Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-09-14

The FORT SMELLING SALE.-We commend
to those Northern journals who make il a ruIe
to find fIult with everything done by Demo-
cratic official, and who have of late been pre-
tending to cry out their eyes cen almost over
the sale OF Fort Smelling to Mr.. Francis Steele,
the following brief comments On that trapsac-
ton, which we extract from a communication
in the Boston Post 1t spoils wel-laid scheme
To scare up mares nest, most essentially en-
braeing as ii does conclusive reply to all the
objections that have been started against the
sale in question. 1t evidently comes from
some one who is familiar with transactions in
Western lands, concerning which the mas of
the community east of the Alleshanies are
almost as profoundly ignorant as of the trans
actions of the London stock market:
% consider the sale a wise onc-as do most
western men of any experience-and believe the
land, had II been offered at public sale, would not
have brought Ia the government an advance over
the minimum price, 81 % per acre. NV reasons
for this belief are easily stated, and sustained BIZ
numerous precedents. Had the land been duly
advertised, as recommended by the New York
Tribune, allowing three months intervention be-
tween The public notice and time of sale, every
forty acre tract OF the S0,OtJ would have re-
lived to its friendly bosom a squatter placed
There by a combination Of Spectators possessed
Of sufficient power and influence to secure the
land, no matter what forces Were brouo bit TO bear
against them, and can cite the history of every
public sale Of valuable lands in the West to sun.
port me in the suppostion. ! will, from haste
mention but two similar cases Of recent transpira-
ton.
AT Usage, Iowa, at the sales ordered TO he
held IN May, 1857, l55,WD acres were to be ex-
posed at public sale, of which y, 90 acres laid
etst OF the Red Cedar river, and considered yalu-
able fiom their contguity to the thickly settled
country near the Mississippi. Although the squat
tcrs Were greatly Outnumbered by the SPECTATORS
they defeated the object Of the sale and secured to
themselves the most valuable Of the lands at the
minimum price, which Immediately passed into
The hands OF few specuators, notwithstanding
Parties were present DESTROYS of the land for i'm.
medi2te settlement and willing to nav for il from
thr e 20 five dollars per acre
The other Is, although less widely known.
more pertinent To the subject in question Th,
lance from Prairie Du Chen, and extremely val
liable. was lately ordered to be sold of which
general notice was had in the northwest r..
fore the time Of sale IL was literally covered with
squatters, in many instances presenting adverse
claims, and all combined to restrict the offers 10
the minimum standard.
IL is then, to western men, at least, very evil
dent that, had the Government pursued the same
course hitherto held in regard to sales of Govern
ment lands, in the disposal Of the Fort Smelling
property, instead of the sum Of $4,000 but 500
GO would have been received, allowing S2O,OJ0
Tor the buildings, their highest value"
IHE PRE-EMPTIoSs ALLOWED TO MAIL Con-
TRACTORS THROUGH TERRITORIES WEST OF THE
MissIssIrPI.-An important circular on this
subject las JusS been issued from the General
Land once. The right to these pre-emp ions
arises under the acts of Congress of March Sd,
1921 and the special post Office presumption act
Of TIE 81 March, 1857. -.
According to this circular, the General Land