The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1850-06-26
nSwaInp Lands.'

~ * SS>S> ~
! Arkansas, and other States, to reclaim the
"S,oamp Lands" within their limit, passed the
Senate of the United States on the 18th insta mt,
and will probably soon become law. The pro-
visions of the bill are such, that the whole ofthe
land designated on the plats of the General
Land Office as "Swamp Lands,' and which
shall remain unsold at the passage of the bill,
shall be granted to the State in which they lie,
upon the condition that the proceeds of said
lands, whether from sale, or by direct appropri-
alton in kind, shall be applied, exclusively, as
far as necessary, to the purpose of retaining
said lands, by means of levees and drains. 1t
provides that the Secretary of the Interior shall
Immediately, on the passage of the act, transmit
to the Governor of the State an accurate list and
plats Of the lands SO designated, and at the re-
quest of the Governor, shall issue patent to
the State for the same, conveying the fee sim
pie to the State, subject to the disposal of the
Legislature thereof. ..s .. .......
By the report of the Commissioner of the &C.
neral Land Office, we find, that up to January,
.1S49, there had been returned by the Deputy
Surveyors upon the public lands in the State of
Iowa, 1913 acres as stS,camp Lamds.' At this
period less than half the State had been survey
ed. Should the same proportion be found in the
unsurveyed parts of the State as in those alrea-
dy returned, we should have within our State
only some 10000 acres of ''swamp lands.
Upon the passage of the bill, Mr.. Jones made
the following concise and sensible remarks:
MIR. Jones' MIR. President, this is general
bill, and applicable to every State in which there
are public lands covered with swamps. There
is not much of this description of land in the
State from which come, but sufficient guam
tity to make me feel deep interest in the pass
age of this bill. do not expect to be able to
add much to what has been so we'll said by my
distinguished friend from illinois, Mr. Shields
and others, in support Of this measures. His
mr. Ssh long and intimate knowledge of eve
rythng connected with our land system, having
been for several years, as we all know, its eff
cient head, enables him to speak with a more
correct knowledge of the details of this subject,
than perhaps any other member of the Senate.
Having been for several years connected with
the surveys Of the public lands, my attention has
been necessarily drawn to this particular sub
ject These swamp lands are now entirely val
ueless to the General Government, and are high
" injurious to the health and settlement Of those
portions Of the State in which they lie; so much
SO, indeed, as to ln]ure, and oftentimes to pre-
vent the sales Of the contiguous lands, which are
susceptible of cultivation and inhabitation. The
question then is, sir, whether the General Gov.
eminent will continue its ownership over these
inundated lands-which spread disease and death
amongst the people-or, by surrendering them
TO the States, allow them to be rendered fit for
cultivation and settlement. No one, presume,
ever thinks that the United States will ever en-
ter upon any system for the reclamation of these
lands; the sooner, then, it parts with its owner.
ship, the better for all concerned. Something
has been said as to the quantity of these lands
to be granted by this BILL with me, it makes no
difference whether the quantity be more or less
lact upon the principle that we are all bound
to do something with these refuse lands, and
know Of no other or better mode of disposing OF
them, than that proposed by this bill. l shall,
therefore, willingly vote for this bill, and most
sincerely hope that it may become a law.
III It is made the duty Of the Government depu
ty.surveyor, by law, and under the instructions
Of the surveyor general, to designate the swamp
lands. They are Therefore, SO delincated upon
the plats, and by the feld-notes of the deputies,
40 to enable the Commissioner of the General
Land Office to assign them to the States in which
they lie, without there being any danger that a
ny other than swamp lands would or could be
given to such States. a