe us into 81
lence. lis no, the first time We have been
thus prescribed, and VIC are given TO under
stand that unless we shall fall in with tho
plnndering schemes Of the canal board, or at
least keen silence in reference to them, this
nroscriptiDn will he continued. Well, let
them come on. We know not whether the
silence OF the support of other papers has
been subsidized in this way. but it the ,r,is-
tees and their undcrStrappcrs think they can
drive Ms from defence Of the rights Of the
settlers. and from exposing their plunderng
t,u n
from us a few paltry dollars, they are mis-
taken. We have got along so far without
their pclf, aud cherish hopes of being able TO
survive little longer. We owe duty TO
the State, to the settlers on canal lands, and
10 the opacrs Of improvements upon canal
lands, and we are net going 10 be brow
beaten or sophisticated aud suborned from
the discharge Of that dnty. We have no
donb, il we nd recommended the pre-cmr-
ton claimants to comply with this infamous
budget of .'rules" which we publish to-day,
we should have been paid for inserting them.
Bat we have denounced them. aud we de-
nouncc them again, a an attempt, villain
Gus as il is unbllshng, ~ S,rinGls the own
era Of improvements on canal lands who do
not reside upon them, totally. aud the actu-
nj settlers partially, out oftheir property. 1t
is IA scheme deep and cunning enough 10
have been devised By Oily Cannon HIM
self, TO excuse the land spectators, among
whom d. Leavitt is chief, To BID upon all
improved canal lands wi ere the owners Of
the improvements do not personally reside
upon the lands, or where the actual settlers
cannot come up to every punc'ilio of a hall
column Of illegal and unauthorized rules. e.
Let any one look a; this infamous order.
BY it none but actual settlers upon canal
lands (not LOTS and who became such pre-
vious to Dec. 1872, can have any emp
ton claims whatever. Yet the law gives
such a right to the orne,s Of improvements
upon lands and lots, whether actual settlers
or not, and to settlers upon lois rs well as
lands. And then whence, ia heavens name.
do this board OF trustees derive the power 10
say that the oa.hs Of iro credible witnesses
shall be necessary to establish the fact of
residence, or to Prescribe rules of evidence
in any case whatever? Why, they would
have more evidence 10 establish fac, in
volvins few dollars, than is necessary 10
hang a man! The whole thing is devised
asa cloak for swindling, and is as unauthor-
lied as it is impudent. We have already
stated, and we state again, that the settlers
are not bound to pay the leas. attention to
these rules; that, according to the decision
of Judge Mclean, the question a, to what
does or does not constitute 4 presumption
right, is ono for our courts to decide, and
not the board of trustees, and if any rules of
evidence are to be prescribed to prove up
these rights, Of course Il will be the business
OF the courts to make these rnles.