New-York daily tribune., 1857-09-07
THE FORT SMELLING SUINDLE.

Correspondence Of TIE NJ Y. Tribune.
ST. ANTHONY, NJ. T., August 2S, 1857.
/ am glad to see the fraudulent sale Of the Fort
Smelling reserve shown up properly oy The iRiB'
UNE aud other prominent papers. We had an iuk-
ling of il last Spring, when the suspicious little
clause authorizing the Secretary Of War to sell any
military reserve which he might choose to abandon,
appeared with the other laws of last session Of
Congress. The papers hereabOuts made some stir
about the matters but the conspiraters laid low
nothing could certainly be proved then as to the
object of the law. and the excitement died away, to
be renewed only upon the sale, Of which you already
know.
The known sharers in the punder are H. u. Rice
(our late Delegate in Congress, and bclxre tho
agent of Government in efiecting the sale), Mr.
Donsman of Prairie du Chen, Gen. Shields and ono
or two others, beside Franklin Steele, who nom-
pslly is the purchaser The purchase-money Is
about 81 per acre. Probably the poorest acre OF
the whole tract is worth that price and thousand
acres laid out as & town plot at the point between
the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers, would be
cheap at $500 per acre. Except 81. Anthony and
Minneapolis, no Western city has so great advin-
tages Of location; and had the point not been occu-
pied by Uncle Sam, and 50 not available as town
,ite. that would have been what ST. Paul now is,
and st. Paul never would have been.
The Administration papers endeaSor 70 gloss over
The slla by syerring that, sold at puohc auction
there would have been comb bnation oi speculstofs
and the whole reserve would have gone at 81 %
Der acre. and they forty this assertion by another
HAT il has ALWAYS been 80 here when valuable
Government land has been sold at public auction.
Nv answer 10, that there has been only one such
case of combination here, which was az the sale VI
A portion Of the old Fort Smelling reserve. In that
care the land was almost entirely occupied by actual
settiers-tanRers-and they did get their land as zen
shillipgs per acre. No such combination has ever
been or could be made except in favor OF the claims
Of actual settlers.
Tn tbe present case Mr. Steele il the only civilian
who has been allowed TO build and reside on the
reserye. and he only because sutler TO the garrison
in which capacity be got bis first impulse toward hs
nrasent wealth. He has q good house and other
buildings close by the fort worth perhaps from
"a 400 10 5000. instead of $50, 900, as the Ad-
u,ir,i.traion papers assert. What prospect OF
combination TO force sale at low price there
would q in this case, in community OF men VINO
have grown rich BY speculation, as large portion
81 o,r neople have and who keep their eyes out in
,yery direction for profitable operation, and who
have abundant means 70 pay whatever sum might bs
rec.ssary TO secure the prize, leave You to judge.
4 weI.knoWn Delegate from st. Paul, n the Demo.
cratic Convention, makes il no secret that he had
arrsuged TO 90 as high 100000, if necessary, for
the land which Mr.. Steele gets for $4,000.
One more incident in regard TO this matter and
am done. Messrs. Crofut Il Clark had made ar
rapqements to buy up The Minnesota Republican,
published weekly at this place, and TO issue daily
as vel as weekly from the same Office. several ind-
yidusls subscribing hberaly 10 loan them sufficient
sum On long time, at low rate, to enable them
(being men Of moderate means) 70 go on with the
undertaking. Among these Edmund Rice Of SAINT
Paul, brother Of Henry II. Rice, subscribed 800.
When called on for the money he declines paying,
unless the nep paper nW detend the Fort SnciItng
purchase, and do sundry other Democratic dir'y
work. The original subscription paper beng 20,
the estabhsbmen: Of Republican daily paper ana
Messrs Crofut & Clark having someEnat s'uruy
notions of editorial honesty there was fare 3p sn1
court Of law viii probably have TO decide .neano.
such conditions may De affixed 10 suoscriP.@,oa @ h
made uneondidonaly, az the pleasure o' ''o '''
Gerber. =, ,h. sam
Both Conventions have finally passed .ae .;us. IN
promise Constitution IL is being eneros'e"T ro,ua.
and beth bodies viii adjourn tomorrow, ,,n nun ,"
pcp takes place Oct. H. -'"