Hannibal journal. (Hannibal, Mo.) 1853-1853, 1853-03-15
SWAMP LANDS.


cultivation and to abate the cause of sickness in
their neighbOrhOOd (Which Congress had re-
fused to do,) under the implied obligation that
the States would do SO.
The State Of Missouri, then, turned those
lands over to the counties and provided for that
appointment OF commissioners to examine, select
and report, each identical tract of the lands con-
templated by congress. Most of the counties
we are informed took measures to make the Sc
lection, but we have seen no official general re.
port OF the amount, so selected, by the counties.
Isolated reports Of some OF The counties, how
ever, are calculated to indicate very different
character OF the counties from that he retofore
held and reported.
For instance: Monroe, Shelby, Macon, Linn,
and other interior counties, always, heretofore,
hoia and reputed to be high, dry, rolling, and
wei drained' and of soil exceedingly, rich.
ana reported as having obtained 40 900, IA 900,
oo'oOo' and $4,000 acres respectively OF wet
swamPy and inundated lands, after extensive
private locations amidst and alongside of lands
OF no better character!
We cannot understand this, especially. while
INC general reputation of those cou mites is not
considered as impaired by the discovery.
But what is more singular, it is said that nonv
large tracts brought under this description, ore
located on some of the highest and best prairies.
nO'ed Tor great fertility and tho best culuble
lanoS, and which though level, are known TO
PiOugh up cry, and to produce well!
we are not inimical to the reduction If al k
our public lands toprvate ownership. brt I,r~. Il
county prOprietOrships, free of taxation, is q, =
bad as that Of the Federal Government, es. n
pecially if not redeemed or used for the i'm. -
prOvement Of the country. G
But, there is another view of this subie,t 6
which deserves public attention. II
These grants were made to the State IN NO. q
titiOn and memorial, with the avowed object Ct Al
reclamation and impr Ovement, by the States n
declaring tho fulfment of that obligation the e.
State turned them over to the counties, within m
which they lie, under the same implied oblipa-
hOn' but carefully avoiding the conditions. s,
Congress afterwards generously granted lands al
to aid the construction Of Rail Roads in this l
State.
In the location of these roads, companies find
many valuable lands within their limits, claimed e
by the counties. Here, then, are the onlv mar
ties who can contest the fact Of any tract, seleo
ted by the county, being or not being, of the a
description within the true intent and MEANING n
of the act Of Congress. vi
Rail Roads will reclaim and elevate the valA TO
ne OF even swamp lands, in their course, and =,
being ofparamount Importance to the counties m
through, or near which they run, they are lust til
~ entitled to all the lands, not strictly within =
the meaning of the act Of Congress, and which &c
fall within their range and the allotment of their Of
numbers. in
In justice to the great public advantages of W
the Rail Road to the country the counties might ~
well afford to relinqush to the companies an mi
equivalent of their lands 10 the amount assigned
by Congress. y
II the counties will not do this, we submit -
that the proper officers of the Rail Road COM n,C
panies, on the part of stockholders, should ex- sb
anime the lands selected as swamp lands and in
est the claims of the countless upon the true IW
Inscription Of the land To-,
The counties are only entitled, by the charac- cog
err and description of the land. The Rail Roads put