Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1848-04-07

calculations upon the richness of the
mines embraced therein; and law was
Immediately passed reserying them from
sale. In the following wear, 1904, our
| government, by treaty with the Sac and
Fox Indians, negotiated at ST. Louis by
General Harrison, acquired all the land
lying between the Illinois and Wisconsin
Rivers, and extending from the Mississip
/ pi East 10 Fox River. But many dis
putes having arisen among various tribes
IN regard to the cesSion offset, the U.
/ nlted States, by a treaty made in 1916.
ceded back 10 the Indians all the country
/ North of line running West from the
Southern extremity of Lake Michigan TO
the Mississippi River, with the exception
OF reservation of a league square at the
mouth of the Wisconsin River, and five
| leagues on or near 10 the Wisconsin and
| Mississippi Rivers, This last reservation
was intended TO cover certain lead mines
worked by the Indians, and known to the
| United States at the time of the purchase.
in 1904, and of which the government
had but very indefinite idea in 1916.
! After the acquisition of the country
! from the Indians in 1904, cmb7acin- the
| Fever River Mines, Congress passed q
! law, approved March Sd, 1907. rescrving
| the several lead mines therein from sale,
and authorizing the President OF the Uni
/ ted States to lease any lead mine that had
been, or might hereafter be discovered, for
Il term not exceeding five ycars.-Laws
United States, vol. w., page l37.-No
! leases, however were granted until 1922.
/ h., Il, !
J having been transferred from the Treasu-
! ~ to the War Department in 1921, leases
were granted January 18th, 1922, to some
! parties from Kentucky and Lieut.. Clark
Bardlne, of the army, was ordered BY the
/ Secretary of War to accompany them in
to the Upper Mississippi lead region, to
| assist them in their locations, and to af-
! ford them the necessary prOtection.-
! Such was the commencement of system
which grew up outside Of all law, and was
! subject to no control but the arbitrary
viii of the Secretary Of War. The du-
ties OF granting leases, collecting rents,
etc. instead of being confined to a Lieut.
OF the army, who It was supposed could
attend to them with but little expense 20
! the government, were finally extended to
uperintendents, special agents, clerks,
surveyors, draughtsmen attorneys, some
of which offices were mere sinecures, af-
fording snug places for favorites. In 1855
the system fell by its own weight, and
the government ceased to collect any
more rents; but upon the accession OF the
Tyler dynasty to power, in IS4l, unfor-
tunately both for the mining country and
the government, some keen-scented Of
| fce-seeker was attracted By the half-bur-
led remains Of the old system, which he
was authorized to exhume for the j." bene-
| fit OF all concerned" The consequence
was, that the system was rCsuscitated IN
more odious form than ever, and fastened
upon the people by a strong corps of Of
/ hcc-holders, all interested in perpetuating
it. Efforts for the sale of the lands. which
| had hitherto been made, but unsuccess-
| fully, were renewed; but an indistinct J.
/ dea of the great wealth of the mineral
country, and its Importance TO the govern
mant, prevailed with many members Of
/ Congress and that, with an under-current
! influence cmanating from some Of the
Bureaus Of the War Department. prevent
ed for many years the accomplishment of
an object so desirable. But the President
of the United States, in his annual mes
sage for 1916, called the attention of Con
gress to the system Of managing the min
eral lands of the United States, and rec
commended that theysshould be Sold
Judge Shields, then Commissioner of the
General Land Office, IN his able report,
exposed the iniquities and radical defects
of the system, and strongly urged upon
Congress an immediate and unconditional
sale of the lands. The subject, however, !
was taken hold Of in earnest in the Senate
of the United States in the session of
1856, by the Hon. Sidney Breesc, the !
present able and efficient senator from H. /
linois, to whose admirable an elaborate
report upon that matter am indebted for
many facts stated herein 1t is astonish- /
ing how system Of no benefit to the gov (
eminent, but so positively injurious to ali /.
the interests of the country and of the /
people, could have been 50 long tolerated. !
The Committee Of Public Lands in the .
Senate, in their report, submitted by Judge /
Breese, as above stated, after abiding to .
the commencement Of the leasing system f.
in 1922, 90 on to state
From tins small beginning has arisen
a vast and expensive system, creating /
great observation-disclosures more |.
than a million Of acres of most valuable /
public land from sale and permanent set
Element, and promoting in no particular, /
in Inc opinion Of the committee, any I
one important national interest. Such is /
the extent of the system with no laws TO /
regulate it, that, up to this time. two thou
sand and ninety three leases have been f.
granted of which, five hundred and oigh-