Arkansas true Democrat., 1858-06-15

Another Opposition Gun Exploded at the
 Breech.
 We have read both the majority and minority reports of the committee in Congress appointed to inves tigate the facts and circumstances at tending the sale of the remainder of the mili-a- ry reservation at Fort Sueling. A more tr umphaut vindication of public officer was never made, than is shownin the report by MT. Faulkner, of Virginia.
 Folt Smelling is situated in the now State of Minnesota, at the junction of the s. Peters and Mississippi rivers, about five miles from St.. Paurs. It was reserved in 1919, and was hen far in advance of the frontier The reserve ori- ginally embraced thirty-four thousand acres of land. The first sale of the reserve Was made under an act of Congress, of August 20, 1852 Tins portion containing valuable public build ings, the cities of MinepOliS and Mendota, and the invaluable waterpower of the falls of St. Authony, was offered, after being advertised for six mouths The land spectators combined and dlylied 1t ont, So that competition was had when any tract was offered, and it all sod for one dollar and twenty-five cents per acrc.- 1855, and again the specu.ators fought 1t at one dollar and twenty five cents an acre.
 Jefferson Davis, when secretary of war, re- commended the sale of the remaining 1000 acres and said:
 Many reservations around military posts, orgnaly established on the frontier, and now reldered useles, by the advance of population, have acqulrel great value, not only from the rlse in lhe price of lands iii sucn localities, but from improvements put upon them by the labor ot the troops, or at the public eXpeuse. h dls- posing at public sale oi some oi th0se which came within the act of 1873, it was touud tat the b,ds were far below the fair markey value of the land; result which has been attributed no doubt correctly, to combinations among the bidders. l concur with the qutrtermlster gen. er;l n the opinion that sim lar results Can be prevented in future only by establ sAng mini- mum price, below which the land shall not be sold; and recommend that provision be made for this purpose in any act that may be passed on the sutject."
 h carrying out the law and the policy passed and adopted by lormer administrations, Gov Floyd, the present secretary of war; appointed Major Eastman, of the army and Mr. Ileiskell oi Virginia, commissioners to sell the property, They were requested to % upon the ground, examine 1t, to decide upon its value and to ef- feet sale at not less than seven dollars and fifty cents all acre.
 Here is an extract from the instructions given to them:
 You will sell all that part of the reserva- tionuoJ included in any tract to which an actual settler may have just claim, either at public auchun, after giving dHe notce in the prnciral papers n the northwest, or at private sale in tracts or lots of forty acres eAch 50 ts to enable persous oi sma!, me .ls to purchase, CT in whole. whichever iu your judgment, may be deemed best, but ln neither cas- at less than S7 50 Der acre.
 You will examine For Smelling, wi,h refer enct to its being retainel as d n i.tary depot ios thr Use ol the government.
 Il iou sAHljid deem 1t necessary for such purpose you viii reserve fr m sale the buii4il.ss aHd such iaAd as you may cobsldcr suitable. no, les than forty acres.
 loH will uot expose to sale that part of the reserve wnra eNtc..d, over d graveyard ami chUrcl beIrusinI ,", ;.,d clamni by, the CAtao- Hc co"6re 5atl'n worsh liu, there, not exceal- lnE twenty i've acres, hu, allow the sam to re- mMh in possession and uus CT the control uf Sald coHsregy gytton, with the uadersia d.ng that Y s not to be used or i>posr | ot tor auv other. pdIose. Very respectfully, our obsdient ser, Naav, JOHN B FLOYD,
 Secretary oi War.
 Major SETH EASTMAN, U. 5. A.
 WILLIAM KING llEIsNELL, esl,
 " asnInggon.
 The commissioners, after setting apart twen- ty-nve acres to the Catholic church and five acres to the Methodist church, sold the remain der for seven dollars and tif.y cents per acre.
 Thereupon the speculators grew furious and Charged fraud upon the secreJary Upon il veStgatlon, it was found that the price per acre being over five times as much as was received from the sales of the other and more valuable portions oi tue reserve afforded no ground for the charge that the government had been swn- died, whereHpon the opposition were forced to resort to other objections. These were that the manner ot sale was objectionable aud that the sale was unnecessary.
 From the proof before the committee, it was demonstrated that the land brought more at private sale than it would if offered publicly, as the other portions were, that brought only one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre.
 Io the other objections the testimony of host of witnesses among whom were Generals Scott, Jessup and Smith; Majors Estman and 
 Rice, and Captains Todd and Whitall, and the Senators from Michigan and Minnesota was a complete refutation. So another black repub- lican scheme has failed and the government has again triumphed