RESOLUTIONS relative to the disposition of

certain lands granted by Congress to aid in the construction of the Milwaukee and Rock River Canal.

WHEREAS, Congress, by an act approved June fifth, eighteen hundred and thirty-eight, granted to the Territory of Wisconsin, to aid in the construction of the Milwaukee and Rock River Canal, one-half of a strip of land ten miles wide, along the route of said canal, consisting of the odd-numbered sections, and numbering about one hundred and forty thousand acres:

Whereas, by the conditions of this grant, the proceeds of said lands can be used to construct said canal, and for no other purposes; the sections thus granted, and the even-numbered sections adjoining, making the other half of said strip, and numbering one hundred and forty thousand acres, cannot be sold for less than two dollars and fifty cents per acre; and the Territory or future State must become liable for the proceeds of the grant, if the canal is not completed in six years from this time:

Whereas, said grant was induced by the mistaken belief that by the aid thus given the canal would be soon constructed; that thereby the value, sale and settlement of the public lands would be rapidly promoted; that the entire tract along the route of the canal would be eagerly taken up at such double price, and that a grant on these terms was ardently desired by the settlers along the canal line and by the people of the Territory:

Whereas, the Legislative Assembly has done all that prudence and justice would permit, to execute beneficially the trust reposed in her by said grant, and for that purpose has sold forty-two thousand four hundred and forty-seven acres of these lands to settlers on a liberal credit, and has made repeated efforts in three successive years to borrow money on the pledge of her faith and of this grant, and

Whereas, the entire sum which the Territory has been able to expend on the canal is but one thousand dollars borrowed, and thirteen thousand six hundred and four dollars and forty cents, re

ceived from sales of land; and the entire sum expended by the canal company is but a few thousand dollars:

Whereas, all hopes of the construction of the canal are abandoned by its friends, and it is now clearly seen to be a work far beyond the resources of the canal company or of the Territory:

And whereas, this so called grant has been imposed upon the Territory without her consent; has greatly retarded the settlement and improvement of a large region of the finest country; has imposed upon the early settlers of that country an intolerable burthen, and has become the fruitful source of political strife and of vexatious legislation; therefore,

Be it resolved by the Council and House of Representatives of the Territory of Wisconsin :

1. That all connexion of the Territory with the Milwaukee and Rock River Canal Company ought to be henceforth dissolved; that all prosecution of the work of the canal by the Territory ought to be henceforth abandoned; that the Territory ought not further to proceed to execute the office of trustee imposed upon her by the act of Congress, approved June fifth, eighteen hundred and thirty-eight.

2. That the Congress of the United States be and is hereby requested to repeal so much of said act of June fifth, eighteen hundred and thirty-eight, as directs the application of the fund and prescribes the conditions of the grant; and that the cession of the same land be made to the Territory upon the terms following, viz:

That the minimum price of the even-numbered sections, reserved by Congress, be reduced to one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre.

That the odd numbered sections be made subject to the disposal of the Territory or future State of Wisconsin, for purposes of in ternal improvement, to be designated by the Territory, subject to the approval of Congress.

That no other conditions or restrictions be annexed to such grant, excepting that the Territory may be prohibited from selling

any portion of said land at a price less than one dollar and twentyfive cents per acre.

3. That if Congress shall decline to alter the act of cession so as to conform to the terms herein set forth, or to terms equally satisfactory; that Congress be and is hereby requested to repeal the act of June fifth, eighteen hundred and thirty-eight, unconditionally, and to sell and dispose of so much of the lands as shall by such repeal revert or be retroceded to Congress, in the same manner and upon the same terms as other public lands are sold by the government. That Congress be further requested to direct by law that the bonds, mortgages, records and securities, pertaining to the lands sold by the Territory, be transferred to the custody of the register and receiver of the United States land office at Milwaukee; that the several purchasers of said lands, (for which the purchase money is not yet paid) their representatives or assigns be permitted to pay to the receiver of such land office, within a given time, to be fixed by law, the purchase money of said land at one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre; and upon the certificate of such payment, that the register of such land office be required to discharge and cancel the bonds and mortgages executed by said purchasers respectively, and the records thereof; and that in default of such payment by any such purchaser, within the time so prescribed, the amount due on such securities, or so much thereof as to Congress shall seem equitable, shall be collected in such manner as Congress shall by law direct. And that Congress be further requested to make such provision for the return of the excess price paid by the purchasers of the even-numbered sections at two dollars and fifty cents, or such other relief as shall seem equitable and just.

4. That copies of the foregoing preamble and resolutions be transmitted to be presented to each house of Congress, and to our delegate in Congress, and that said delegate be and is hereby requested to introduce and urge the passage of a bill to carry these resolutions into effect.

APPROVED, February 17, 1842.

RESOLUTION providing for the election of Commissioner of Public Buildings.

Resolved, (the Council concurring,) That the two Houses of the Legislative Assembly meet in the Representatives' Hall, on Friday, the eighteenth day of February, instant, at 12 o'clock M. and proceed to choose by ballot, a commissioner of public buildings for the ensuing year, who shall be subject to all the provisions now in force of the several acts providing for the erection of public buildings, not inconsistent with the provisions of this act. The compensation of which commissioner shall be five dollars per day for each day he shall be necessarily employed in the duties of his appointment: Provided, that the whole amount of days so employed shall not exceed forty: And provided, that the compensation thus allowed shall be inclusive of all expenses.

RESOLUTIONS relative to the removal of the Indians.

Resolved, by the Council and House of Representatives of the Territory of Wisconsin:

That to insure the security and tranquility of the white settlements in an extensive and valuable district of this Territory, the Indians should be removed from, and their title extinguished to, all the lands in Wisconsin lying east of a line drawn from Fond du Lac, on lake Superior, to the mouth of Sandy Lake river, on the Mississippi.

Resolved, That the removal of the Indian tribes from their ancient homes, when called for by the increase of the white population, should be with a view to their permanent location in a district of country to which the white settlements shall not extend, and where the energies of the government may be directed to the improvement of their condition.

Resolved, That the Hon. H. Dodge, delegate in Congress, is hereby requested to urge upon the general government the necessity of freeing the Territory from the Indian population within her

limits, and their permanent location west of the Mississippi, in such a country as the wisdom of the general government shall judge best calculated for the residence of the Indians; and where their prosperity and happiness can be best promoted.

Resolved, That his excellency, the Governor, be requested to transmit one copy of the foregoing resolutions to the delegate in Congress from this Territory, to the Hon. the president of the Senate of the United States, and to the Hon. the secretary of war. APPROVED, February 18, 1842.

RESOLUTIONS asking for an appropriation from Congress for the survey of a railroad from Potosi, on the Mississippi river, to lake Michigan.

Resolved, by the Council and House of Representatives of the Territory of Wisconsin:

That the Congress of the United States be urgently requested to make an appropriation of ten thousand dollars, to be expended under the direction of the Territorial engineer, for the survey of a railroad from Potosi, in Grant county, Wisconsin, on the Mississippi river, to lake Michigan, in Wisconsin Territory, to form a part of the chain of internal improvements from the Atlantic to the Mississippi river.

Resolved, That the delegate in Congress from Wisconsin Territory, be requested to urge the passage of a law for such an appropriation.

Resolved, That one copy of the foregoing resolutions be forwarded to the president of the Senate of the United States, one copy to the speaker of the House of Representatives, and one copy to our delegate in Congress.

APPROVED, February 18, 1842.