Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1850-07-25


We are under obligationsto Mr. Miller, who pro-
cured at the General Land Office and placed in our
pos session, certified copies Of the doc uments
file in that office connected with the Des Moines
river Grant. These documents prove conclusive
y that Gen Dodge betrayed the interest," of the cit
liens of the Des Moines valley in the very COM
moncement Of this matter, and has been ever since
attempting to humpug them with the assertion that
he was their devoted friend.
On the 18th January, A. d. 1886, Gen Dodge's
Bill for the Grant was referred to the Committee
Publ Lands.
2Sth CONGRESS, LIST SESSION. II. n. l06.
JANUARY Is, 1916.
Mr. Dodge, on leave introduced the following bill:
GA BILL
Granting certain lands to the Territory Of Iowa. to
aid in the improvement OF the navigation of the
Des MONIES river in said Territory.
Be enacted by the Senate and House of Represent
atires Of the United States Of America Congress
scmbied, That there be, and hereby is, granted to
the Territory Of Iowa, for the purpose Of aiding
said Territory to improve the navigation OF the Des
Moines river from its mouth to the Racoon Fork,
$50 called,) in said Territory, one moicty of the
public lands, (remaning unsold, and not otherwise
disposed OF, encumbered,or appropriately in strip
five miles in width each side of said river; to he
selected by an agent or agents to be appointed BY
the governor Of said Territory, subject to the ap
prevail of the Secretary the Treasury Of the Uni
ted States.'
The two remaining sections are not material to
this question.
This Bill was subsequently reported By the COM
mttee, and it passed into law with the granting
section in Gen. Dodsc's own language, with the
addition by the Committee of the words .withn
the Territory Of Iowa. to exclude the lands in Mis-
souri,. While the bill IN the hands Of the COM
mittee, Gen. Dodge, in reply to an inquiry on his
part, received letter from James Shields, Com
missioner Of the Land Office, of which this 10
copy:
General Land Office, May s, 1876.
to state that the amount of unsOld land within five
miles on each side Of the Des MOines river from
its mouth to the Racoon fork, proposed to be grant
ed to the Territory Of Iowa. by House bill No. LOG,
10 estimated at 26i 900 acres.
There have been sold in the Territory Of Iowa,
to the LIST Of January 1886, acres, and the
amount Of purchase money received by the United
States to the Nsme date, is 2,ls4,io2.
Very respectfully, your obeaient servant,
JAMES SHIELDS, Commits sloner.
Hon. A. c. DODGE,
House of Representatives.
This letter was handed to the committee and
they annexed and made it part OF their report. In
this report they also say that the amount is less
than that granted to several Of the western states
and territories FOR similar purposes.
ssThe grant efland provided by the bill which &C
Companies this report is similar in its character
and object to many heretofore made by Congress
to several Of the western states and territories,
ana at the same time is less in amount but is be-
ieved will be sufficient to accomplish the desired
improvements
This would not have been true had it extended
to the source Of the river. Now with this view Of
the extent Of the Grant expressed by the Commits
sioner Of the General Land Office, and the ocofOcO
committee Of which Mr. McClernaad was chairman,
Gen Dodge advocated the bill, and claimed the ev-
eriastng gratitude ofthe people of the Des Moines
valley ior securing its passage. Why did he not
object TO this limitation, Of the Commission and
the Committee, to the Racoon forks9 WHY did he
not assert that he did not intend that his bill should
be 90 construed Why did he not procure its
amendment 50 that 1t would clearly express that
the grant was to extend to the sources of the river?
. Why did he scquiesce in this estimate and sdvo.