, 1862-06-17
A monGtrouB Fraud.

From the Madleon IN ISL Journal, 1ath |
4 fraud Of the most astounding aud elabo-
ratc character has Just come to light. It is
nothing less than the Interpolation Of 4 forgery
into the organic act under which Wisconsin
Tas admitted into the Union, and which has
remained undiscovered for the past fourteen
yea1s.
The forgery consists Of the closing proyiso
of section two, Of the organic act, which pro-
vides that 't the liabilities incurred BY the ter
ritorial government Of Wisconsin under the
act entitled san act to grant q quantity ofland
to the territory Of Wisconsin, for the purpose
Of aiding in opening canal to connect shc
waters of Lake Michigan with those Of Rock
River, hereinbefore referred to, shall be paid
end discharged by the State Of Wisconsin"
1t is upon this proyiso that the Rock River
Canal Company has hitherto founded its claim
against the State. 1t Is this proViso and the
United States Government has invariably
pleaded in bar for every application Of the
State for the fi7e per cent. fund due her.
Last winter the representatives Of that COM
papv brought before the legislature and de-
manded the settlement Of that claim. They
one, though every Legislative committee hith-
| ezto Investigating it, had arrived at Il different
| conclusion. But they said, whether just or
not, " gentlemen legislators, you must settle
with us before you can set the ire pei: cent:
| fund Refuse, and the United States will still
withhold that fund; settle, and you will i'm
mediately receive greater amount than we
| clai1n bY the payment to the State Of the i've
| per cent. fund" It was this argument which
carried through the bill at the winter session
to settle the Old claim Of the Canal ComP15nJ taaP ~
| Fortunately, before any seton mas oeen nao
nni7er that Iaw, the iniquity of fourteen years
$40 has come to Light, and no doubt the act Of
t11e winter session will be promptly repealed
by 81 GoH ;ot
The Union, as originally introduced, contained
the proyiso in question, but that it WAS strack-
en- out on motion Of Mr. Tweedy, the dele
gate from Wisconsin that it pasBed the House
thus amended, and *ss correctly pu5hsh2ed
the following day in the Congressional Gtobt
that it went to the Senate and passed that
body without amendment. The interpola
ton was doubtless accomplished through
some of the engrossing clerks Of the Sena!e
That it was deliberate fraud and not an aeSl e;
dent, those who have Investigated are fully
| convinced, Other amendments were made Il
| the same section In the House aud the c1aust
Immediately proceeding the bogus passage va:
not contained in the original bill, but inserted
as an amendment. The fact that these are Al
IL printed in newspaper at Washington ate
i passed the House and before it went to tn
Senate seem conclusive as to the fraud.
The credit Of bringing this audacious p1ec
Of yillainy to light, Is largely Que 70 me iaoor
, Guiding the investigation and finding the IN
dubltab1e evidence of the forgery, Introduce
I | bill in Congress remlthng to Nascons1
, | upon the amount due as war tax sum equ:
to what is her dne from The the EsdefA cant Goxe YET
: This bill, after the evidences OF the bogus n:
ture of the passage referred to in the act az
c u,itting the State into the Union, received tn
!. | unanimous support of the Finance Com nit tt
). Of the Senate, and VII oouotless eecoms :33 =,
a | 3orio11v liphtcu the burden of taxation upC