, 1873-12-12

will Institute soerohing investigation, md re-
voso Whatever iitlos ara in tho sllEhtcst dogroo
tainted with fraud. wo havo no doubt whntoyar.
Tho old settlers OF West Las Aumas, and tho
fertile lands to whic!, they claim logal right
paramount to any othor--by roason Of long oo-
c,lpt,oy, cultivation, and itlprovomouts-a as
ono man III tf!oir determination 10 resist tho,
swtnd|o Of wl,icl, they aro victims. Hcoloa Of
statod arc on route fur tho CAPITAL, md somo
four hundred signaturos have been ai1ixcd to tho
following petition to Congress-:
III the Honorable co''ress Of he United ssates:
Your petitioners. ctizons of tic County Of -,
Syss Ssso Ssen wroasta S md 's isasy ssr:a
larRo number Of actual ectters thereon. aud under
circumstances indicating tho cntpabl!ity md criminal
misconduct Of some one or moro ollcnrs Of Inc Gov
er1inont, intruhted With tho custody mud disposal Of
public lan.ts situate in said county. Tho !anta thus
franintcnt'y paontoa amount 70 near}y 8.om asfes,
ng 400 habltunts, In enid comfy and all lie vnun,
s.tuate ii vkatis termed the Las Anlmas nran, AUDI
# Townships 81 sonth s. wost au GI souh IS west.
Tha. tho iands so frauducnt1y patented 1svo a for Or
clnnrA by to.e deriving tito under boih grant: Tint
The fosllera Oh said la'a mud ia'iy tifnes rror 70 ho
10 luncstcnl or prt-ulnrt tho trnuts 30 OCCUPIED by
hcm and nye nrred tle and ! timo ' sagaln to 1 tue
they laya leen uniformly and rcpeatoliy told by Tho
oticers Of aal Iand.Unco that those ia1H woro not
set open 10 suttrtnont uhdcr tho Homestead OF Pro.
enlptson laws. md TINT thcse 'nds IN consequence Of
thor he!ng cnine by Tho grantees or tlotr Hangns In
sad grlut, wuro not open to settlement; TINT tlcse
sctlSre, rcyird upon tho good faith and trllthfunoss
Of said officers, continued 10 reside upon, cultivate,
and Improve thcr respective trnets In the hope TINT,
when aaid lan1s wonl DO open tosotletent they could
iegaizc their respective Buttlenrnts by making the
proper filings.
But your lctitioners stntc that instead Of obtaining
tho said lands under said laws, patents fur snid land
ware sslte to cortuu rarsons who wcrc not only non.
residents but also utterly unknown in said county, by
tho location Of tho Agricultural College scrip contrary
to Aw Dy fraud au perjury on tlio lMrt of soue ono
or moro Of said oflcera and by eir confecratinH
nd cu,,bInng with Baid persons to swtndlo and cheat
said settlers, and to enrich corain railroad anu Its
officials aud other persons conuGccd thGroWita {said
lands lying at tho terminal point OF said raraad Into
whose han.la MI tho landa frauducntly patented
have by devious dees aud conycyanccs at last been
crlltgren.
rhcso frauts aro palpab1o and gross outragea,
not only upon those settlers thus Immediately
wronged, but upon MI the good people Of tho Tcrrs-
tory. Every one in any way connecled with the por
peraton Of these frantta can bo discovered, md We
respectfully ask that Cougreso Investigate the 1natera
colupued Of that these patents be declared fraud1'-
lent md TINT they 10 set aBae: that the rights Of set
tiers aud other claimants 10 protected US though raid
pnsenta Ind mover been ss,,cd mud tint tho guilty
officials, II any there 10. bo publicly disclosed.