The daily Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1855, 1855-04-26

DR.. Biddle built house, plowed, planted,
sowed, reaped and resided upon the land he
purchased. He resided upon it for months
prior to tie sale, and continued to reside upon
it, until the winter had set iD when he lremov-
ed with his family to town to remain until
spring.
H. NJ. Rice, the Delegate, did write that
the sales were virtually confirmed" and did
congratulate the hardy pioneers of Minnesota
upon the :esult;" and justice and truth win
sustain him in writing flat letter, Mr.. Browne
to the contrary Notwithstanding; and the only
regret Mr.. Rice has in regard to the matter
is, that the citizens of Minnesota should be
made to suffer, through the ignorance or cor
ruption of others.
The Special Agent again says, "during his
stay in Minnesota, he conversed freely with
many persons on the subject, and none denied
that there was combination" This is very
probable; and he may have "cOnversed very
freely" upon other subjects which they did not
deem it important to deny. Suppose they did
not. What does that amount to? Certainly
not that combination existed" or that the
other subjects were proper ones for investiga-
ton by Special Agent. He says further,
that by he Act of 1852, the town of Men
dota is secured to the proprietors, and that
Mr.. Sibley, the late Delegate in Congress. is
the principal owner of this town and there are
others prominent spectators and politicians
| whose names are not material" Now, l can
not see why it is not important that Mr..
Browne should make known the names of oil
the prominent spectators and politicians in
Minnesota; such information-the result of
his valuable researches-might become vastly
important hereafter, as historical reference.
In respect, however, to Mendoza, it was a
county seat in l949-about one hundred voters
reside there. Mr.. Sibley has resided there
about twenty years. and resided there under
the authority of the government. He, with
others, went there when the entire country
was wilderness, and he and others had ex-
pended probably over one hundred thousand
dollars upon the land. And had Mr. Browne
looked at the law of 1S44, or got some one
to explain it to him. he would have seen the
folly Of making allusion to Mendoza as he did;
and again, delicacy should have restrained
him-a special government agent-'rom COM
menting in such manner upon any law
passed by the Congress of the United States.
He says, "thc Government was defrauded
out of at least three hundred thousand dollars
by this sale." In the entire Territory there
WAS UOC III INC HdIluS VI I'LL Tue CItlLcllS, OTtt
third of that sum. Where then was the three
hundred thousand dollars to come from?
! | cannot believe that this administration
will use its power to deprive men of the money
labor and time they have expendcd-to say
nothing of the hardships they have encoun
tered in settling the great west; neither am
willing to believe that this administration will
countenance the report of special agent who
has evidently travelled outside the common
courtesies of life, for the purpose of injuring
citizens of the country either pecuniariy cl
in reputation.
Public notice was given in the papers three
months in advance, and on the 18th of Sep
TENDER, 1854, this tract of land would be Of
ferred at public sale, at the Land Office il
Saltwater, and sold TO the highest bidder
notice sufficient to have enabled hundreds O.
thousands OF persons to have been present haC
they dcsired--the sale took place in accor
dance with the Presidents Proclamation
The Land Officers report, that the utmos
harmony prevailed during the sale-the pur
chasers paid their money-received evidence:
Of title, and returned to their homes This il
the second time obstacles have been interposct
to the confirmation of this sale, and it is dut
to those interested that the question SHOULD
be speedily settled. Allow me therefore, mos
urgently, but respectfully, to ask the Honora
BILE Secretary of the Interior to give it hi
early consideration.
I have the honor to be with great respect
Your obedient servant,
HENRY NJ RICE.