Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1857-10-10
A Question Of squatter SOVEREIGNTY.


From the Chicago Tribune, Oct
The long contested case of the site of Supc-
rior City, Wis. as between the Superior Town
Company consisting Of Stephen A. Douglas
jesse d. Bright, John G. Breckenridge, Sidney
Webster (ior self and Frank PIERCE and a
number of like Democratic patriots on the one
hand-and the poor Irish dupes who occupied
the ground before it was brought into market,
on the other, was brought to a close at the Su-
pcrior Land Office week before last The de-
csion was rendered against the politicians and
in favor of the prcemplors. The circumstances
of the case were these: Before the land consi-
iuiing the site of Superior was brought into mar
kcl--we believe before It was surveyed-when
it could only be held by actual occupation, these
sharp-sghtcd Democrats, one of them Presi.
dent Of the United 81 ties, another a Vice Pres.
ldcnt, aud a third, who most anxously ycarns
Ia be President, employed an agent to indu c a
rablle of lrshmen 10 occupy the ground, build
cabins and become possessors of the soil Of Col
umoia. The llbernians seized upon the Tempt
ing proposal, hut their nuts, staked out few
gardens aud erected uncommunly large pig-pens
all over the site of Superior. The fnlilled the
requirements Of the Presumption Law tn the let
ter, with The minute exception that they n, q.
lccted To file their intentions To claim the land
in the office of the Register of the Superior Dis
trict, and neglected still further to prove up their
claims and pay the minimum price 81 % per
acre. when the land was brought into mar ,et.
These iormatles were exactly hose which it
was intended they should omit Probably not
one in their whole number could read the En-
gsh language. They knew less of the prccmp
ton laws Of the United States than their swine
did of speculative philosophy. or course. it
was nobodys bushes to go to them and explain
the arcana Of the General Land Office.
When the land came into market and no one
appeared to have legal claim to the site Of Su-
pcrior 1t was Offered at auction according to
law. The Superior Town Company then came
into exist nee: its agent lid in tie properly,
and ordered the "catIe" of iusanter, his
was a development evidently not down in the
bills. for the cattle made huge cutlery and fill
ed the whole country about Fond du Lac aud
Superior with ;hrcalruinls and lamentations.
They finally made Il virtue of necessity. pnrket-
ed their wrongs. shouldcred their pigs, and de-
camped across the mouth of the 81. Louis River,
/ where thew have remained ever since, curslng
the swudlers on the other side and plotting ven
gcance.
1t was evident that these Irishmen could give
the Superior spectators trouble before the IL
| ties in that region were regularly settled. The
| Presumption Laws of The United States were en-
acted 'or the prutecron of The actual settler
| against the nonresident Spectator. The iano-
rant dupcs who occupied the site of Superior,
| had perhaps no title in law. but they had a
very respectable one in Equl,y-such one ds
! the General Land Office bound TO recog.
nize. Several prominent LAWYERS in Minnesota,
and others who passed through Superior on
pleasure excursions, were solicited 10 argue the
case, but either through dislike to offend the for
midabe members of the Superior Company, or
seeing no prospect of Justice in case involving
50 much democracy, il was not taken hold of in
earnest until recently when the Hon. st. A. d
Bacombe late President OF he r. publican Con
siluuonal Convention of Minnesota assumed
the management in bchalf of the lrishmen, anC
prosecuted it, as we learn, to triumphant con
clson. The case will doubtless. be iaken or
appeal TO the General Land Office at Washing
ion.