The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1853-02-23

= communication published In lhs Express Oh r e
:, i ruary 2nd, signed "Dubuque.' wish to ca
, not only the attention of "Dubuque," bu. II
public generally, 10 the Act Of Congress, TO la
!, off the City of Dubuque, and other Towns ther'
!, in mentioned. BY referring to page 535, of III
code of Iowa, they will fad in the latter part {
section First, a proriso, resrrving from sale
i the squares laid oa. by the public prior TO IA
\ Act granting one entire section to the city
: Dubuque will here insert that provso 70
their information: Sand provided, further, tn
quantity Of land, of proper width, on the Rive
banks, al the towns of Fort Madison, Bellevue
Burlington, Dubuque and Peru, and running
with the said river, the whole length Of salt
Towns shall be reserved from sale, Gas shall als'
the Public Squares,l fer public use, and remalr
forever for public use as public highways ant
sor other public uses Now it is clear, tina
the title TO all the squares at that time laid out
and held prior to the passage Of this act, were
reserved forever for public use. Consequently
the title rever,s to the government, when moi
applied to the use specified in the Act
1t will be seen by referring to the amendment
10 this law, that it was made the duty of the Com
missioners appointed by the President OF the
/ United States, as authorised in the same amend
ment, tc superntend the laying off, or surveying
os the several towns before mentioned, and the
law also required the said Commissioners TO
AXE solemn oath, for the faithful performance
of their duties, having respect to public as well as
private rights.
There were four squares originally laid out by
the public for public use, viz: the Grave Yard
and Square Of ten acres, where the Court
House now stands, another where the old Jail
stands, and that between Bluff and Locust Sis.'
opposite the stone Church. The ten acre square
was intended to be offered as an inducement 10
bring the Capitol Of the State to this place, or,
that should ia il, for any other use, the public
m,ght desire, that where the old Jail stands, ior
Court House, and that between Bluff and Lo
Gust S,s., for Seminary. That between Blum
and Locust Streets is the only square but what
has been taken entirely or curtaled by Com
missioner Corriell, and used for his benefit
How MIR, Correll can reconcile his oath as q
Commissioner, with his determination to un-
lawfully curtail the limits OF the Grave lard' is
beyond my comprehension.
The first n,imation the public had OF this un'
lawful claiming Of what should be the last rest,
ing place OF the dead, was klr. john flumoe
tearing away thefence, ,as he said, by order OF Inc
CITY Council. There are many here now, VINO
will remember what followed. 1t was with con
siderable difficulty the enraged community could
be restrained from tarng aud featherng Piumbe.
As soon as it was known what was going on, a
large meeting assembled at the Catholic Church
for the purpose of expressing their indignation
and putting a stop to such villainous proceed
np: There were several speeches made. re-
member, among those who spoke, Judge Wilson.
Corrie!l says he was not here at the time; that
he was off on business, l suppose with his
Nephew. Before the meeting broke up, money
was raised to buy nails to replace the fence
around the Grave Yard, and was done the ne xt
day and has so remained until The present City
Council ordered the fence torn down and put
around what is now called the graveyard proper
1
for every inch taken off the grave yard has
been fraudulently obtained. 1t is said that
portion has been transferred to Bishop Loras,
whithout his knowledge of its encroaching on
the grave yard. The Bishop by making full
tatement of the facts on the subject, will con-
fer favor on the public. Any one can see by
referring 10 the books in the Registers Office,
and the CT plat, that the thing has been very
base
On the city plat it will be seen that lot No.
TAG has no corresponding number any where
near it, and consequently must have been got
and entered long since the sale of city lots, as the
entry is partly made in Judge Corkerys hand
writing, and partly in the hand Of some one else.
at subsequent date. wish if the Judge can
bring to his recollection how this occurred, with
that particular lot that he would do SO. | should
like to see this thing laid naked before the
world, so that it may be known what manner oil
grave yard. Where the old fence stood, was
the original, and iias always been the true boun
Diary of the grave yard 1t was fenced at least
two years before any survey of the towa was
made; consequently ,Corriell could not have been
mistaken about it's boundary, unless the fellow
was SO blinded by ayarice that he could see
nothing bu. the ground. fence surely is as
PLAN mark, as could be made around a claim
Corriell has tried to make an impression that
the grave yard was not fenced at the time the
i L 4: r. o.,
the public to know how Corrie! got the gr We
yard proper, $50 called,) as now fenced by the
CITY Council; who laid it out? or if done by his
own authority, where he got his autl lori,y: or if
he. as Commissioner, considered the original
square, as laid out by the public, not binding on
HIM, by what W Ids wonder, he happened to
preserve the present pitiful limits. Do try and
make the thing look somewhat decent.
Can it be possible that after unlawfully claim
ing three fourths of the grave yard, he could
have left the remainder on account of any rev.
erence or feeling for the dead :" should
think not The conclusion then is irresistible,
that what vas left, was to save appearance, and
probably TO conciliate some persons who had
buried on that portion of the grave yard
What must be the feelings of those who come
TO look for the graves of their friends, to find the
| fence running across the middle of many of the
graves, while others have posts set in them
Matthew Hays told me that in digging pos,
hole, he sank plumb on to coffin. l would
| like to know how those graves are to be got al
without tearing down the fence? The grave
yard has now become an interesting matter.
deny that the City Council has any right over
or business with, the grave yard, more than sny
other indvdual The grave yard must remain
forever for the public use, unless by the consent
of the power that gave it for that use. Now lei
Mr.. Corriell come out and satisfy the public or
this subject. If he will do this, then | vii
cheerfu!ly recall any offensive remarks / may
have made; but if he stubbornly refuses, which
think 1t more than likely he will, then let hin
take what may come. AS he makes his bed, 81
shall he lie [ hoae this thing vii. not be per