Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1854-08-08
THE INVESTIGATION.

In looking over our exchanges we find great
deal said in regard to the investigation of the
fraud in the Minnesota Land Bill. The papers
unite in condcmning it, and members of Congress
denounce the act in strong terms. We presume
that Mr. Stevens at this time would sell out cheap,
and as for his confederate, Col. Forney, his know
ledge of rascaity is SO perfect that by some leg
crdemain operation he has contrived to avoid a
public exposure. Innocent fellow he was una
ware that bill could be altered The Washing
ton correspondent of the \. Y. Times thus alludes
to the matter:
:: If a fraud of this kind has been committed,
the act should be rebuked in the most prompt and
decided manner, and the authors, if known, be
severely punished. If all honor is to be ADAM
doned and confidence banshed, and if even legis-
lative acts not safe against the hand of the
forger on their passage through Legislative bodies,
the fact had better be understood, and a special
police organized to keep watch of the rogucs.
The fraud, it seems, was discovered by Mr..
Washburne, who moved the appointment of the
investigating committee. The charges produced
great excitement, and suspicion is said to rest on
men whose station would seem to forbid the act"
The Galena Adv. says:
AS to the morality of the fraud, it is worse
and more dangerous than ScI.uylesism. The
rogues, however, will not get very far ahead in
their tricks without detection and exposure, if Mr..
Washburnc's duties lead him in the way of their
stcathy tracks.''
The Gaena Jeffersonian says:
Sc 1t would be hard blow upon our Minnesota
friends, if the greed of spectators, backed up
by Forney, who is only thief, should deprive
them of that what Congress clearly intended to
grant"
We don't mean they shall do t.-ED. TINES.
The Washington Star remarks:
"The directors of the proposed road said to be
Morris Kctchum, Erastus Corning, George l..
Schuyler, (Robert's brother,) Edward Bement,
(Ketchum's partncr,) William P. Burial, (Presi-
dent of the Illinois Central Railroad,) Il. Is. Ma
son, John NJ. Forbes, of Boston, and John Gar
diner.
Mr.. Lctcher, of V;rginia, yesterday, endcavored
to get in bill to repeal the altered act; but as a
single objector was sufficient to rule out his mo-
ton, it was not admitted. To-day the rule allow
ing motions to suspend the rules to be made at
any time within ten days of the end of the SEES
sion commences to operate, and we presume that
he will get in his bill under it with little ficuty,
so great is the feeling of the House upon the sub
ject. 1t strikes us, however, that it would be wi
ser so to amend the altered act by supplemental
bill, as simply to carry out the intention of the
House in passing the bill aforesaid.
We trust that a supplement tal bill will be intro
duced and that the original bill will not be repeal
ed, for fearful that should it be, we should
stand poor chance for any grant of land, there
being just at this time so much excitement upon
railroad matters that members of Congress have
become Disguised. Should we lose the grant let
the odium fall upon the perpetrators, instigators
and abettors Of the fraud. They are responsible
and only them. %,