New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-04-28

| The sale By The present oocretaiy vi War VI
Fort Snelting including the reservation of eight or
| ten thousand acres of valuable land lying between
the rivers Mississippi and Minnesota at their juuc
tion six miles above the city of st. Paul and about
the sane distance below the Falls of st. Anthony
has very naturally excited general comment and
aroused much indignation. An Investigation of the
origin ard character of this sale ordered by the
House early 10 January, and fair Committee 1.-TWO
Administration men, two Republicans, one Douglas
Democracy appointed by Speaker Orr to make it.
That Committee took testimony at intervals through
out the first three months of this year, aud this
testimony has been reported by them 10 volume
of 365 pages, puDgeut extracts from which arc
given on another page Of this sheet Those ex-
tracts-beiDg the evidence of the Hon. Robert
Smith of Illinois, who formally demanded tue IN
vestigatiOn and of the Hon. Richard Schell OF this
city, who was of the silent partners in the pur-
chase-wlll serve to give shrewd and careful read
ers pretty clear idea of the nature of the transac-
ton. Let us endeavor to present i'll order its most
prominent features, viz:
/. At the last session of Congress, at the very
close of the session, amendment was fOsted into
one of the General Appropriation bills authorizing
the Secretsry of War to sell such of the U. S. Mill
tsry Reservations as were no longer required for
Military purposes. This amendment, though moved
in the Senate by Mr.. Weller of California, was
prompted Gas Mr.. II himself testifes) by Mr.. Rice,
then d, leeate NOV L. S. Senator eect) from Min
nesota, with special eye to the sale of the Fort
Smelling reservation.
.. This amendment was received with dstrast by
Senators, who inqured-"llO How are these lands to
''be sold'' Mr.. Weller promptly aud confidently
answered, At public sale' This quoted all
opposition, and the amendment adopted.
| Probably less than half the Senate, and hardly a
| Member of the House. aware Of its existence.
Notbirg was said of the matter in the newspapers
and 80 far as can be ascertained not twenty people
in all were aware that the sale of this Reserve was
contemplated, until the fact TRANSFERRED about mid
summer, that it had been privately sold By the
Secretary Through the agency of two Commissioners
ef his appointment, to Mr. Franklin Steele, who had
long been Army sutler at that Fort, aud claimed to
own certain buildings there. There was no adver-
tisemeDt, no public announcement that this Reserve
was for sale, until after it had been actually sold
and the three or four persons who suspected, or
guessed or had heard rumors, that it might be put
in market, were unable TO learn that any such sale
YVES going forward. The Hon. Robert Smith testi-
fies that he wrote the Secretary from Minnesota IN
April, stating that he desired to know it, when and
how this Re.erve was TO be sold desiring TO bid fol
part of il. This letter was never acknowledged
any way; when he again wrote (July y, ht
received an answer dated 2lst) informing him thai
| ,he peserve had been sold
3. Mr.. John b. Floyd Of Virginia became Score
tary Of War ON the 4th or 9th of March, loo7-di
rectly after the passage of the Rice amendment
aforesaid. Though then novice at Washington
he seems to have been very early posted up viii
regard 10 this Ri:e. amendment and it's bearing OF
the Fort Smelling reserve. DR.. Arch. Graham o
Lexington, Va. but who appears to be quite a.
home in Washington, testifes that he called OF
Secretary Floyd Gan old friend In April, 1857, TOLD
MI F. he was going to Minnesota to make invest
mens, and would like any thing to do IN tina. quarter
that would pay bis expenses. "He told me he mac
nothing, unless took the agency OF some ole
&" forts that Congress had directed the sale OF. H'
" mentioned Fort Smelling and Fort Ripley
[Copgress had I" directed the sale of no forts, bu
only that such as were no longer needed for Null
tary purposes might be sold. DR.. Graham in
wardly decided that be should prefer to go into th
business as a purchaser; 20 he told Secretary
Floyd he would think of the matter, and in du,
time wrote the Secretary note declining tn,
] agency, and went to Minnesota to buy the For