Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1851-07-10

We give below extracts from an article in the
Dubuque Herald in vindcation of the course of
the Surveyor General Of Iowa and Wisconsin a.
ga'nst the attacks of portion OF the newspaper
press OF Iowa. These attacks commenced we
believe with the Fairfield Lelrer;" whis pa
per; and it is the more gratifying that the defence
should come from democrat, the editor of a neu-
trail paper. We commend the remarks of the
Herald to those persons Of both parties who have
SO wantonly and unjastly, as we conceive con-
demned the acts Of the New Surveyor General.
THE SURVEYOR GENEnALsHIr.-We perceive
oy Tie political papers of the State, that the
course pursued by the new Surveyor General, G.
Is. Sargent, Esq, in the management Of his Of
nee, aud IN the dlspensation of surveying con-
tracts, is attracting much attention. and in some
quarters meeting with severe rcbuaue. We are
sorry 10 see This, as from all we can learn, we
cannot avo q the conviction that MIR Sargent is
actuated, in all that he has so far done, by SIM
cera desire for the pahlc good.
Setting aside the natural asperities manift sted
in some quarters, on the occas on of the removal
OF some half dozen clerks from the Office. we
come TO the Two osseas.bi., bones of contention
waeh are now engaging the at.sntioa OF the pa
pers above referred TO.
The Fairfield Ledger, wing Paper in the
southern portion of the State, first raised ,ne
question OF granting cont acts to any but .prac-
ucai surveyors. and quarrels with The Surveyor
General for giving contracts 10 George Mad sira,
ard Caleb II. Booth.
We are sorry we led the Ledger into the error
that Col Madeira had received a contract. bat as
we ourselves were innocent v;ctitns before him,
he and the rest Of mankind must forgive Us. Tue
Colonel is yet at Buena VISA. as happy aud as
h.,, lnN> ,t,l
he W.ll remain unconsractcd ictt, and uncontract-
cd for. HIS son Francis, whom we know Well.
and who is US spgigh'ly and intelligent young
gentleman as we have IN our vicinity, is out on
survey, and will doubtless make his returns in
good Tine and in good shape, and when the i'm
migrating swarms shall spread themselves upon
the lands which he marks out, our word for it,
the corners wiH be there.
Bat the Ledger tanks that Gen. Booth ought
no. to have received coatract, and Slames Mr.
Sargent for Svang him one. We ourselves
thought il was a ''ccnn- down. FOR the late
incumbent 10 seek OF his successor q share Of tae
Patronage OF the Office he had just been called up
on 10 leave, but when we learned from very
coed authority. that the giving of this contract
was spoataueoas act OF Kindness on The part Of
General Sargent, sp .ng,ng from and prompted by
the goodness OF us hear, -pro.iered as pledge
OF good feeling from one gentleman TO another.
without solicitation and without a susp cion that
his motives world be canvassed and miScaRstruci-
ei-we say when we were apprised Of this fact,
W. became perfectly recoaeiled tc its pfopriety,
aud we doubt not that upon learning the truth OF
the matter the opinions of or friend McCrany
Of The Ledger, w II be similarly mod fed.
The edi or Of the Express don't Ike it that the
Susveya, General has appointed Mr. W.ltse to ex-
anime the work of he Deputy Sarycrors as it
progresses in the fed, so there NAV BE- surety
that the work is well done before it is pad for.
We VIII not run the risk OF tie cha &c OF ''spn-
Ing t ont" by stopping 10 examine this questoa
hut WIZ mercy say that the few flcts whlca
have come to our knowledge are sufhc cnf to in
auce tne belief thai some such pan mus be adopt
ed in order to arrest the fraSi which has been
p-acticea by Surveyors upon The p lblic lands for
many wears back. Tho IS inds OF dollars have al
ready been app opriatcd By Congress for resnr-
ve,in- the public lands, N tferent parts Of The
United States, and if we are not errcCroaslv
mistaken, thousands more will be amp opcated
for re-sar-vevs in the very district Where Gene
raj Sargent is endeavoriag 20 introduce this re-
fofm.
The examination of the work In the field it
strikes US. will have tendency 10 correct the
these growing evils, and SO saiutary, IN oar opia-
ion will be its effects. hat we predict its univer-
sal adoption in every surveying district in the
United States. Had the plan been in operation
since The commencement of the public land sur
veys we doubs ios hut the gcnerai government
would have been spared the necessity of annual
appropriations of thousands of dollars for re-sur-
veying what has once been paid for from the pub
lie treasury.
We have taken up this subject, not from any
desire t. Join in what bids Fair to be newspaper
battle. but because it does not suit orr tempara-
ture to sit silent and witness an evident attempt
TO detract from .he merits of worthy nan, or
an indenendent and faithful public officer