Washington telegraph., 1852-12-08

ber Of acres of all disposed Of; that such
list, description and information, so made
and authenticated, be deposited in the of.
fee Of the State Land Agent, to be referr-
ed to when it shall be necessary for the
Governor to execute deeds for such lands !;
that the present swamp land Commissioners
be required, within a given period, to pre-
pare an accurate list and description of all
swamp land scrip, which they may have is.
sued during their term of service, showing
separately each class Of scrip and the date,
and number, and to whom each piece may
have been issued, marking on the list such
as may have been redeemed, and also every
piece which may have been issued and not
paid out, and, at the conclusion, stating the
amount Of each class issued and paid out,
the amount of each class issued and not paid
out, the amount of each class redeemed, and
the aggregate of all swamp land scrip issued,
and that they file the list, SO prepared, with
the Treasurer, and duplicate with the Land
Agent; that, at the time Of filing the list
with the Treasurer--the three swamp
land Commissioners be required to pay
over to the Treasurer all swamp land scrip
issued and not paid out, all swamp land scrip
redeemed or in any manner taken up, and
render to the Treasurer full statement of
all moneys received, and from what sources,
of all paid out. and for what purposes, and
pay over to the Treasurer all unexpeneG mo
neys which may have been received; and for
the swamp land scrip and money take dupli-
cate receipts from the Treasurer and file
one with the Auditor; that before the expi-
ration of their term of service the present
Commissioners be required to collect from
their different offices or places Of deposit, all
the records of their proceedings, whether
joint or separate, and all contracts, vouchers
and other papers, which they and their
agents may have made or taken, and
deposite them in the office of the Land
Agent and take his receipt therefor, and
file it with the Auditor; that the record of
the joint proceedings Of the FIVE swamp land
Commissioners under the proposed system
be kept in the Office of the Land Agent, at
Little Rock, and that he act as Secretary to
the board; that the Commissioners be re-
quired to convene at his Office once in every
three months and oftener, if it be deemed
necessary for the proper dispatch of their
duties; that complete record Of all swamp
and overAowed lands, which may be confirm
ed to the State, be kept in the office of the
Land Agent and that he be authorized to
sell such lands as may be in his district, and
the Treasurer to receive the money and
scrip from the purchasers; that such other
Offices, for the sale and location of swamp
lands, be established as may. be deemed
necessary for the convenience of the people,
and that at each Office, there be one officer
to sell the lands, and another to receive
the money and scrip; that, at the end of
each quarter of the year all sales and loca.
tions at such Offices be reported to the Land
Agent, and the money and scrip received
for the lands, be paid over to the Treasurer;
that heavy penalties be imposed on each and
every officer, who may prove to be default
err or otherwise violate or neglect the trust
reposed in him; that in holding the swamp
land Commissioners to strict accountability,
every care should be used not to restrain
them, so as to retard the work in their
charge; but powers amply sufficient to ena-
BILE them TO carry it on with certainty and
dispatch should be given
The policy of appointing agents to select
swamp and overhowed lands, without first
ascertainlng the lands indicated by the notes
of the surveys as such has proved to be
expensive, slow and uncertain in its results
TO illustrate in some respects, the operations
of this policy, which has been pursued, /
transmit herewith copy of a letter of the
Surveyor General to the Governor, dated
Oct, 18th, 1852
By this letter it will be seen that the
agent selected in the Helena Land District,
1862, ,12S 53,1O0 acres as Swamp and
overhowed,' within the grant made by the
act of 28th Sept, 1850; that 36S. .209 Sc
100 acres of those SO selected were deter
mined, by the notes of the surveys there
Of not to be embraced by the grant
that the whole number of acres ascertained
by the Surveyor General from the notes of
the surveyors, in the Helena Land District,
and reported by him to the commissioner of
the General Land Office, as swamp and
overfowed, is 1882, $50 49, 100, acres en-
bracing, 1,OS9,O31 42-1OO acres of land
not selected by the agents of the swamp
land commissioners, and after rejecting the
36S, 200 $1,000, acres giving the State
72O, ,821 86-100 acres more than all which
had been selected by the agents.
From an interview with the Surveyor
General have learned that the work of Sc
lectlng by the field notes such lands as ap-
pear to belong to the grant Of swamp and
overfowed lands, is progressing in his Office,
and that in addition to those in the Helena
Land District, he has already completed,
lists of all in the Batesville and Little Rock.
u. S. Land District and that by the 1st of
April next, the selections for the whole State
may be completed and reported to the COM
c Il Ga.aa..ol I.oad 0lc.~