only effectual means of protecting and securing the rights of innocent parties, the legislative assembly of the territory of Wisconsin respectfully and most earnestly petition Your Excellency to withhold from sale all lands embraced in the late proclamation for sale of lands in the Mineral Point land district, to be held on the 24th of May next, which have been previously entered at the land office in said district, or granted by the United States for any other purpose. And, as in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray. Speaker of the House of Representatives. APPROVED, January 29, 1847. President of the Council. HENRY DODGE.. MEMORIAL To congress for the indemnification of Elbert Dickenson, To the Honorable the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States in Congress assembled: The memorial of the Legislative Assembly of the Territo-ry of Wisconsin, respectfully sheweth: That some time in the month of December, A. D. 1839, a band of Winnebago Indians, consisting of about seventy persons, and coming from the west side of the Wisconsin river, a region to which the Indian title had not been extinguished, forcibly entered and took possession of the buildings and farm. of Elbert Dickenson, of Columbus, in Portage county, in the territory of Wisconsin, on the east side of the Wisconsin riv er: that such possession was retained by the said Indians until some time in March following, during which time they subsisted upon the provisions of the said Elbert Dickenson until the whole was exhausted. Your memorialists further shew that the damage sustained by the said Elbert Dickenson, by reason of such forcible occupation of his farm, and consumption of his provisions was very great. The wheat alone consumed by them amounted to twelve hundred bushels, of the value as estimated by six sworn appraisers, of nine hundred and seventy dollars. Believing that under the act of June 30th, 1834, commonly called the Indian intercourse act, his losses would be refunded, he applied to the war department for redress and compensation. His application to that department was rejected on the ground that his case did not come within the provisions of that act, and that therefore the department could not issue an order for the payment of the claim out of the Indian annuity. Your memorialists therefore recommend the case of this claimant to the favorable consideration of your honorable body, and trust the guaranty of the United States, given in the aforementioned act, for the eventual indemnification of persons whose property has in such manner been taken, stolen or destroyed, will be made available for the benefit of this claimant. WILLIAM SHEW, Speaker of the House of Representatives. MASON C. DARLING, APPROVED, February 5, 1847. HENRY DODGE. President of the Council. MEMORIAL To congress relative to pre-emptions and public lands. To the Hon. Senate and House of Representatives, in Congress assembled: The memorial of the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Wisconsin respectfully sheweth: That the time extended to pre-emptors of public land has failed in the object designed by congress in the passing of said act, from the fact that one year is not sufficient to enable the settler to realize any profits from said lands. Your memorialists would therefore represent that those persons who wish to settle on government lands, and receive the benefit of such pre-emption laws, are, as a general thing, persons of small means, and very frequently with large families, and that one year is but just sufficient to enable them to get in a crop and provide a shelter for their families. Your memorialists would therefore pray your honorable body to pass a law extending the time to five years, believ ing that the ends of justice, humanity, and the interests of the country generally would be subserved thereby. Your memorialists would further represent, that the practice of selling the public lands in large quantities to individuals or companies, which land is not designed for immediate cultivation, is a serious drawback on the prosperity of the country, large bodies of such lands being at this time uncultivated, and held at such high prices that it cannot be purchased for such purposes. Therefore your petitioners pray your honorable body to pass a law restricting the sales of public lands to actual settlers. Your memorialists would further respectfully suggest that the sales of the public lands in this territory would be greatly increased by the passage of a law by which the minimum prices of the public lands would be gradually reduced in proportion to the time they have been subject to entry, and that by such reduction a great part of the public domain would be purchased, which, under the present system, will remain unsold and uncultivated for a great many years. And, as in duty bound, will ever pray. WILLIAM SHEW, Speaker of the House of Representatives. MASON C. DARLING, APPROVED, February 5, 1847. HENRY DODGE. President of the Council. A MEMORIAL To the congress of the United States in relation to the establishment of certain mail routes therein named. To the honorable Senate and House of Representatives in Congress assembled: The memorial of the legislative assembly of the territory of Wisconsin respectfully shews: That the business of an important portion of the territory imperiously demands that a mail route should be established from the Falls of St. Croix to La Point, on Lake Superior, to be carried once in two weeks. Your memorialists would further represent that the establishment of the above route, would not only be a great convenience to the (rapidly increasing and) enterprising settlers, but would also be the means of developing more fully the valuable lumbering and mineral resources of that portion of our territory. Your memorialists would further represent that the public convenience, and increasing settlements on Black river imperiously demand that a mail route should be established from Prairie La Cross, to the Falls of Black river to be carried once in two weeks. The distance between the above named places is about sixty miles. Your memorialists would further represent that the same reasons would justify the establishment of a mail route from the above mentioned Falls of Black river, to the Falls of the Chippewa river, distance fifty-five miles, to be carried once in two weeks, thereby affording additional facilities for increas ing the settlements in that valuable lumbering region. WILLIAM SHEW, Speaker of the House of Representatives. APPROVED, February 8, 1847. President of the Council. HENRY DODGE. A MEMORIAL To congress for an appropriation of land to complete the steam boat landing at Potosi, in Wisconsin. To the honorable the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States in Congress assembleds: The memorial of the Council and House of Representatives of the Territory of Wisconsin, respectfully represent : That congress, by an act entitled "an act granting a sec |