The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1858-05-26
Tur BRIcsr. ENGLIsu AND Foley |

The BRIGHT, ENGLISH AND FOLEY
.PuRcHAsE.-The gentleman who made
the first disclosures of Bright, English
and Foley's land operations, with the Q.
8. Land Office Commissioner, has deem
cd it proper to give all the particulars OF
the transaction, in letter to General
Spinner, q member Of Congress from
New York, who first called the attention
of Congress to the matter. Tho follow-'
Ing is his communication.
! 0DEAR Sir: I notice that you have recent.
IL called the atten ton of the House aud
| the country to the circumstances attending
the purchase Of a largo body OF land by the
| Hon. Jesse ID. Bright and others at the Land
Office in this city, as detailed in letter
| published in The Burlington Hawkcye, and
writton by himsclf. From the proceedings
of the House, think the facts were not
clearly understood, and the real point OF
complaint in the after was passed over un-
noticed. / desire, therefore, to detail the
facts to you as they occurred, as have learn
ed them from the Registers and Receiver I
offices Mt this place, and as they were an
nounced at the time of the Occurrences.
at should be understood, ut the outset
that for four weeks after the Land Uthcs IN
this city was opened for private entry on th'
23rd of February, the number OF persons de
string to enter lands was so great that thu
Register adopted a rule requiring every per
SON wishing to entcr land TO enter his nam
,, on regis ser kept for the purpose, and eacl
I name was then called in its regular turn o
. order. and each person was allowed to ente
one section, or $40 acres Of land only, whel
his name was thus reached. If the aPpli
cant desired more land, he put his name a
: the foot of the register, and then waite
= be reached again. This rule worked har
It upon those desiring to enter large quanut
OF land, but, us it served all alike, all cheer
Il fully acquiesced in its continuance.
"Thc regular hours of opening the otfiC
of the Register, in which the entries wei
W made, was o'clock in the morning; but Q
!, the morning of the sth of March, the doc
81 were kept closed for nearly an hour after TIL
s.. time, although the crowd of applicants in a
tendance was as large as ever, and all &c
% surprised, and some indignant, that the con
n. mencement of the days work should be
r. long delayed. But finally the doors we
Ia opcned and the crowd admitted, ana we we
j. then told by the cl.rks that they had be-
busily engaged all the morning in cnterii
5000 acres of land for the Hon. Jesse
. Bright, By special order of the Commiss'o
! er u the General Land Office, received t
~ evening before. ,...-- -.-r
= ION further inquiry, it appears that
=. orders of the Commissioner were to cn'
mt the land tor Mr.. Bright and Messrs. Engli
=, aud Foley immediately on the receipt OF
% order, and the Register therefore felt bins
EN- compelled to override the rule he had m az
, and enter the lands in the manner ha
Cd stated, with the doors locked, aud withc
giving othe rs an opportunity to offer comp
ing applications.
I'd The amount thus entered WIS:
,er For Mr.. Bright. ........2 2, 400 acres.
For Mr.. English. ESQ acres.
IN For Mr.. Foley. 1 ,44o acres.