The republic., 1851-03-18
spoIi.tion OF tho Public Domain.

Acting ChtSf Cterk.
spoIiation OF tho Public Domain.
Having understood that letter had been ad-
dressed to the Secretary Of the Interior, by the
Senators from Wisconsin, touching certain acts
Of the marshal of that State in reference to the
timber of the public domain, we applied yes
terday at the Department for copy Of the COM
munication and the reply Of Mr.. STUART, with
which we have been obligingly furnished. Mr..
STUARr's reply, Incorporating the letter of the
Senators from Wisconsin, will be found below.
1t will be seen that the honorable Senators
marshal has been seizing logs and lumber be-
longing to actual settlers; and they desire to
know if it is the design of the Government to
subvert all the benefcent ends of the pre-emp-
ton system. Now, we submit that, if they
had really entertained apprehensions of the ex-
istence of such design on the part of the
Government, it was their duty to call the at
tenton of the country to the fact in their places
in the Senate, and not satisfy themselves with
writing letter to the Secretary of the Interior,
on the eve of the adjournment of Congress-
Were they unwilling that the facts should be
inquired into? Were they afraid that the true
state of the case should be made manifest to
the country? Did they know that the marshal
was not interfering with the proper use of the
lumber and logs by actual settlers, but was only
arresting wholesale spoliation of the public
landsby persons from a distance, strangers, mere
ly temporary visitors on timber-stealing expedi-
tions2 If such was not the nature of their infor-
nation; if they were really in possession Of facts
which led them to suppose that the Executive
wasacting an injurious or oppressive part toward
the actual settlers, it is difficult to imagine any
excuse for their neglect to move in the most
direct and efficient manner for the redress Of
the grievances Of their constituents.
1t would seem that the honorable Senators
cannot believe the allegations of their letter,
cannot be in possession of any evidence to sus-
tain them; or they would not have failed to
cause the proper investigation to be made in
the proper way. We are not surprised, there
fore, that they should have made their insolent
communication to the Secretary just in season
to run away from the answer, and to evade
rely to substantiate their broad and sweeping
accusation. Indeed, we are constrained to be-
lieve that they must know perfectly well there
is no just foundation for their protest, and no
reason whatever to lead them to credit the
charge which they make against the Execu-
tive But they know also that they have
selected topic for their communication, on
which they can play the demagogue to the
top of their bent; and we should not be much
surprised if they should really attempt to show
TO the robbers of the actual settlers that they
much abused individuals. Such would seem
the intention to be gathered from their extraor-
binary letter to the Secretary of the Interior !;
which for coarseness of imputation cannot easily
be matched, we apprehend, in the correspon-
dence of the Department.
Letter from tho Secretary OF the Interior TO
the Senators from Wisconsin.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INrBaIon,
WAsHINeToN, March Is, 1851.
GENTLEMEN: have the honor to acknowledge
the receipt of your letter of the l4th instant which
seems to have been written just on the eve Of your
departure from this city, at the close of the session
port and general tone of that letter, take the lib
erty of quoting it in full before reply to it.
"On the late Mcnomince purchase in the State of
Wisconsin there now settled and residing
| some twenty thousand people The Government
has established there several post offices. The
State government has organized within that dis
trict, or embracing il, several counties. These
settlers ready, willing, and anxious to pur-
chase the land which they reside; but il is not
yet surveyed, and has not been brought into mar
| ket They we're encouraged to make their settle
nents by the known and long established policy of
the Government as regards pre-emption rights,
| hoping that when the land should be surveyed,
they would be treated as other settlers have al
ways been treated, and allowed to acquire the
title TO their homes and Improvements; being in
the mean time permitted to avail themselves Of
the usual privileges of the settler ms regards tim
Der, that they might live and improve their homes
and farms But what has been and s their astonish
ment to find that, after making their settlements
or locations, it has suddenly become the practice,
If not the policy Of the Government, TO cut them of
from and deprive them Of all timber and lumber
| privileges; without which not house, not even
| post office for tho Government, can be built
| not fence made, bridge constructed; with
out which, in short, they cannot live upon,