The daily Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1855, 1855-04-25
The Reserve Lands.
WASHINGTON, D. C., March 2s, 1885,


WAsHrxeTox, D. c., March %, 1885.
Hon. r. MCCLELLASD, Secretary of the Iaertor
SIR On the llth day of September last
that portion Of the Fort Smelling Reserve ly
ing on the left bank of the Mississippi rive
was offered at public sale under proclamation
OF the President, a copy of which is hereb,
transmitted. In accordance with the notc'
thus given, the sale took place at Saltwater or
the day aforesaid, aud was attended by large
concOurse Of people intereste in the purchas,
Of the lands !; and all the lands offered for sale
were bid for and purchased at the minimum
price established By. law. .,.
In letter dated the 18th Of September the
Register and Receiver of the Land Office al
Saltwater, notified the Commissioner Of the
General Land Office Of their belief in the ex
ist.nce Of a combination which prevented
said lands from being sold for more than thu
minimum" a ia. -,.s
On the 4th of October they were instruc ted
by the Commissioner to report the facts and
circumstances going to show the existence Of
such combination, with the testimony they
might be able so procure on the subject. La
letter OF the 9th OF December these gentle
men replied that their belief in the existence
OF the aforesaid combination was based mainly
harmony prevailed during the sale" The Com
missioner, in letter dated February I'd, 1855,
censures these officers, for having in their com
munication of September 18th, by implication
at least, charged the purchasers at the sale
therein referred to with beins guilty of an OF
fence against the laws of their country, for
which, if convicted, each would have been LA.
BILE to fae of one thousand dollars and two
years Imprisonment and that, too, upon mere
rumor, which, upon investigation, seems to have
been without any tangible foundation A
copy Of this correspondence is herewith SUBJ
mitted.
1t is provided, b. the 4th section of the act
OF March 3lst, 1880, regulating the sales o!
the public lands that, {" if ANY person or per
sons shall before or at the time Of the public
sale Of any of tn, lands of the United States
bargain, contract, or agree, or shall attempt
TO bargain, contract or agree, with any other
person or persons, that the last named person
or persons shall not bid upon or purchase the
land SO offered for sale, or any parcel thereof,
or shall by intimidation, combination or unfair
ma agement, hinder or prevent or shall attempt
to hinder or prevent any person or persons
from bidding upon or purchasing any tracts Of
land so offered fjr sale, every such offender his
her or their o ders and abettors, being thereof
duly convicted, shall for every such offence, be
fined not exceedidg one thousand dollars, OF
imprisonment, not exceeding two years, or both
il the discretion Of the court"
desire to call your attention to several i'm
portant facts connected with this subject, and
to submit for your consideration such proofs
as are in my possession, tending to show tina,
such combination did exist; that the Regis
ter and Receiver ut Saltwater could have Ob
tanned the proofs had they performed their du
ty; that no investigation under official instruc
tions has taken place and that if these sales
are confirmed. the government will be defraud
ed out Of three hundred thousand dollars, which
of right belongs to the people of the United
States and not to the citizens OF Minnesota.
The act of March 4th, 1907, securing the
government the exclusive right to the public
e. Reserves, provides that persons taking pos
session OF Or making settlements on any lands
&c led or secured to the United States not pre-
viously sold, Or the claim to which has not
been recognized, or persons causing such lands
to be occupied, surveyed, &c, until authorized
by law, forfeit their right, &C.
Cuder the provisions OF the act Of August
&c, 1888, reducing the limits of the Fort Smell
ling Reserve, the proclamation of the Pre5t
dent offers for sale certain lands within the
Reserve on the left bank of the Mississippi
Ui.loh lands are not subject to pre-empt,oil
claims
Ia the mouth Of February last visited
these lands personally and found that claim
houses had been built upon them for several
years past; that long previous to the sale
these pretended claims had been in the posses
sion OF spectators living in st. Paul, and that
the actual value OF said lands for more than
twelve months past has been from forty to three
hundred dola.s per acre.
The portion Of the Reserve offered for sale
lies between the towns of st. Anthony and ST.
Paul, and derives its value from the proximity
of these towns which are but nine miles apart
Some of these lands, bordering on the town Of
st. Paul, we're neld at two hundred dollars an
acre previous to tn sale, and are now much
more valuable. The average value of the
whole tract is at least lightly dollars per acre
! consider the value an important point, tend
ing to show the existence of combination to
prevent the government from deriving more
than minimum price. No pre- emption or
other rights were recognized by law, and free
competition was Invited by the terms Of the
proclamation.
To suppose that the land agents aud specu-
lators who were present, were prevented from
bidding from motives of personal friendship
for the claimants holding possession of the
lands, would be to cast an imputation upor
their character as business men, not compati
bic with the known reputation of land specu
lators throughout Minnesota.
respectfully submit copy of q protes
signed by Lyman q. Dayton, and 6le1 in tbs
General Land Office, showing tina: on the 8tl
day Of August month previous to the sale
Charles r. Rice cold to said Dayton forty
seven acres of land within the Reserve, for the
sum of 81 ,937 which land the said Rice Dough,
ut public sale or the 18th Of September, fos
Sl,25 per acre, or about 500. 5a...l.sra. FL.