The daily Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1855, 1855-04-26
Henry NJ. Rice's reply to J.Ross Browne.
WASHINGTON, April 9th, 1856

WASHINGTON, April yin, 1000.
Hon. R. M'CLELLAND, Secretary Of Interior.
SIR:- On the 28th ultimo, Mr.. j. Ross
Browne made report in relation to the sale
on the 18th of September, 1854, of the late
Military Reservation at Fort Smelling the
extraordinary character of which report rem
ders it proper that should take some notice
of its contents. 1t is apparent from the face
of the document, that MIR. Browns chief OBJ
ject was to assault the character and injure the
reputation of certain citizens of Minnesota,
who have become obnoxious to those whose
dalnquencies he wishes to conceal rather than
to promote the public interests by q truthful
exposition of the facts as they are known to
exist
In fnrtherapce of this object, he sets out by
charging that there was all unlawful and fraud
ulent combination among o large number OF
persons, to defraud the government of the val
ne of these lands: that this combination sue
ceeded by force and violence in preventing
competition at the public sale; that the gov
eminent was defrauded of more than three
hundred thousand dollars that the punishment
prescri ,ed by law for this offence, is penalty
Of one thousand dollars and Imprisonment for
two years that Henry NJ. Rice, the delegate
to Congress from Minnesota, was one of the
purchasers at that sale, who, among the other
guilty parties purchased part of the said
Military Reservation at $l.25 per acre, and
thus deirauded the Government by preventing
competition, &C.. "that Charles L. Emerson,
editor of the Democrat, known as the Rice
Organ had purchased FIVE acres Of said re-
served lands - that Henry NJ. Rice, the del.
egate from Minnesota" wrote q letter, that
"these sales were virtually confirmed" and
congratulated the hardy pioneers" &C., &c. f;
and in conclusion refers anew to a list OF names
of the purchasers, and reitcrates that " among
which will be found that of Henry N. Rice
the PRESENT delegate from Minnesota"
It is apparent from the connection OF my
name in SO many forms, with the sales OF this
Military Reservation, that the object OF Mr.
Browne was to point me out to the Depart
ment, and to the public, as the chief instigat'
or Of stupendous fraud upon the government
and one who realized enormous profits from tht
transaction. Fortunately, the records OF your
own Department convict Mr.. Browne of false
hood on every material statement he has made
against me. The records of your own depart
ment as well as the records Of the Land Office
ut Saltwater where the sale took place, prove:
that did not purchase any land at the sale
The same records prove, that the lands men
TONED by Mr.. Browne, as having been pur
chased by me at that sale, had been entered
and paid for by me at that same Office nearly
three years previous The same records prove
that tract Of land, which Mr.. Browne says be
longed to the military reservation OF For
Smelling, did not belong to that reservation
and was not embraced within its limits. Thu
same records prove. that the tract of land il
question was never purchased by me at public
sale at any time but that after having beer
offered at public sale, at 81 ,25 per acre, wbel
there was no pretext of q combination, ant
not being sold, for the reason that 10 one woul.
bid, was struck off TO the government, and sub
sequently entered by me at private sale, in tn
usual manner. In short, the records prov
that every statement made by Mr. Browne 70
the purpose of fixing charge of fraud upo
me,was, and is, absolutely false. The truth il
I was not at the sale in question had no pei
son there to represent me had no interest ]
any Of the lard to be offered; was no: in th
Territory of Minnesota at the time OF the sale
but, on the contrary, hundred of miles distan
and had no knowledge whatever OF the clrcun
stances attending such sale.
With these facts before you, what confidence
may ask, cir, can be placed in the statement
of your agent, making charges OF fraud aga'ns
myself and others, when it 10 obvious that Ri
object was to direct public attention from m
enemies, and thereby aid and assist them
covering mp and concealing their own delil
qpeecies.
ne cannot plead ignorance for these falls
ststeueufs, for the facts appear on record, an
s. refers to those very records, and at the sam
t;me fals;6es them for the purpose Of maxim
his charges plausible:
N is true, as Mr.. Browne states, the sale re
ssred to did take place at the time mentioned
and from his list Of purchasers, it appears tbs
thsrs wsre twenty.shree bidders present, wh
yVCide from tEeuty to twenty-five miles ffo1
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