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customary on lands belonging to the Government.

Your remonstrants do further represent that the settlement on said Lots, commenced in the year 1834 and has continued to this day and under that settlement the settlers have allways had the possession and are now in possession of said lots and have built thirty three dwellings, ware houses & shacks estimated to be worth twenty five thousand dollars. On the other hand the persons named in the petition have not made the least improvement and but five buildings have been erected by persons claiming under them valued at five thousand dollars. Your remonstrants do also further represent that were your Honorable bodied vested with power to decide to whom the land rightfully belongs your remonstrants would long since have laid their case before you as they have before the Congress of the United States.

But as your Hon. bodies cannot ultimately decide the question we view it highly wrong for the petitioners to ask the passage of said memorial for the purpose of having the weight of influence of our local Legislature in the scale of the petitioners and against your remonstrants. In view of the foregoing considerations, your remonstrants pray that the prayer of said petitioners may not be granted and that no memorial on the subject of said lands, may be passed. And your remonstrants, as in duty bound will ever pray
Milwaukee Dec. 18th 1840.