The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-09-03
NO. 557.
The Fort Smelling swindla.

record Ior the auJhorlty under which the Fort
Smelling Reservation was sold to Mr.. Franklin
Steele of Minnesota at eleven dollars per acre,
and the country done out of three quarters of
million dollars, with the connivance Of Mr..
Buchanan's Secretary of War. 1t appears that
Messrs. Weller, Orr, and Quitman, were uncom.
monty Jealous in sliding the paragraph into the
Army Appropriation Bill under which the
sBindls was perpetrated.
"In Senate, Monday, March 2, 1857. The
Army appropriation Bill being under consid-
Grafton.
mr.. Weller. The next amendment of the
Committee on Military Affairs is to add: THAT
the provisions of the act approved March Sd,
1919, entitled Gan act authorizing the sale of
certain military sites," be- and they are hereby,
extended TO ell military sites, or such parts
thereof which are or may become useless for
military purposes: PfoUided, nevertheless That
nothing in this act or in the act above mention
ed shall be so construed to impair in any wise
the right Of the State within which such site or
reservation may be situated, to impose taxes on
the same, in ike manner as upon other lands
or property owned by individuals within the
STATE after such sale
"Mr. b tight. / should like to inquire if there
is ans provision for public sale.
Mr.. Weller. Those sold under the act of
1919 were sold at auction, but it has been de-.
cid-d that the act was retrospective, and did
no; apply TO any military sites established after
the passage of the law. Since that time, of
course, many military posts have become wholly
useless TO the Government, and this amend
mant is to sell them.
Mr. Blight. At public or private sale?
Mr. Weller. Al PUBLIC SALE
" l. on this statement, TIE Senate agreed to
he amendment. The law of 1919 contains no
provisions for public sale; yet the precedent
has been for such sale almost if not quite uni.
formly. Mr.. Weller's statement was, that the
amendment provided to sell at public sale; and
this was false. Upon this statement, cleverly
drawn out by Senator Bright, the clause was
inserted. Having been so passed, there was
no more than usual force to be given to the
precedent of selling such sites by auction but
this first sale, in view when the clause was en-
acted. violates what Mr.. Weller declared the
Law would be, and what the precedent really
has bpen. The Committee on Military Affairs
from which the above clause was reported, con-
sisted Of Senators Weller, Fitzpatrick, Johnson,
Jones Of Tennessee, Iverson, and Pratt, all
bitter. opponents of the Republicans.
The bill with this and other amendments
was sent down 70 the House the same day. Mr..
Campbell, of Ohio, moved to non concur in the
amendments taken collectively. Mr.. Smith, of
Virginia, asked for the reading of the amend
msnts. SIR. Quitman, of Mississippi, hoped
the gentleman would not insist upon the read.
ing The reading was dispensed with by vote,
AID the amendments were non-concurred in by
the II )use.
"In consequence of the disagreement, Com
mittee of Conference was appointed, consisting
Of Senators Crittenden, Stuart, and Weller, and
representatives. Quitman of Mississippi, Haven
of Buffalo, New York, and Wakeman of New
York city. This committee recommended that
the House should recede from its disagreement,
among others, to the particular amendment in
question.
when the report was presented to the
House, Mr.. Pringle, Of New York, asked for the
reading Of the amendments the House was ask
ed to concur in. Mr.. Quitman asked for vote
on the whole report at once. Mr.. Orr, of South
Carolina, declared 'that was the only way it
could be DONE Mr.. Pringle repeated his re-
quest for the reading. Mr.. Haven, of Buffalo,
volunteered to state the matter in controversy
between the two Houses. Mr.. Stanton, of Ohio,
called attention to the fact that the amend,
menis had not beer read at all before the
House. Mr.. Haven asserted that he supposed
No man knew anything about Them He pro.
cseded 10 state what they were. Of the clause
in question, all he said, and all the House had
;ence: The twenty seveath amendment gives
the Secretary of War the power to sell military
sites, whenever they shall become useless to the
Government, and he shall think proper to sell
them
The report was concurred in, the vote being
c.iGched by motion Of Mr.. Quitman.
This is an abstract of the official record, in
the Congressional Globe, Of the ENGRAVING on
the Appropriation bill of the power to sell Fort
Smelling and other military SITES"
The Fort Smelling Reservation contains 1900
acres Of land, and the difference between eleven
dollars per acre and one hundred dollars per
acre (ijs true value) is distributed in various
Democratic breeches. At the lowest estimate,
the swindle figures up S650,O00. We suppose
Douglas has gone to Minnesota to ferret out
the rascality, and bring the thieves to justice.
The Rescue OF the Newburyport Pilot.-Wonder-
ful Escape from Death.
We yesterday gave brief account of the
rescue from drowning of Capt. NJ. Stevens, jr.,
aNewburyport Mass.) pilot, who was knocked
overheard by the boom of the pilot boat Ameri-
Ca. when ten miles east of Cape Ann. At New
buryport it was very generally believed that the
captain was drowned, and the event seems to
have created deep sorrow throughout the town.
The Herald, of that place, on Tuesday, how
ever thus speaks OF his rescue and return:
While we were all lamenting that this
worthy man was gone, and the flags had droop-
ed in mourning for the dead; while people
were stopping each other at the corners of the
streets 10 talk over the matter, and some were
raising subscription for the benefit of his
family--after we had published his obituary
and already had another paragraph written,
calling for material testimonial to aid the
widow and orphans-as suddenly as though he
had fallen from the heavens above, Captain
Stevens, yesterday, at noon, appeared in our
streets. Wildly the story goes about town
speedily he is rushed home to family mourn
ing his demise instantly the flags from half
mast are run hard up and gladness is upon
all faces, for the lost is found and the dead is
alive agsin.
With the tide of men moving to the south
end, we 20 to greet him and learn his story
Almost Immediately after his companions hae
retired below, as he was standing in the quar-
ter with the spyglsss to his eye, the main boom
Jibed over, striking him in the back of the neck
aud sweeping him into the sea. Instantly the
boat filed away, and sailed off with six knot
breeze. He turned in pursuit but one hun
dred yards swimming satisfied him that thai
was useless. he hslloed, but the noise of the
sails, the rushing of the waters, and the inter
vening decks, shut off all communication
There he was in the midst of the ocean the
boat receding, AID no friendly ssl in sight; il
IS not desirable to die, and he lay for some time
upon the surface, when, by and By, Eve miles
away, a sail appears, standing toward him-i
is his only hope; faint hope, but the last. he
did not swim to her, but reserved his strength
and when she was within two miles, it was
evident that she was going long way to the
windgard