MEMORIAL

To congress for an appropriation to complete the steam boat landing at Potosi, in Wisconsin.

To the honorable the Senate and House of Representatires in Congress assembled:

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 section of land for the improvement of the Grant river at the town of Potosi, in Wisconsin, territory," approved June 15, 1844, appropriated to the said territory section number thirty-four, in town three, north of range three west, for the purpose of improving the Grant river slough, at the town of Potosi, in said territory. that in pursuance of the intention, of congress as expressed in said act, the territory of Wisconsin have caused said section to be sold, and the nett proceeds arising from said sale, after deducting therefrom all expenses, are two thousand seven hundred and twenty-five dollars and odd cents, which sum is now expended. The commissioners appointed by the legis lative assembly of Wisconsin have caused a reconnoisance and survey of the improvement necessary to be made, in order to carry out the intentions of congress, with reference to the same, under the superintendance of Joshua Barney, from whose report and estimate it appears that the sum of twenty thousand and forty dollars is necessary to perfect and eousumate said improvement. The legislative assembly there fore ask your honorable bodies to make an additional appropriation of the sum, of seventeen thousand three hundred and fifteen dollars, which your memorialists think will be sufficient to complete said improvement.

Your memorialists would suggest the propriety of placing said appropriation under the direction of the legislature of Wisconsin.

Your memorialists will not enlarge upon the importance of said improvement to the interests of the said territory and the great and rapidly increasing commerce of the Upper Missis sissippi, but simply remark that the Potosi landing is the. point from which a large amount of the vast quantity of lead raised in the territory is shipped and that the products of the Upper Mississippi lead mines, during the past year exceeded thirty millions of pounds, and is yet on the increase.

Your memorialists will further state that the appropriation already made will be entirely useless for the purpose of effecting said improvement without an additional one sufficient to complete it; they therefore repeat their request that congress will at its present session make the appropriation here. in asked for.

TIMOTHY BURNS,

Speaker, of the House of Representatives.

HORATIO N. WELLS,

President of the Council.

APPROVED February 26, 1848.

HENRY DODGE.

MEMORIAL

To congress on the subject of an appropriation for a light house at Port Washington, and for a survey of its harbor.

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 shows,

That the country bordering on lake Michigan lying be tween the city of Milwaukee and Sheboygan is settling very fast, and increasing its population in a ratio quite unprecedented, as will fully appear by the following statement, to wit: .

Washington county, in June one thousand eight hundred and forty-six, contained a population of seven thousand four hundred and seventy-three inhabitants, and in December of the following year it had increased to fifteen thousand five hundred and forty-seven. Dodge county, in June one thousand eight hundred and forty-six, contained seven thousand seven hundred and eighty-seven inhabitants, and on the first day of December of the succeeding year had increased to fourteen thousand nine hundred and six. Columbia county in the same period of time increased from one thousand nine hundred and sixty-nine, to three thousand seven hundred and ninety-one inhabitants exhibiting an increse in the total population of those counties in about eighteen months, of sixteen thousand nine hundred and fifteen inhabitants, and which population is rapidly augmenting.

That the most convenient point of access those counties have to lake Michigan, is that of Port Washington, where the commerce of that important region of country centres, and where, for the convenience, safety and protection of ves sels, and steamboats navigating lake Michigan, a light house should be erected without delay.

Your memorialists would therefore pray your honorable body to make a suitable appropriation for a light house at Port Washington; and would also specially recommend that a survey of the harbor at that place should be immediately made.

Your memorialists would also respectfully refer your honorable body to the message of his excellency, governor Dodge, made to the present legislative assembly of Wisconsin, showing the growing importance of the above mentioned region of

country, and of its emineut claim to the appropriation and

To congress praying that the military reservation on the east side of the Mississippi river, opposite to Fort Snelling, may be raised, and the right of pre-emption granted to the former settlers thereon.

To the honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the United States in Congress assembled:

The memorial of the legislative assembly of the territory of Wisconsin respectfully sheweth,

That the military reservation of Fort Snelling, on the east side of the Mississippi river, while it is of no real advantage to the fort and garrison on the west side of the said river, is the most serious disadvantage to the inhabitants of the surrounding country.

That when the survey of the tract afterwards reserved was made, and before the said reserve was sanctioned, a resolution was adopted by the legislative assembly of Wiconsin, approved December 16, 1839, which after reciting the

grievances which would enure to the settlers on the tract in question, and the injury which would result to the inhabitants of that part of the territory by the confirmation of the reserve, concluded as follows:

"Resolved, by the Council' and House of Representatives of the Territory of Wisconsin, That our delegate in congres be requested to protest against the extension of the military reserve of Fort Snelling, on the Wisconsin side of the Mississippi."

Your memorialists further represent that notwithstanding the passage of the said resolution, congress did confirm the military reserve on the east side of the Mississippi.

That when the reserve was so confirmed, the said tract so reserved was occupied by several families to the number of from fifteen to eighteen, who had settled and made improvements thereon about two years previous to the said confirmation, in good faith and with the intention of availing themselves of the benefit of the pre-emption laws, and of purcha sing the land on which they had settled, as soon as the same should be subject to entry.

That these families had made permanent improvements on the said land, having erected, houses, broken up and fenced their lands, and put in, crops..

That in the summer of 1840 after the confirmation of the reserve by congress as aforesaid, the said settlers were forcibly driven off from their farms and houses by the military of Fort Snelling, their houses were torn down, their personal property in many cases wantonly destroyed, their growing crops deprived of their care and attention, utterly lost, and the several families directly damaged in their property to the amount of at least five hundred dollars each,

That some of these families have not to this day recovered from the losses and injuries which they sustained by the outrages of the military in the year 1840 as aforesaid.

Your memorialists would further respectfully represent that the reservation on the east side of the Mississippi, is useless to the military station on the opposite side of the said river, the reservation on the west side immediately