Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1856-10-07
Investigation Of State Affaira
REPORT
IN ASSEMBLY sEryEMBER 12th. lssa
(cosTIsurp D.

Aae Wisdom or tae law which intend
ed TO proaibit these transactions will DO
be denied waen their leeitiuas.e fruits are
iaid before the people OF the state.
II was unques!ioaably the practice, a:
appears trosn the testimony of Charlie:
I1ugins. OF some persons in the off .e o
the commissioners to mark land sold OF
reserved from sa.e,' to enable parties la.
terested In the purchase, 10 explore and
examine them before the purchase was
made, thus afording those In the office OF
such OF their friends as they might desire
to favor, not only great advantage over
outsiders, but investing them with an ar
oitrary power which was used 10 the di.
rect Injury OF those who may have applied
Tor the lands before the purchase was con.
SuIninated.
1nis matter was presented to the auen.
lion OF the committee by the appearance
IN several instances, OF ma, ginal notes on
lhe sales book, III pencil, TO the effect tha,
the lands opposite which the note was
made were reserved from sale for the ac-
commoiatloa of the person named. AS
an instance we will rnennon that on the
sales book IN the ofi;e of the Conmis.
sloners OF School Lands. opposite sections
Il and y IN town 25 range Is, in the
county OF 81. Crolx, there Is an entry in
pencI, watch Nj. Habich thinks is in the
nand writIng OF Daniel Seaver, in the
following words: g To be kept for W.n.
A. Ba.s,ow.' This land was subsequent
~ purchased IN the name OF Augustus
Story III February in 1855. The book
Ia winch the entry is made to Story was
copied from book OF revious date, and
opposite his entry IN pencil rather indis-
tiic,ly, written also III pencil, kept for
w. Brewster There must have been a
difference or some months between the
first entry in pencil and the date of the
entry OF Story's name on the books, for
tn nrst book was opened IN 1851 and this
land must have rena d on the book a
ioag time before the entry of Story's
name.
II will also be seen that Mr.. Frary, a
clerk III the School Land Ofi;e, tes.iiies
that III M irch 1855 willie the bill limit
ing the amount o. school laads to he soil
Was pending IN the L ,gislature, and be-
fore ITS passage, he took pains to mark
some or the lands now sanding on the
school land books as sold to Daniel How-
eil-as sold 10 him at that time, and that
he dad SO by direction and under the au-
tnorily o. persons VINO had the control cf
the sale of school lands but declined to
state which Of them gave him those di-
rectIons.
It's apparent that entries OF names were
frequently made on the sales book orig n.
ally IN pencil and afterwards the same
name entered IN ink. The obiecl OF this
becomes apparent after reading the testi-
mony OF Capt. Hugins, who was for some
time clerk IN that office.
by the sales book it appears that on the
first day OF May 1854, James Ludington
purchased the 10th section in Town %
Range 22 IN Brown County, at from ten
to fourteen shillings per acre, and Sl.S3
added on each lot for expense OF apprais-
al. Upon this purchase Mr.. Ludington
PAID ten per cent. Of the purchase money
and the interest to January /, 1855.
to the sum of Si50, 40, leaving
uapaId $3.50. On the Sth day of Janua-
~, 1855, while the certificates of Lud
Inglon were still out, uncancelled and un-
Recalled, Mr.. w. H. Besley, chief clerk
IN the school iand office. purchased til
same land In the name of Daniel Howell
for twelve and one-half cents per acre.
and So SO Oh each lot for expense of ap.
pralsal, making the whole purchase mon
ey for the section Sl41.76i upon which
sale certificates issued to Daniel Howell.
and upon which there purports to have
been paid by the sales book eighty three
cents per lot ard interest to January first,
'56; but upon which there does not appear
by the books of the treasurer and secre-
tary of state to have been ANYTHING paid.
BY the Patent book it appears that ON the
fourteenth day of September, '55 a pat
ent for the whole of tais same section is
sued TO w. H. Besley, without the pay
ment of a dollar, and while thirty-two
certificates were cut and uncancelled, and
while Ludington or the holder of his GER
hficate was s.lll paying interest on the pur-
chase money for this same land.
Here was direct and paIpable viola
lion of the law by person holding a re-
sponsible position in the school land de-
partment.
Section "a of chapter "a of r. S., pro.
vides that when full payment shall have
OSOA hitANiO ASA Oily oeCii AdiiQS CQllll Ca
by law, and the purchaser or his legal
shall produce to the Com
lnissioners the duplicate certificate of sale
with the receipt of the State Treasurer
endorsed thereon, showing that the whole
of the principal and interest due thereon
has been paid, and that the holder of such
certificate IS entitled to patent for the
lands described thereon, the original and
duplicate certificate shall be cancelled and
a patent from the State for the land de-
scrlbed in su,h certificate shall be issued
by the Commissioners to the person or per-
sons entitled thereto; which paten. shall
be signed by the Governor ard counter
signed by the secretary Of State, and the
great seal of the state thereto affixed
Sections - and 33 of the same chapter
provide that whenever person shall de-
sire 10 purchase any laad, he shaa make
application 10 the secretary OF State in
wiring for the lot or trao: which he pro-
poses topurchase, and that the application
shall be filed In this oqice.