Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1850-06-06

af@' ISAAC COOK, Of Linn County.
For Asdiior Of State.
WILLIAM H. SEWERS, OF Mahaska County.
as =. For TSssssrer Of State,
sE EVAN JAY, Of Henry County.
S. For 7ye4ssrer Of Board Of Public Works,
M JAMES NORsLER, OF Wapello Co.
wAig Csnsressionai Ticket.
~ .k@F4%* Second Districs, "a
Col. WILLIAM H. HEN DERsoN, of Johnson Co.
&7 I s1& FIRST userjrf, .#
GEORGE g. WRIGHT, of Van Buren, Co.
-~~~>A~~~~~~~~~~~
svOwing to the storm Of last evening una
be y psocars Tslsgraphic despatchss.
The Des Moines River Grans.
AN ACT granting certain lands the Territory efIews
aid in the improvement Of the navigation Of the De-
Moines river, in said Territory.
Be q enscseS BY the Senate and House Of Rtprestn.
tafives If tie United Sfafes Of America in Coagresi
assembied, That there be and hereby is granted 10
the Territory OF Iowa. for the purpose of aiding said
Territory TO improve the navigation Of the Des
Moinss river from its mouth to the Racoon Fork,
re- callsd in said Territory, equal moiety, in
unsold, and not otherwise disposed OF, incumbered
or appropriately in strip five miles in width on
each side OF said river to be selected within said
Territory BY agent or agents to be appointed by
the Governor thereof, subject to the approval of
the Secretary Of the Treasury of the United States.
Approved, August 8, 1886.
The above IL the nrst section OF the oct, approx
ed August 9Th, 1886, granting to the Territory of
Iowa the lands therein described. There seems to
be Determination on the part of our Locofoco OPP
ponenss to make a. much as they possibly can Of
political capital out Of the decision Of Secretary
Ewing in relation to the precise extent of this grant,
We DO mot nsw remember. and perhaps we never
knew, who has the distinguished homer Of having
conceived the terms in which it is couched. Per-
haps, and most probably, that eminent gentleman,
Mr. Dodge, will acknowledge its paternity, and, if
20, b may be able TO say what limit if any, was in
tended to be assigned.
Il 10 said that Mr. Walker gave an Interpretation
70 the act. II he did have never seen it, and we
shall not believe he did until we are shown it upon
better authority than has yet been produced upon
this important fact. Had he done SO, it cannot be
doubted that his opinion would long since have
been blazened in the talest kind Of capitals, upon
every locofoco sheet in the State.
nis said, too, that Mr. Ewing's interference was
ofhcious and Unauthorized, when il appears from
the correspondence which Messrs Jones and Dodge
have chosen to make public, that they were them.
selves guilty Of eliciting it BY appealing to him
from the decision Of Commissioner Butterfield. II
he had no authority to decide. why did they ask for
his decisionf If he was bound by decision Of Mr.
walksfs Why 1id they not sAeH point il out to him
r thers Sss sasl asci;son, r nsf thlsr ..,s>e..
upon il, Che strongest possible evidence Of design
70 entfsp him into an opposite one9 If there was
none-~hich We affirm until the contrary be shown
-then the argument based upon that ssertion-that
MI Swing was bound to follow it, not only falls to
the ground, but establishes exactly tho contrary,
that Messss Jones and Dodge, and the whole batch
Of kindred worthies, must submit to Mr. Eving's
decision, and forever henceforth hold their peace.
Now, the gentlemen may take either horn Of the
dilemma they please. They mag plead guilty to an
intention 10 ensnare Mr. Ewing, and as they suppos
ed, minister little more to their affection for
.sBuncombe,'' or they must acknowledge that the
decision complained OF was authoritative and bind
ing upon them. FaFF's8S5s
But perhaps we ought to examine what is Mr.
Ewing's Interpretation OF the act, and how he COM
mupicates TO worthy loco Senator's. Oul read
era will remember that Ill we say upon this point
10 based upon their own assertion, and, as usual,
may be either true or false. Well, then, Mr. Ewing
is written to by the two senators from Iowa. His
attention is called to the fact that certain lands w.
ing above Racoon forks, which they assume to have
been granted to Iowa, are advertised for SALE and
portion Of them sold by the agents Of the United
Ssates-and he is requested TO prevent any such
sales in future. Mr. Ewing replies that he has ex.
anined the act Of August sth and of the opinion
that u grants no hand above that point but that if
the Senators Of Iowa think differently, he will not
permit any more of the lands claimed to be PLACED
in market until the Senators have time and oppor-
tnity 70 the passage Of an explanatory act.
Hthe act was intended, ~ the senators maintain,
70 extend the grant the whole length Of the Des
Moines river, that intention 10 well known ia the
Senate composed of majority Of the members at
the time the grant was made. and bitter enemies
q M Ewing, a. even tho Joneses and Dodges Of
Iowa can desire.
NOW We do not express any opinion as to the in
depreciation to be put upon the Statute. Our in
clination leads to wish that the grant should be
construed as literally as possible in favor Of In.
Ssats. We desire the Des Mones Valley to have
III the advantages Of the improvement contemplat
sdand &c Is much Of the public lands az NAV be
aessnageousiy disposed OF for that purpose. And
While ye will not aid abet in spreading .ny mis-
representations Of the law Of the land, or do auxht
sut eetend an officer Of the government in the pro.
PEI asscnssge Of his duty,we will at all times be
Jealous ~ our exertions to secure such annronr;.
tons Of the public lands as may prove beneficial 10
the State. $50 #ss
AS to the fIs. created BY these political gambler.
who profess 20 much interest in this matter. from
Dodge and Jones, down to the smallest OF them All,
it has ito foundation only in the hope Of iniuen
the people Of the Valley in the coming election
Our admirable Senator'S have not attempted, no,
viii they attempt, to have the statute explained by
those who made it. They do notintend to question
Mr. Ewing's decision, anywhere but upon the stump.
n the matter were very plainly and palpaby upon
their side, Il would have been made 10 decisiyelv
long before this. y ,tts,stH
Compare the conduct of Mr. Ewing with that Of
these grambling demasogues. He has plainly stated
what his Interpretation Interpretation drawn
not only nom the statute, but from the report Or
The committee which reported the bill. But, with
J commendabie regard to the interest Of low, he
nstrscts The Commissioned to reserve all the lands
disputs aAtil the discrimination Of Congress upon
hs subject ~ Be manifested. In Congress. the
'arty cpposSd % him, and to which Messrs Jones
Nd Dodge belons,is In the majority. II il ever
Intended ~ 10 asserted, to conles as much land as
hese gentlemen claim, they cannos hes,tase to affirm
'hatthst iatsstioa was. orifthey re ns.c willing
,.nalfe Il % extensive, they cansasi,y do col
|oosss Qodeo and Jones are quite sansuina :. Ia