The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-03-28

thousand settlers on the Menominee purchase. -
Twenty thousand suits "Our army swore
terribly in Flanders"
We append to this article a statement of
lumber seized* and Of the indictments found, +
from which it appears that only five out OF the
hundreds who were obnoxious to punish
ment had been indicted, and that seizures Of
| timber had been made amounting to over nine
millions Of feet, found in the possession OF
some serentyJfour firms and individuals only,
averaging one hundred and twenty thousand
feet to each individual! And these are the
honest settlers, cutting little timber to i'm
prove their locations, over whose prosecutions
the Senators are SO lachrymose!
We also append an extract from the report of
the marshal to the solicitor,f from which it APP
pears that the persons in the possession Of the
lumber seized admitted that it had been taken
from the public lands.
From the same report it appears that the
lumber was bid in by the persons disseized, or
their agents, at mere nominal prices-the sawed
lumber averaging about twenty-five cents per
thousand feet, and the lumber in the log twelve
and half cents.
Does this look like disposition on the part
Of the Government or any of its officers to OPP
presseven these roaming depredators2 Had there
been such disposition, the Government might
have employed agents to attend the sales and
run up the bids to the value Of the lumber-to
thirty thousand dollars at least-whereas the
lumber went back to the original possessors for
less than three thousand dollars.
We append extractst from the testimony, on
which bills of Indictment were found against
the few persons mentioned; and these, too, we
suppose are the ''honest settlers" who share SO
largely in the affectionate sympathies of the
Senators.
Or a verify these Senators are hard to please.
They asked Of the Secretary that he should
I" order the marshal of Wisconsin to cease the
annoyance and embarrassments complained
Is OFF,
The Secretary informs them Z" that he will
cause specific instructions to be issued to the
marshal of Wisconsin to permit actual settlers
to take reasonable amount of timber for
their own use or for public Improvements. 7"
What more do the Senators desire? Do they
wish the settlers, to take unreasonable q,iaKti-
ties Of timber2 Notwithstanding the disavowal
by the Senators Of their sympathy for the
roaming trespasser, the refusal to be salts
fed with this liberal course of the Secreta-
ry subjects them to the suspicion that the dis
avowal is not sincere. These wealthy roam
ing land pirates, who manufacture millions of
feet of lumber stolen from the public land every
year, and who employ large gangs of laborers,
necessarily have influence and command votes.
The Senators, we apprehend, when they
penned these letters, thought more Of the bal
lot-box than the annoyances of the honest set
tiers Indeed, the Senators are the apoogists
of the trespassers. They say "a resident
settler may sell timber, either in the form of
8 logs or lumber, without being depredator
'on the public timber" The Senators are
speaking of unsurveyed lands. Their position
is as unsound, in point of morality, as it is in
that of law. In strict law, every entry on
unsurveyed lands is technical trespass.
The presumption laws do not apply to them.
According to the doctrine of the Senators, a
squatter may erect his shanty on section of
land, strip it of all its timber, and sell it to the
roaming timber pirates, who are able to own
saw-mills near his location, and from which they
can supply the markets Of Chicago, Milwau-
kie, &c., with lumber. Where is this to stop?
Having taken the most valuable pine timber
from one section, he will remove his hut to a
neighboring section, and go on plundering, totes
QUOTES, until he becomes gorged. He may
then erect mills for himself, and rival his
neighbors, who yearly manufacture their mil
lions Of feet of lumber. 1t is not quite fair for
these Senators to put words into the mouth of
the Secretary which he did not use. The Sec
rotary used the words sc lumber merchants and
spectators" But the terms "lumber depre-
dators," :" timber stealers," are not found in
his letter. We protest against attributing to
the Secretary any part of our editorial remarks
on the correspondence.
Lumber seized by the Marshal of Wisconsin admit
ted to haze been taken from the public lands in that
State az per his report February IL, 1851.
On the east and west branches of the two rivers
by Manelowock county: Feet of timber, l0O, 900;
logs, 5000; shingles, AS 600; single bolts, 257
cords-the 1000 owned by two persons
At the mouth Of Kenrawna river, Brown county:
2oO,OOO feet, owned Dy one man, and admitted
by him to have been taken from the public land.
On the Oconto river, Brown county: 100000
claimed by three persons.
At Fon du Lac 100000, in hands of some
twenty persons.
At Taychuda $50, 600, in hands of some three
persons.
At Oshkosh 2,445. 900, in hands of some nineteen
persons.
At Algoma 2,S1l 900, in hands of some twenty
six persons; amounting to s,O2s, 900. in hands Of
seventy four persons-ayeragc of each person moro
than 100 900.
Large quantities of other lumber seized in the
shape of shingles and shinglc bolts at the above
named places. are not embraced in the list.
Five indictments only have been found against
as many individuals.
1t was proved that one defendant was owner of
two saw. mills, with five saws, on the Oconto
river. Three fourths Of logs sawed at his mills
came from public lands. Defendant had some
twenty nine hands employed in cutting logs the
past season. The persons SO cutting do not reside
on the land. Best timber section land not worth
much when timber is off. During the winter has
thirty or forty hands employed. Ships his lumber