Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1852-06-17

whatever be The consequences TO the pri-
vate interests, or TO the consistency of
individual politicians, and Office holders.
These very sensitive men had better suf-
fer a little. in the loss of their Offices,
thar for the whole people of the Des-
Moins Valley to suffer any longer the
present in,olerable mismanagemen. Of
this most important work. -......-
n The main facts in relation to this River
improvement have been generally dis
cussed in variety Of ways and ought
at this late day 20 be well understood
Ii is known that in the year 1916, the
Congress of the United States presented
to the State OF Iowa magnificent grant
Of lands TO aid in the improvement of
principal River within her borders. The
extent of this grant became subsequently,
a subject of controversy, owing to the
neglect of those who had the agency IN
procuring il, and who first construed it,
in extending it the whole length of the
Des Moines River instead of to the Rae
coon Farks only. To the Forks the
grant amounted to 26l 900 acres; extern
ded, 100000 acres more, making l,l6l,-
600 acres. worth at $l,25 per acre, ST.,
45l $50. ...tl . a
Up 10 April 9Th, 1850, the actors in
the business were all Democrats, inclu
ding A. q. Dodge, G. w. Jones, Shep-
herd Lefiler, VIM. Thompson, James
IL. Piper, Jesse Williams, Josiah ii.
Bonney, Robert Cock, Gov. J. Clark,
Gov. Briggs, Richard NJ. Young, James
Shields, the Board of Public Works,
and others, all OF whom with the excep-
lion of few letters of remonstrance in
tie latter portion of that period, acquies-
ced in the restriction OF the grant TO the
26l 900 acres, and furnishing by their
ofiicia! action and The records made up
from it, p.ecedents calculated TO swindle
the State out of 10000 acres above the
Raccoon Forks. r. M. Young, Mr..
Folks Commissioner, sold $4,000 acres
of the grant, and Mr.. Ewing decided l.
gainst the extension of the grant, bu,
wilhheid the lands from market in view
of the action of Congress. Ii was final.
ly decided by Mr.. Stewart, Secretary of
the Interior, in favor of the State, who
now holds it in undisputed possession.
We thus learn that during five of the
six years since the passage of the Act
donating this land to the State, nobody
had anything to do with it bu, demo-
Gratis. They procured the passage of
the act; they placed the construction up
on its extent; they acquiesced in confir-
ming it below the Fork; they advertised
and sold $4,000 acres above that point;
they established precedents on the rec
ords at Washington City; they prepared
the way and made up the record for Mr..
Ewing's decision; and we owe nothing
TO them that Mr.. Secretary Stewart, dis
regarding the precedents which Mr.. Ew.
ing deemed binding upon him, in the ex-
ercise Of noble spirit of equity and
justice, recurring to the letter and objects
of the law, confirmed the grant in its
whole extent to the State.
We thus find that the Improvement has
had for six long years $4,000 acres of
land worth s326,25o, at its complete dis
posal; during the same period it has been
legally entitled 10 100000 acres more,
worth 81, les 900; that this latter portion
was nearly lost to it by the constructions
put upon the law by Democratic Office
holders in the State and at Washington,
which constructions were the prece-
dents governing Mr.. Ewing in his decis-
ion against the extension; that The period
covered by Mr.. Els decision was about
year and halt only; that Mr.. Stewart
confirmed the grant nearly eight months
ago, since which time the whole amoun,
OF over one million acres of land has
been available for the Improvement of
the River.
! Now viewing the matter in the most
favorable light; making all due allowan-
ces for the difficulties which the Board
of Public Works and the State have to
contend with, after all the noise and con-
fusion about The grant and its extension
have died out; after all the fog and mist
has swept away, and the subjec, stands
revealed in its naked proportions, wha,
/ have the managers of this Improvement
to say for themselves! How will they
co away with the suspicion which rests
upon them for permitting the interests of
the Stale, and the question Of the extern