The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-05-09
THE SALE or FORT SMELLING.
INVESTIGATION OF THE FORT SMELLING SAIL

INVESTIGATION OF THE fOhl On ELLiNo Sai1E-
Every now and then the nation has its hts, inst OF
economy then Of extravaganza then OF honesty anu
n due course Of Galphinism II Is now possessed wit
a naroxsrn of investigation After season OF s"phme
ftb in its ipcccabity Congress has just begun 70
find out that IL is pack Of very low knaves us us
trust itself is only exceeded by It's severe want Of con
6ience in the federal departments IL secs conspiracy
IN every bill swinde in every appropriation and rob
berry Ia every disbursement
Inc next best thing to a Congress OF gentlemen in
whose integrity the nation can have confidence 10 Con
ress of knaves who enducd with conservative
80, az each other Our senator's and representatives
watch each other with malicious vigilance which an
swers all the purposes of patriotic fidelity to their
Etuents An instance OF this wholesome jealousy is
the pending investigation of the Fort Smelling sale
Last summer under act Of Congress authorizing the
ale Of forts longer needed by the government, the
military reservation at Fort Smelling having been for
maIy adiudged under that class, directed to
be sold by Secretary Of War, the matter being in
trusted to commissioners appointed for that purpose The
ordinary method Of procedure to dispose OF the pub
lie property public sale and specific direction to this
end usually mbodied in the bill authorizing sale
bu ia this the Secretary Of War left ut liberty
20 choose his method Of dsposng of the property in
question
public lands the West especially at public sale had
shown that it impossible by that method to secure
free competition this object having been always frusta-
ted by combinations of squatters generally the creatures
Of SPECTATORS who assembled in large numbers, armed
at place Of SALE and bid in the lands at prices pre-
yiousy agreed upon.
1t was a matter of report that such conibi-
nation WAS formed In this Territory, and rumor connects
the name of the principal Of this investigation with
this scheme for defrauding the public treasury
In view therefore, Of all the circumstances OF the case,
the Secretary wisely chose to avail himself OF the opportu
py to sell it at private sale which afforded by the
offers which Mr. Steele pressed upon his confederation
Several of these offers rejected, but finally the gov
enmcpt agreed to sell it for $50 000 at about the
rate of $ll per acre This policy amply indicated
by the ruling consideration that the government by this
means obtained for it far than could have been OBJ
tanned at public sale
few Weeks after the Smelling lands were sold at pri-
vte sale for 81 per acre, the Fort Ripley
sold for less than eleven cents per public sale
This single fact think is a sufficient to the
objections which have been made against the mode OF sale
in the Fort Smelling
We have seen statements the Minnesota correspond
cce of journals representing these lands worth
far more than given by Mr.. Steele, and they have
been estimated in this anonymous manner at $50
and 800 per These extavagant assertions have
been reproduced in leading editorials in influential jour
nails and made the basis of TRADES against the parties
concerned in the SALE
No having the least knowledge of the subject
aded any such statement without being guilty Of de-
beate fsehood, unless perchance he fool, which
il not unlikely.
The truth is that Mr. Steele paid for these lands the
market price of all lands situated at the dis
lance and having the general relation to the
kets which give the lands their value These lands lie
from six to ten miles from St. Paul. and the same dis
tancs from 81 Anthonv Now oxcent unm the thor
Nnhse which connects tbese towns we can 90 air or
It miles In anv direction from either Of these places
and bnv hundrds 81 thousands If acres Of inst as GOOD
lands those contained in the Fort Smelling reserva
agnb in another nortion ~ tb;s n,ner annoupces the
sae IF large tmct Of land eight miles from 81 Paul
n tho nnnlous settlement 81 I;tte Canada far n LITTLE
six dollars per This OPPORTUNITY
The most active mover IN tho attemnt to break nm he
le to M steele Is a certain Mr. Robert Smith who had
j;ttle scheme If b;s own for ta;n;n noscsson ~ th