The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-10-10
Frsa. Land Frauds fu Missouri.
soIIUsIoH BETWEEN PRESIDENT PIERCE AFD GOV
lnasr I of ' tSe New York Trleane.l


PRICE.
lCorfesIonaerce Of the New York lIieans q,
o. the 2sih cf September 1890 the Congress q me
United States approved an &C. entitled 40 Aos ~ se
the state Of Arkansas and other states 70 ~ .'sonrj
swamp lands within their limits" The --st y ssHi
by act OF her legislature on me 30 q "a -
gave TO the counties respectively Az ne snas s,T ~
IL their limits 70 which tie state rad sc CURED tue "
virtue OF the act OF 1856 The county SVl.s "a .1en
county throughout the state Arpeh'a3Sa esso 80 49,
lands under the az september 20 loyV, ahu az
confederation for their services Contracted 70 give eaen
agent twelve and half cents per acre 9r a me lsnas
tbev might s.lscthus making i 10 the interest Of the
agaat 40 AXE an lands he could find within lis coan
IT, under Tho act aforesaid
n accordance with tins arrangement the agents or
shs STATE ~ Missouri selected the amount Of
s6s s690I (see report Of sarveyort for
nineis and Missouri 70 Commissioners Of The General
land once Oct 81 1884, In the Palmyra land district
there has been more than one huadred and hfty
donsand taken under the act OF 1885, not more
meaning OF the act OF 1880 Thus fraud OF tremen
deus magnitude has been perpetrated upon the govern
Msn which, IN its liberal policy and generosity had do
Dated al the swamp lands to the states in which said
description OF lands might lie The act, which just
and equitable in ITS character has been prosttuted BY
the agents appointed to carry it out So great the
rsud in OF the counties, and Il swes dinishes
AL 10 proportion to the possession destuton of
conscience the part Of the agent employed that the
citizens Of his land district several hundred in number
have made adavits setting forth the fact that the lands
specified them and which were taken under the act Of
1850 and always were high and dry and f for cult
walton at all seasons OF the year. without artificial drain
nse or embankmen These ahidavits were fled with the
and many Of the cases are undergoing the process OF
bsga investigation
The emit at Washington has been fully apprised
Of the fraud committed upon the government since the
Sprpg OF lS53fom the contest gotten by the Hann
ssJ AND ST. Joseph Railroad Company individuals ana
the report of the Surveyor of Lands FOR the state of Hi
noe and Missouri The department we're so well satisfied
Of the extent and magnitude Of the fraud that the ss
mig OF patents TO the state OF Missouri for the lands
koted the act Of 1850 had been suspended as TO
AN the lands The constituted authorities Of the STATE
were equally in possesstn Of the fact that taud had
Of lands oouemp by the act Of 1890 And 20 uneasy
md solicitors they upon the subject they exhaust
ed al Their povers of sophstry arr cunning by
fcadeDce 10 induce the Departments 70 issue tho patents
10 these lands But al their Thy eAorss proved
nbavaIhng.
finally the plan was conceived Of sending Gov rrice in
p~s0nar 20 Washington 20 have a personal interview
the a,paT,menr q ISSUE 10 the State Coz .heands
claimed under the act o. So Gov Price visited the Pre-
rdent and after negotiation OF several weeks notwith
standDg the Information under the nose Of the fresi
usnt sncceedet IN getting him TO order the Land Office
Department TO commence issuing the patents 10 these
lands which had been selected franiuierty And VIC are
teldy told by Gov Price on his return TO Missouri that
extra clerks 20 BE called into equson TO EXPEDITE
this yllhnous thing, Mirdbe siu ~ President Pierce
ri the Dnied States protect sna advance the
aersst Of the government has entered into base coai
tion with Gov Price Of Missouri ard b. lis aston sane
tions infamous fraud upon the knowingly
Let be proclaimed from Dan TO Beereheba thit Pies
dent Pierce ia pa1tceos omlHs IN swndlng the general
government to aid one two States Of the Union. NJ
Pierce would have vetoed bin granting the public do
main to the States Of this Union for school purposes, he
Atty Yet he aids Mssoari in stealing two hundred
thousand Of land under the act OF 1850.
But again, to deyeope more tally the magnitude Of
this fraud, II is important that notice the
decision Of the Commissioner OF the General land office,
inst prior TO this coalition between Pierce and Price It
viii be remembered that many individuals had made
p6cation to enter the lands selected under the OF
1850, and approved by the Secretary of the Interior
swamp lands That the Commissioner, in writing TO the
agents Of these parties the 10th of Nay 1850 said 10
them -; The party filing evidence as required by this
sse, and contrasting the states claim will ii successful
3 q ner To en-
ants, under this view OF the subject went and ex
pended large of money in having the lands surveyed
preparatory 10 investigation Of the matter Only four
had been adudcated by the Register and Receiver
q the Local Land Office for the Palmyra land district
AL Of which decided against the states claim before
Abe Commissioner turns somerset and decides that
where the selection has been approved by the Secretary
have 10 be brought into market by thirty days notice
thereof but that the contestant would have the prefer
enee al the ordinary cash price where the lands had not
been iosed-nus making two classes OF swamp land
and comprehendng the greater part in the FIRST class
yhie done just prior 10 the foul combination between
Pierce and Price.
No reason is given for the distinction by the Commits
scner between approved and unapproved lands except
that in 1896 circular was issued by the General Land
Office Department to the local officers throughout the
United States il sructng them to permit no lands which
bad been withdrawn from market from any cause what
to be entered without being first restored to market
by thirty days notice thereof II inconrovetbe
fact that both classes OF this located socaled swamp land
equally withdrawn from market; Of the oca
And Offices would permit one acre Of i to be entered al
price Yet the Commissioner says that the contestant
wln have priority in the class and not IN the other
because the Secretary Of the Interior has approved the
and not the other.
Was there ever anything presented to the mind more
suIerativey ridiculous On the 10th Of May he says in
writing about approved lands that the contestant Of the
States claim successful wl be permitted to enter the
land On the 31st Of July he says the contestant will
have the preference right 10 the unapproved lands,
successful but the approved lands win have 10 be
stored 10 market by thirty days notice. This last deci
sion made only lew DAYS before the infamous
coalition between Pierce and Price 10 deaud the govern
Dent and amounts virtually to this: 'sYou need not
trouble yourselves about the fraud that has been
mted for If you successful, you will have prefer
ence right over the spectators"
The contestants affirm land call upon the Congress OF
The United States TO do them usticc that II the
zion lands the act Of 1866 fraudulent SAID
selection null and veid .db 1hio and right Of
The State attached thereto for the that fraud
yitiates every transaction the most solemn adiud
cations ola court That the approval by the Secretary o
the Interior the President Of the United States could
mot operate In any manner so "a TO give validity to the
selection. the premises are conceded and we think
shey win not be denied the oldest legal applicant for the
lands thus fraudueny selected under the act Of 1850
would be entitled TO them at the ordinary cash
price if proven not to be swamp within tho meaning OF
Ale act upon the equitable principle qai prior est ia
fcpipor potion est ia jHy1r the government refuses to
upon this principle fraud be detected for
there would be no nducemep prompting individuals 10
xct in the premises.
Having briefly called attention to the fraud Of Missouri
in selecting lands under the act OF 1850 and the nl
transaction, invoke the power Of Congress TO do jus
ce to those individuals who have expended their money
20 erreting out the fraud upon the government.
WILLIAM H. TAYLOR.
Particulars Of the Accident on the Boston and
A4A&p HALL