New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-05-25

particular, but Senator, on to. reading OF tns
amendment, very naturally asked, How are these
lands TO he sod TO which Dir. Weller OF
Californis promptly answered, I" At public satt'
which quoted suspicion, and the cliuse passed
without objection.
4. Mr.. John B. Floyd Of Virginia Immediately
thereafter became Secretary Of War, vice DAVIS
who went out with the late President. Very soon
afterward, DR.. Arch. Graham, hailing from VIZ
eina, called on bis old friend the Secretary 100 the
DR.. tettifes), and, announcing that he was on bus
way to Minnesota to speculate 10 lands, asked II be
(Floyd) could throw an, thing in bis way. The
Secretary replied that he could not unless he chose
to undertake the sale of certain old forts in that re-
gioD. The DR.. pIomsed to think of it aud respond;
which in due time he did, declining the job, having
privately resolved to dip toto the Fort Snelog mat
ter rot as q seller but as q purchaser.
5. Maj Eastman was about this time dispatched,
with only verbal oIders to survey the Fort Smelling
Reserve; DR.. Graham had gone on intending to
purchase it; and now the figure heads Of Messrs.
John C. Mather and Richard Schell now Senators)
of this City en- erge from the limbo OF osscurity.
Both we're then private citizens; Mr.. Schel Wall
street broker and general spectators Mr. Mather had
Fl led the post Of Canal Commissioner thereia achev-
virg notorety rather than distinction, ard was nov
notbrg in particular but special croHy of the two
ScheDs, and an esteemed acquaintance Of Secretary
Floyd r. Schell, Mather, and Dr. Graham agreed
to become jointly interested in the purchase of Fort
Smelling Toward the purchase. money, s., 900 was
advanced by Mr. Augustus Schell; but that takes
in the testimony the shape of loan to Mrs. Richard
ScheN. Mr.. John C. Mather was appointed by
Secretary Floyd a Commissioner Cat 50 per day
and expenses) to survey and prepare for sale an
other Military Reserve in Minnesota, known as
Fort Ripley. So lac was pre- sent at Fort Smelling
before and after it's sale, under pay from the Treas
ury.
6. Fort Smelling was all this time occupied as
Military pest, and still is. No Military authority
had re recommended its abandonment. No compe
tebt authority had even been asked to give an Opin
len on that point. The Secretary, who had never
till last March had any connection with Military
affairs, and who was merely authorized not direct
3D. to sell such Reserves as were no longer required
did not deem it his duty to ask any one whether
this was or was not required He did not let the
public know that Fort Smelling was to be sold.
Letters of distinguished DemOcrats-amOng them
the Hon. Robert Smith, N. c. elect from Illinois,
and the Hon. Paul Dillingham;, ex-M. C. from
Mountaineering whether Fort Smelling was or
was not to be sold, and asking for chance to buy
part of it if it WERE were never answered. All
was dark silent, my .teIious as the grave.
Z. On the 25th of last May, Maj. Eastman Of the
Army "a special crony OF Steee's), then presumed
to be surveying Fort Snelling as aforesaid, and
Wm King Heiskel of Abingdon, Virginia, an in
innate friend of Secretary Floyd, were appointed
Commissioners to cell the Fort Smelling Reserve if
and as they should think proper. Twelve days
thereafter, they had sold at Fort Smelling, over
thousand miles from Washington, the whole Re-
serve, the survey uncOmpleted, the ares unascer-
tained to Franklin Steele, for 5000 Of VII oh
oDly $50, 900 was to be paid down, and thereupon
a free and clear title to be given; the remaining
$50 coo to be satisfactorily secured (not on the
property and paid one and two years thereafter.
We challenge the production fron the whole his.
tory of our country, of any sale of public property
on terms like these.
8. The ssle was made ostensibly to FRANKLIN
Steele alone, but Messrs. Richard Schel, John c.
Mather and Archibald Graham were privately bic
copartners in the purchase. Steele paid $4,000,
Scbel ard Mather $40, 600 of the purchase oney,
including $1,000 of Augustus Schel's money, which
figures as q loan to Mrs. r. Schen. Grahim paid
no moLey, and is owner only Of one-twenty-
seventh of the purchase ald is to have $4,000 per
annum as manager of the property. Eastman and
Heiskell swear they did not know that any one but
Steele was interested in the purchase. Mather and
r. Schell cannot (or viii not tell how they learned
that Fort Smelling was to be sold, but Mather thinks
he learned it from the Session Laws which did
not appear till long after he was deep in the specu-
atop, and said nothing relative to the sale of Fort
Smelling when they did appear. In fact the amount
that Schell and Mather "don't remember" can't
"recollect," "don't Know" &C., about this VIII DIE
business, is most blasting
Q. Mes.rs. Eastman and lIeiskell gayeno one but
Steele IL Co. the least chance to bid upon or pur-
chase this property, or any part of it. Hei.kell,
when pushed by the Committee on this point,
thought he had told the bartender a. his hotel that
he was there to sell Fort Smelling AS Eastman
had been tor some weeks surveying the tract he
should at least have ascertained the number of acres
but it does not appear that he did. Before his col
league had fairly found time to walk over the tract,
they sold it for 800 600, onethird cash. to the only
person they had permitted to know that they were
CON mii stoned to sell. Nobody in St Paul. in st.
Anthony, in Minneapolis-all then on fire with
land sperulatcn-nor even the eminent Democrat.