Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1859-01-18

The very full and able report of the State
Prison Commissioner VIII also b soon laid be-
fore YOU
The number Of eonvicts in Prison, Jan !, IS ICE
Received darins the year lS5S, ~
Total No in prison during tie year, 2s7
No. discharged oneAriE'stioa Of sentence, q
Discharged on writ Of Habeas Corpus, !
Deaths,
No. in prison. Jan 1st. 1883. ~
The appropriations Necessary Tor past indebtedness,
Is stated SlI6Ss %
And FOR current expenses for 1859. $4,000 90
The recommendations and suggestions Of the
Commissioner are entitled 70 grave eonsldera-
ton. They lock to the reformation of very
numerous, vicious, and unfortunate class of men.
The prison has been kept IN good order, and is
affairs conducted in a manner cgedljable to the
Commissioner and his assistants Provision
should be made at once for building stone wall
around the prison yard. The prisoners should
be. and must be. constantly employed and al
the heavy labor of building the prison wall
could be performed by them. The expenses OF
the necessary guards for the prison IN It's pres
ent exposed condition, with only weak wood
en- fence around ii, for five years. would more
than pay the necessary outlay for the erection
Of the necessary prison walls. There Is DO econ
onIy to the State in delaying such improve
ments.
The Geological commission has been fully or
ganized, and the commissioners have been en-
rocks. Their report SO far as they have pro-
crossed Will be submitted
SURVEY OF SWAMP LANDS.
The Governor authorized To cause TO be
surveyed the islands in the Mississippi and
" Wisconsin rivers, and the unsuryeyed lands adj
acent thereto, and the islands IN any other riy-
ers, lakes, or bays, and the swamp and over
flowed lands diacent thereto. not before survey
cd, within the jurisdiction and belonging 10 this
State, granted 10y aR act OF Congress approved
2Sth day of September a. d. 1880. Such sur
vevs have been commenced and prosecuted to
some extent. But question arose between the
Land Department ana the State about the right
of the State To any swamp and oyer1iOwcG
lands, except such were designated > swamp
lands and entered on the plats OF the Land Office
upon the returns OF the Government SURVEYS
Governor Dewey selected the lands under the
act OF 800 from the plats and surveys. All the
swamp and overlooked lands IN the State had
not been returned and plated 50 that by this
process Of selection a large amount Of such lands
might be lost to the State. / visited Washing
ton during the past season upon this and other
business, and IN an interview with the Secreta-
~ of the Interior, discussed fully the rights of
the State / insisted that by the act OF 1880,
the State entitled To all The unsod swamp
and over3owcd lands in the State at the time OF
the passage of the .ct and that the Department
could prescribe no arbitrary rules for selecting
those lands which would or could deprive the
State Of any portion Of them, and that the fact
chat Governor Dewey had made his selections
from tile plats, instead OF employing agents 20
examine and report the amount Of such lands. 10
which the State was entitled, could not con-
clude the State. a that WIS suggested bv the
Land Department.. The rights 90 the State
were, finally, virtually conceded as l claimed,
though the Secretary deSiaed carefully 10 con-
si,iar the subject have mo- dotilf hut our
claim viii be fully allowed. and | satisfied
from the partial surveys and examinations al
raadv made that the State viii recover nearly
one million of acres Of land more than was Sc
lcrted from The piats
II i necessary. however If IL is intended that
ia. necessary examinations and surveys are to
he fltGcr extended TO provide some means OF
,ayife. the expenses as they accrue. The law
mi ,rht be amended to authorize the payment out
of the General Fund when there is no money In
the Treasury belonging Ia The Swamp Land
Fund 10 be reimbursed from Tie Swamp Land
Fund as sales are made.
five rEu CENT. FUND.
The five per ceatuul u tle act proceeds of the
sales OF public lands IN tile state, Is stall with
held by Tie General Government | employed
the Secretary OF state 10 visit Washington and
cndeavor 10 secure the payment OF the amount
aud myself urged the claim OF the state upon
the Secretary OF the Treasury. Through the CT
f'F's Of the Secretary, The amount due the state
was Iscerialued 10 e about Si2'O,JJJ. The ne
cessary evidence OF this fact was lad before the
Secretary Of the Treasury, and strong hopes
We're entertained that 1t would be promptly
paid In my last interview with him, howev-
en- In December last, lie stated that upon full
examination and delIberatIon, he must refuse to
pay the amount claimed, or settle with the
State without deaucJing the arr Junt of q pre-
tended claim against the State. growing out of
a diversion OF portion OF the Luas granted TO
the Territory Of Wisconsin 10 aid the building
of the Milwaukee and Rock River Ceual, by
the Territory. and appToPgiaune the proceeds
of the sales Of those lands 20 the of the Ter
ritorv. Some further legislation by Congress
IS necessary before The State can realize any
thing from this source. I recommend that the
Legislature distinctly call the attention of our
Senators and Representatives in Congress 10
this subject, and authorize them TO prosecute
the demands of the State both before Congress
and the DEPARTMENTS There is 40 good reason
in my judgement why this money is withheld,
unless II Is the want Of money TO pay. / am
satisfied that nothing can be gained by any
more agencies, or .ucurriu- further expenses.