The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1877-12-05
THE Log SEIZURES.
Petition from the Pensacola Tir
her and Lumber Exchange.
PENsACnLIA. "a. NoY. d. ],

1EdSACOLIA, la NOV. 1871.
To Hon. C. w. Jones, S. b. Conover. u. s
Senate; and II. I'll. VI. Davidson, uoratit
Bisbee, Jr., U. 5. House of Representa-
tives.
Your memoriaIists would solicit your
attention to the fact that in several ports
of the South agents of the United States
Government have caused wholesale seiz
ures of logs, lumber and timber belong.
ing to private individuals, claiming that
the same hid been cut from the United
States lands. It is believed that such
seizures have been made indiscriminate-
ly, without any evidence on the part of
said agents; that a large proportion of
said property seized was cut from private
lands, and was the lawful and legitimate
property of the holders, thereby subject
ing innocent parties to great and ruinous
losses by the stoppage of their business,
inability to fulfill their contracts, and en-
failing great distress upon innocent and
helpless labOrers by depriving them of
their employment and support.
We deprecate the unlawful cutting of
the timber from the public lands, and
will use our best endeavors to prevent
the same, believing that such will tend
10 tue OoSC OF all COUC0Eu6Qs ne IIIu
Der lands have been out of the market
since the close of the war and the land
marks entirely extinguished. The ma
jority of the people living on these lands
or adjacent thereto, being of an igno-
rant class, have eventually looked upon
the same as free to all, no action to the
contrary having been taken to disabuse
their minds until the present, and we
must consider the Government is really
at fault, from its neglect and long silence
in these respects.
In consideration of the difficulty of
identifying after same has been cut and
removed from the locality where grown,
and of the impracticability of purchasers
to inform themselves in all cases whether
such timber was obtained from public or
private lands, and the almost total OBJ
liberation of surveyors marks in the tim
Der section, the Government should
cause resurvey Of the lands and place
their agents (until survey is done) 10
such convenient localities that trespas-
sers thereon may be detected, properly
punished aud property recovered, and
not allowing the lands to be subject to
unnoticed depredations. For long Sc
ries of years the Government has al
lowed the community at large to believe
it was an uninterested observer of the
despoliation of the timber belt, and now,
without notice, it seizes the whole prop
erty of community, paralyzes its bust
ness, and brings utter ruin upon indi-
viduals who are guilty of no crime, but
are punished for the wrong that his
neighbor may have done. The accumu-
latiOn of years swept away by demur-
RACES, and penalties incurred by inabil-
ity to fill contracts, and such inability
caused by the reckless and cruel act of
thoughtless or mischievous Government
agent.
Lands here are held by individuals in
quantities ranging from 1000 to 200, 900
acres, but by the course pursued by the
agents it is no protection against seizure,
even if every log or stick of timber in
their possession was cut from their own
property. The injustice is too patent for
the Government to permit, ard should
not further be allowed In justice to the
community no logs or timber should be
seized except such as are cut from the
public lands, which action would give no
ground for complaint; but such seizures
SnOuIO DS mduo D6IOTo tue 0oNOIhIn0nI
has allowed them to go into the hands of
innocent parties, who may have paid for
the same in good faith, believing them
to have been cut on private lands.
This wholesale denuding of the public
forest has rendered private lands almost
vaIueIess. If the government would
stop the cutting of timber from the pub
lie lands, private lands would approx
mate those of Government in price, and
if the Government would put its lands
in market they would then readily sell,
but under present circumstances no par
ty can afford to buy pine lands at the
price asked by the Government. In
view of the foregoing circumstances, we
would urge and request you to use your
best endeavors to accomplish the follow
ing objects, if possible, by your influence
with the Executive branch of the Gov
eminent, believing that the good of all
will be promoted thereby, as it is not to
the interest of the Government to tyran-
nically Cypress any class or portion of its
people:
1. That the lines of the Government
survey be run out, and all may have
proper notice as to the boundaries
OF grants, TallEOduS anu OldLo anu On4IOO
States lands.
2. That the Government place the
public lands In the market for sale.
3. That the Government place suita
BILE persons at convenient localities to
protect the timber and punish trepassers
on same.
A. That the Governments, agent be in
structed not to seize any logs, lumber or
timber without evidence that same has
been taken from the public domain.
Confidently relying upon the exertion
of your influence in the accomplishment
of the foregoing measures, your memorial
lists subscribe themselves.
Very respectfully,
E. n. ROBERT,
A. 6. Conn,
o. III. QUEAL,
w. F. MCCORMICK,
A. HYER,
Z. w. WRIGHT,
A. f. SIMMONS,
III. BAARs,
T. G.. WATSON,
Executive Committee of Pensacola
Timber and Lumber Exchange.
Unmarried Women.
The Almighty would not have put so
many women into the world if there had
not been work for them to do. He
knows they cannot all marry. Shall it
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