Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1854-09-26
THURSDAY, SEPT. 21, 1854.
WILLOW RIVER LANDS.

We expressed some surprise at the hasty man.
ner in which these lands were disposed of. A key
to the mystery we find in the st. Anthony Express
More Iniquity !-Astounding Intelligence!!
Our readers are aware, that in consequence of
the passage Of an Act by Congress, granting
lands for Rail Road purposes in Minnesota and
Wisconsin, after having been advertised for sale,
was withdrawn from market by Commissioner
Wilson, in order to enable the Rail Road specu-
lators to secure their magnificent prize. Forum
ately, Congress detected and put stop to the
gigantic fraud contemplated by the repeal of the
bill granting the lands for the purposes above
named. The cause for the withdrawal of the
lands from market no longer existing, it was sup
posed that the lands would be again put in mark
ct, and the regular, legal notice of the time of
sale would be published.
Judge then Of the astonishment and indignation
of settlers on the tract which had been withdrawn
in Wisconsin, subject to sale at Willow river, at
learning q week previous to the sale, that the Or
der withdrawing the lands had been Udcated, and
that the lands aooud be sold at the time first ad-
Uertised, the same as though they had not been
scithdrapn!! Whether Commissioner Wilson
had the legal authority to do this, We not pre-
pared to say; but we do say it is the most fla
grant outrage upon the rights of actual settlers
which has ever come under our notice. BY the
withdrawal of those lands, the settlers were pre-
vented from going on to prove up their pre-emp-
tions, and here, a week before the day of sale,
without any notice, as we understand, except in
the Washington Union, "a paper taken by no one
except political spectators and demagogues, ,)the
lands are, suddenly sold. The settler Of course
has not time to prove up his pre-emption, and
his land with all his improvements, falls into the
hands of the sharks who have contrived this he'll
lish plot, to enrich themselves and ruin the unfor
tunate squatter. We are informed that several
boxes of gold, have recently been shipped from
St. Louis and Chicago, destined for the valley
of St. Croix and Superior. The spectators, who
have doubtless been figuring with the Commls-
sioner at Washington to accomplish their purposes,
lecting all the most valuable locations, which will
be entered instantly after the sale, at the sale.
Are the officials at Washington, all bought up,
and cooperating to carry out these nefarious
transactions? Is our delegate particeps criminis
or rather is he not tacile princeps in the trans
action? Is the Superior city fugitive colony,
largely interested in the plot, as currently ru-
mored? Are they as is also stated, employing
men to make pre-emptions, while at the very time
they are taking the oath required, the deed to
the land sought to be obtained has been executed
by them, conveying to these pirates the land pre-
empted? Are the rights of the people to be thus
fagrantly outraged and trampled upon, and men
occupying high official stations, sanctioning and
participating in this wholesale robbery, inhicting
the most lasting in jury upon the whole country,
as we'll as utter ruin upon individuals? Corrup-
ton is rampant in high places, and every day de-
velOpes some new villainy, each succeeding act
surprising the others in enormity, until we
should now scarcely feel surprised to hear that
the whole Northwest had been given away by
Government to these rapaciOus harpies, and po-
litical gamblers, and the people sold and convey
ed with the land, to serve as serfs and slaves to
all generations.