Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1854-08-14
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

House OF REPRESENTATIVES.
July 81, 1854.
b the Hon. JOHN WILSON,
rgmnsissioner Of the General Land Of
fce.
SIR: On yesterday my attention was
aled to a "Notice Of acithdrawaz of rail
,0qd landS," in the State Of Wisconsin.
rom sale, published in the Union news
uDaper, and dated the 18th instant. That
Ibotice ecites, that sat the earnest solicita-
lion Of certain senators and delegates in
s<Congress from the States of Wisconsin and
Iowa, and the Territory of Minnesota, the
President of the United States has, by his
order, bearing date the 18th of july in
:nnt directed that certain townships stu
ated in these States and said Territory.
within about fifteen miles of each side ot
the route OF the railroad from Dubuque. 7.
pTa, via. st. Paul, Minnesota Territory. to
be mouth of Left-hand-river at Fond du
& Wisconsin, shall be withdrawn from
ale or entry, until further orders" &c.
As represent that part of Wisconsin in
shch this reserved land lies, and as refer
nee IS made to delegates" from Wiscon-
a it might be supposed that had Join
d in this earnest solicitation" referred to
b the notice. But, so far from this being
tue, vas totally ignorant not only Of a
.'ign TO reserve any land in Wisconsin.
but / Was surprised and mortified that the
rs9FyatlQn bad haen made without BEING
myself consulted.
II is new to me, and I believe in the
history Of the transactions in the General
Land Office, that lands can be properly re-
xrycd from sale in anticipation Of an act
d Congress, upon the bare request of any
Gentlemen, whether they be in or out of
ongfese. Such course is pregnant with
mischief, and may be made the means of
+ oppression againet the bona .fde settler,
4 ald Of speculation for those who have the
rar Of the commissioner or the President.
Il az the expense Of men of limited means
1 gho desire to purchase land for actual set
I tment and cultivation. And if it is fair
and right to anticipate the action of Con-
gess at ALL there can be no limit to the
time to which such anticipatiens shall ex-
tend; and, acting under this assumed right,
lands may be reserved by the President
upon remote chance that Congress will
hereafter, and it may be years hence, grant
this land to construct roads, or for farms
vr actual settlers, or for eleemosvnary pur-
poses. In the mean time the land lies nm
improved; the tide Of emigration finds new
'anne Is, and sets FIR beyond it, and those
men VINO have settled upon land contigu
Gus 10 mat which IS reserved, are compel
led TO bear alone the burden of supporting
he town and county government By taxes.
But II 1t Is conceded that it is proper to
withdraw lands from market when the de-
@gatlon IN CongraaS fraa,n--a S4a.., .a,,,.1.,s
IN it, it Is upon the supposition that the
senator's and representatives. are the agents
Of the people, sent here to protect their in
terests and that they are responsible to
the people for their acts, and for the faith
id discharge of their duties; and that they
ne better informed as to the true interests
Of the people in that respect than the Pre-
sIdent or the Commissioner. If it were
hot so, then the solicitation" of members
Of Congress would be Of no greater weight
OF Importance than the solicitation of any
other respectable gentleman, and their O.
plniOns would not be listened to nor would
they be consulted. But in this case / I'M
delstand that none of the Representatives
from Wisconsin were consulted, nor did
they Join in the earnest solicitation recited
in the order Withdrawing this land from
sale, although seyenty-eight townships, con-
tanning one million seven hundred and
hnety-seYcn thousand one hundred and
twenty acres of land lying in the State Of
Wisconsin, and in the district which l rep
resent, Is withdrawn from market, yet on
y one senator from the whole delegation
from Wisconsin joined in the request, while
my colleagues in the House of Represent
atlyes and myself were not informed that
an application for withdrawal had been
made until this order was published.
But, aside from the above, which would
apply with sufficient force to all cases, e.
ven TO those where it was intended or an
telpated to obtain grant OF land for the
construction Of railroad in the State in
which lands withdrawn from sale are stu
ated, what renders this case more remar-
kable is, there IS no bill get before Con
greSs granting lands for railroad beiou
the southern line Of the territory of Mn
aeSotd IN the direction of Dubuguei Il
there was such bill introduced should
endeavor 10 protect the interest of my OWL
State in restricting the grant and the ope
ration of the bill to lands in the State o
Iowa. But although no bill is yet before
Congress, YOU have reserved or withdraw
from market and sale twelve townships
containing three hundred and seventy-si,
thousand four hundred and eighty acres il
the county of Grant, State of Wisconsin
east of the Mississippi river, and opposite
the city of Dubuque, Iowa.
Nor has any bill passed or in contempla
tion as / have heard, proposing to construc
railroad in that part of Wisconsin be
tween the eastern boundary line of Min
nesota and the mouth of Left Hand rive
at Fond du Lac, Lake Superior. The Min
nesota land bill does not 60 one inch be
yond the line of that territory, and by it
Phraseology does not grant a foot of lane
oeyound its own boundaries.
Left Hand" river is in Wisconsin, anc