The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1855-10-18

ernment, has ertered into base coalition
with Gov. Price Of Missouri, and by bis
action sanctions an Infamous fraud upon
the government, knowingly. Let 1t be
proclaimed from Dan to Beersheba that
President Pierce is pcrtieepS crimtnss in
swindling the general government to aid
one or two States of the Union. Mr..
Pierce would have vetoed a bill granting
the public domain to the States of this
Union for school purposes, because of con-
scientious scruples about its constitutions
ality. Yet he aids Missouri in stealing
two hundred thousand acres ofland under
the act of 1850.
But again, to ievelope more fully the
magnitude of this enormous fraud, it is
important that we notice the decision Of
the Commissioner of the General Land
Office, just prior to this coalition between
Pierce and Price. 1t will be remembered
that many individuals had made applica.
tion to enter the lands selected undcr the
act of $50, and app roved by the Secre.
tary of the Interior as a swamp land
That the Commissioner, in writing to the
agents ofthese parties on the 10th of May,
1850, said to them: The party filing
evidence as required by this Office, and
contesting the States claim, will, if sue
cessful therein, be permitted to enter the
lands The contestants, under this view
of the subject, went on and expended
large sums of money in having the lands
surveyed, preparatory to an investigation
of the matter. Only four cases, had been
adjujicated by the Register and Receiver
of the Local Land Office for the Palmy-
ra land district-all Of which were deci-
dcd against the States claim before the
Commissioner turns somerset and de-
cides that where the selection has been
approved by the Secretary of the Interior,
the lands, if proven not to be swamp, will
have to be brought into market by thirty
days notice thereof but that the contest
ant would have the preference at the or
dinary cash price, where the lands had
not been approved-thus making two
classes Of swamp land, and comprehend
ing the greater part in the first Glass;
This was done just prior to the foul COM
bination between Pierce and Price.
No reason is given for the distinction
by the Commissioner between approved
and unapproved lands: except that in
1896 circular was issued by the Gener-
al Land Office Department to the local
officers throughout the United States, in
structing them to permit no lands which
had been withdrawn from market from
any cause whatever to be entered, with
out being FIRST restored to market by thir-
ty days notice thereof. 1t is an incon-
trovertible fact that both classes of this
located so-called swamp land were equal
ly withdrawn from market; none of the
locel land offices would permit one acre
off to be enterd at any price. Yet the
Commissioner says that the contestant
will have priority in the one class and not
in the other, because the Secretary of the
Interior has approved the one and not the
other
Was there ever enything presented to
the mind more superlasively rid iculous!
On the 18th of May he says, in writing
about approved lands, that the contestant
of the States claim, if successful, will be
permitted to enter the land. On the 3lst
of July he says the contestant will have
the preference right to the unapproyed
lands, if Successful, but the approved lands
will have to be restored to market by
thirty days notice. This last decision
was made only few days before the in
famous coalition between Pierce and
Price to defraud the government, and a.
mounts virtually to this: You need not
trouble yourselves about the fraud that
has been committed, for if you are sue
cessful, you will have no preference right
over the spectators
The contestants affirm (aDd call upon
the Congress of the United States to do
them Justice, } that if the selection of lands
under the act of 1850 was fraudulent,
said selection was null and void 'G6 i'ilt10,
and no right of the the State ever attach
ed thereto, for the reason that fraud viii
atcs every transaction, even the most
solemn adjudications Of a court. That
the approved by the Secretary of the In
terror or the President of the United
States could not operate in any manner
so as to give validity to the selection. If
the premises are conceded, and We think
they will not be denied, the oldest legal
applicant for the lands thus fradulently
selected under the act of 1850, would be
entitled to enter them at the ordinary
cash price, if proven not to be swamp
within the meaning of the act, upon the
equitable principle 'pnt 7'rsor est IN ten'-
pore 2,ostor est IN Jare.' If the govern
ment refuses to ac. upon this principle no
fraud can ever be detected, for there would
be no inducement prompting individuals
to act in the premises.
Having briefly called attention to the
fraud of Missouri, in selecting land under
the act of 1850, and the Infamous coali-
ton between Pierce and Price to cover
the transaction, We invoke the power OF
Congress to do justice to those individuals
who have expended their money in fer
reting out the fraud upon the govern
ment. w nj. ii. L Al AOh'
1z.....s-.--sz.-ss--..@@ -