The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1858-04-22

nee OF the New YORK TlmeA.
WAsHIxGTos, April :, 1858.


WAsHIxGros, April :, 1858.
The House Committee on Public Lands
are engaged in hearing arguments for and
against the passage of an act extending the
provisions OF the presumption law over
tract Of territory known as the Half Breed
Reservation, near Lake Pepin, in Minnesota,
concerning which, as ! telegraphed you.
violent and excited conflict has arisen. be.
tween actual settlers who have souatted up-
on the land and improved it, and persons who
hold scrip purchased ofthe Half Breeds, and
claim 10 locate it upon these improved lands.
The tract is about tbirty-two miles long and
fifteen wide, embraces the organized county
OF Wabashaw, and holds about 5000 set
tiers. whose titles principally depend upon
"Sqnatter Sovereignty" or 10 speak more re.
spectfully, the general principal of pre-emp.
ton. The Reservation which was granted to
the Half Breeds of the Sioux by the treaty
of Prairie du Chen, 1880, was by act of
Congress July | Z, 1854 authorized to be ex-
changed by the President with the Half
Breeds by giving TO them certificates of
scrip for as much land as each individual
would be entitled to il the Reservation were
divided up, taking in return full and com
plete REIMBURSEMENT Of their title individual
and tribal, to the lands in question, but au.
thorlzIng them TO locate their scrip either
upon that tract or elsewhere, as they choose
to do. The same act authorized the Presi-
dent to have the tract surveyed and the land
exposed to public sale and on the SUPPOSE
ton as the other unsurveyed lands Of the
United States, settlers went on and made
their claims. A years ago in March the
Commissioner OF Indian Affairs issued the
certificates of scrip to the Half Breeds and
instructed them that they might locate on
this tract. One only did so the rest sold
their scripcertifcates to SPECTATORS, who
have laid it upon the improvements of
the settlers, who are now applying at
at the Interior Department for the is
sue Of patents to correspond. The sett.
hers have sent on an agent who asks the
Secretary Of the Interior TO delay the is
sue of the patents until resolution OK
tending the protection of the presumption
law over their improvements can be passed
through Congress-; and in the meantime.
through their agent, are making strenuous
and earnest representations to the Commit.
tee on Public Lands, in favor OF such an act
of justice. On the other hand, the holders
of the Half Breed scrip have employed able
counsel to argue before the Committee
against the measure asked for by the settlers,
who maintain that they will otherwise be
robbed of everything they possess. 1t looks
like hard case, unless such relief measure
is adopted; and it is even possible that a
second edition of the Heidelberg War may
be enacted out there if the "squatters' are
TO be iorcibly elected. 1t is evident that "a
body of near 5000 people, who believe that
they are honestly entitled to their improve
mcnts, embracing churches, school.houses,
&c, &C., can hardly be removed by force,
or compelled TO pay large prices for what
they consider their own, without exciting
serious difficulties, and probably bloodshed