American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1859-02-25

die the Government to which briefa
fusion has heretofore been made, L.
fully developed and exposed by f.Occa-
Isional,1 the tenchant Washing on cor
respondent Of Forneys Press. The oh.
ject ofthis scheme IS TO obtain pos,
session of the territory Of Rock Island
in the State of Illinois, containing a.
bout nine hundred acres of land, esti.
mated to be worth two millions Of dol.
lars. 1t was set apart as a military
rescr walton ial18l5, but of late years
spectators have tried to get posses
sion of it by means of squatter sovcr.
eighty, though their efforts, until re-
Gently, lnvc been thwartcd by the &C.
tive measures Of the War Department.
After Buchanan's Inauguration, among
::hc many fraudulent combinations m AIDE
IL rlundor the government, was one
headed by S0aator JJcncs, Of Iowa, and
Maj. Lindsey, 10 locate squatters on
Rock Island, build cabins, and then
set up pre- :cmption claims. The for.
mer faithful Government Agent was
removed by Mr.. buchanan, and an.
other appointed, who has aided Jones
| and Lindsey, by allowing their tools
TO squat and build on the island. 1t
seems however that the rougcs could
not hold together, and to parties have
arisen, each claiming the property.
One party is represented by Mont
gomery Blair, of Washington city, who
was recently solicitor TO the Court Of
Claims, and the other party, Joncs,
Lindsey & Co., by young Mr.. Fitch,
son Ex-senator Fitch, and United States
District Attorney for the Northern.
district of Illinois, in which this island
is situated. Well may Occasional
ask sis it not a remarkable feature
in this transaction that United States
Senators, and United States Attorneys
and Solicitors should be parties to q
scheme to defraud the Government of
the United States out ola large and
valuable tract of land worth millions
of dollars, while their duty is, under
their oath of Office, to protect the rights
and interests of the United States u
gainst such attempts ?"
The vigilent correspondent says is
appears from the Chicago Press and
Tribune, that they are trying to take
shelter under somo loose expressions
in the opinion of Judge Mclean. in the
Rock Island bridge case, in which he
declared that the military reservation
having been abandoned in 184S, be-
came partsof the public lands, and
subject to the generalland laws. Now,
it MIR. Fitch, the United States Dis.
trict Attorney, understood his duties
and desired to execute them, and not
to aid these swindlers, he would know
that the Supreme Court of tho United
States in very important and noted
case, decided directly the reverse Of
this. Gen. Beanbien, of Chicago,
proved presumption right to the F ort
Dearbon reservation in that city. In
that case, notwithstanding the proclaim
alton of Gen. jackson declaring the
reservation subject TO private entry
and pre-. emption, the court decided
that having once been reservation it
could never become subject to private
entry or presumption, and could only
be disposed Of in such manner as Con-
grcss should prescribe for the sale Of
military reservations. According to
that decision, these would.be pre-. emp
TONERS can have no claim whatever to
a presumption on Rock Island. soc.
caslonal' also states that the commits.
sioncr of the general land Office has
decided, or is about to decide, in favor
OF these precmptors, but it is under
stood that 1.-THE Secretary of the Interi-
or ia opposed to it, and will orerrule
such decision if made. Anticipating
this last result, tho conspiritors are
trying to procure an act Of Congress
confirming their preemptions, and it is
said that on application of Senator
Jones and others of his associates, the
committee on public lands Of the House
Of Representatives have already n.
greed to report in favor of giving Rock
/ Island, worth now couple of millions
of dollars, and daily increasing in val.
ne, to q gang of plunderers for one
dollar and twenty-five cents an acre,
or little over eleven hundred dollars!
These are the facts Of this astounding
case, but it is hoped that the timely ex.
pose of this scheme will prevent its
| consummation. Louisville Journal.