Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1850-12-26
For the Burlington Hawk. Eye.
@ w,rmos's M.ssa % n iaxs-SMamr Lands.

mes age. anh iik. il for think It well written,
,ounA practical d,r deficient IN one very I'M
p,rtant matter only, to which shall aliuse heie-
after. have read also Gov. IIemp>tea's In ',ign-
raj. and do not like it, Cor think it narrow and
arti an in its views ultra in its tone-unstates-
maniike. The first part Of il has not even the merit
VI hcing cramm ,,ica,ly written. II is an''c"rro-
anti bank in ruth i, antics strongly that
it goes anti corporation and ann-bank blind. Yet
we believ. that large majority Of the citiz"ns Of
Iowa being intelligent, rejecting men are SO OPP ,
posed to the Governors ultra notions against banks
and corporations that they will"''e his biind' an"
s:go so much be'ter'' as eventually to compel the
legislature to provide by law for the holding OF
convention of the people to so amend the constitu-
ton to strike from it those ant-bank anti corpo-
ration features which now retard the prosperity,
and paraly ze the energies of Iowa. Every man OF
common sense knows that II 1t were the intention
Of the trainers Of state constitution to prohibit
Ito eradicate the circulation Ct paper currency,
that intention has most signaly failed in its ohe,t,
and will fail long as the paper Of the banks
nf other states is permitted to circulate here. And
every man knows, too, that there never will be
prohibition against the bank paper of other states
II being settled, then, that we shall continue TO
have a constantly increasing amount OF paper cur
rency OF some kind, with which to transact the hu-
sn-ss OF the county, is not better to have banks
Of our own; chartered Ivy our own legislature, IN
such manner. and under such restrictions as shall
b. deemed hest for the public good. better than I"
tru.t the business of the community to the uncer-
tain ebb and ,w of the motley colored tide of for
eign bank paper, which flows in upon us from
every other state Of the Union. AS il now is, in
this section of the state, nearly all the circulating
medium IS composed Of the paper Of distant states
and of brokers, Of whose solrency we know moth
ing, and over whom we have n" control. How Is
it in Louisa county? Some OF our farmers the 9TH
er day sold two thousand dollars worth OF hogs IN
Muse atine; they did not receive one dollar In spe-
Gle, but were paid 81 800 in the bills Of the sPisca-
taqua Exchange Bank Of Portsmouth N. h. and
5000 in the paper of .E.w. Clark Bros, brokers.
This is but sample Of business transactions here
every day. And it is for the people Of Iowa to say
how long they will submit to this miserable suici
da! policy.
But my principal object in this communication
is to notice another matter of vast importance to
Iowa, yet entirely overlooked in both Of the late
messages. l refer to the act of Congress approved
Sept %, $780, entitled s.an act to enable the state
lands, within their limits. Section LIST provides
that TO enable Arkansas to construct the necessary
l-vecs and drains. to reclaim the swamp ard over
a wed lands therein. all such lands rendered unfit
thereby for cultivation and unso'd at the passage
If the act are granted to that state Sec. Cd makes
il the duty ofthe Secretary Of the Interior TO make
out practicable accurate list and plats
Of the lands described, transmit the same to the
Governor OF the state, aud at his request cause
patent to be issued tn the state; which lands are
then at the disposal Of the legislature provided the
proceeds Of said lands whether BY sale or direct
appropriation shall be first applied exclusively to
reclai ming said lands by drains and levees.
Section 81 enacts tina, sin making out the list Of
said lands, ali legal subdivisions, the greater part
OF which Is .swet and unit for cultiv ation shall be
included in said list aud pia,s; but il the greater
part Is not that character the whole Of ii shall be
| retained by Co. ernmsnt.
Sec. 9Th extends the provisions Of the act to all
those states in which there are swamp and over
Hewed iands. -
Such are the terms Of this muniftent grant to
the west, and south~es including lows. And
what contrast is there between the course of the
Executive Of indiana and that OF the Executive Of
Iowa9 While Gov. Hampstead probably in visions
by day and dreams by night. was charging with the
lance Of democracy poised, aud with zeal n,xotic,
at those Gorgons tire--banks and corporations
Gov. Wright Of Ind,anawas busily employed in the
less agreeable. perhaps, but certainly not less u.e-
M labor Of securing to his state all the hen' fits at
this grant. He wrote to the Hon. r. W. Thomp-
son a, Washington to obtain oil possible inform; =
ton there relation to the grant and transmit II I"
him. As early as the 2aih Of October last. Mr.
Thompson embodied the facts in an able letter IT,
Gov. Wight. He says that hy an examination OF
the field notes and plat books he finds the quantity
OF over flowed, wet lands in Indiana reported al
ss $50 acres bur that he b. eves actual sur, ey
will show double that number of acres Of wet. un-
till .ble land; and ne bases this belief on the fact
that many Of the surveys were made in the dry sea-
son of the year when most Of the lands surveyed
which torGered upon the rivers we're dry, though
subject to overflow. And for further proof of this
he refers to the history of similar, former grant
to Louisiana. where al actual survey Of the lands
showed that rather more than one hundred per tcn'
..oyer the quantity repo,ted" was .wet and u'i
for cultivation" He adds that Indiana might saiei.
assume the s,me ratio Of increase, which woult
give her l,sl3.asI acres under the grant. tie 'hei
advises the Governor to address circulars immedi
| attIl 10 c3Cn o. the Countess '"o
the County Surveyors some other competent
persons, make examinations Immediately IN thu
respective counties, eubodying their statement'
in the form Of dispositions, setting forth the lega
subdivisions Of such lands are wet and unfit t"l
cultivation. These statements the adds) Can be iait
before the Registers and Receivers,ln few weeks
and the decisions thereupon can be reported and
confirmed in time fnr the necessary patent to be Is
sued by the close OF December. Gov. Wright act
ed promptly upon these suggestions, and issue
circulars to the several county Surveyors, requl
ring them to report by the 18th OF December inst
50 that government might Immediately issue TIT
patent and the k gsature of Indiana at this session
enact laws in accordance with the grant.
Whilst Indiana has bee thus energetic in action
what has Iowa done9 Nothing. She has stoo'
with folded arms, suffering this priceless gift t
fall unheeded at her feet. She does not even st"o
to Pick it up. Such neglect is objectionable. Nov
il is a moderate estimate to assume that Iowa ha
one halfthe amount Of wet and overlooked land
that Indiana has. That is, 1000 acres, returne
Is such by the surveyors; and adding one hundre
per cent for lands xwet nd unfit f,r cultivation
in fact, hut not reported BY the surveyors,woul
give to Iowa 100000 acres under the grant.
proof of the correctness of the foregoing assumr
tons will mention the fact that in this little coun
ty Of Louisa, there are thousands Of acres Of gov
| Coo ,,,Y{s M