Burlington tri-weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1852-1855, 1854-11-21
lFrom the Dubuque Express and Herald
Swamp Lands-How 10 acquire them and what
E.shsuld be done with them when acquired.

E.sheuld be done with them when acquired.
Iii pretty generally known, we presume, that in
1850 Congress passed &c. donating the states in
which they situated all swamp and overfowed
lands. By proviso in the act all legal subdivisions,
the greater part of which is wet and unfit for cnyt
ton, shall be included in the grant
In due time the Surveyor ueneras, be Or Wiseon-
sin and Iowa among the rest, were directed to fur
nsh III, local Land Offices with lists of swamp and
oyerfowed lands as returned To his office by his depu
ties making the iginal by which the chafac
t.r Of the lands-as to whether wet or aTy--slioud
DC determined In accordance with his instructions
to that effect the Surveyor General of this State far
nished list Of the swamp lands in this Stat,
ported to his cilce by his deputies, but it pr1
sumed by the Governor that the field notes of the dep
uiy surveyors did not take cognizance of all the
swamp and OVERT wsd lands and he therefore refus I'd
to accept for the State the list OF la IDS returned by
the Surveyor General. The Commissioner Of the Gen
eral Land Office, on being informed of the of
the Executive Of this State threw upon this State the
burden Of showing what was swamp and overfowed
lands and this burden the State assumed, both by in
strucons from the Governor to County surveyors d-
recting them to report the swamp and oyeraowed
lanos in their respective counties and by Of the
legislature approved respectively on the 18th and
Gath Of January, 1858, by the act of Assembly of
this State app owed January 18th, 1854, the swamp
lands donated to this State by the State cedet
to the respective counties in which they are situated,
and provisions made by the act for survey
ing, retaining and disposing Of those lands. La
most of the counties the County judges have attend
ed to their duty in this NATTER but in tthe Dubuque
land district we are told that the Comfy Judges Of
jackson and Jones counties have taken no notice
whatever Of the law, and that consequently no re-
turns of swamp overaowed lands ave been receiv-
ed from tho,e two counties.
The lists made out by the directions of the State
authorities, embrace in the Dubuque land district
alone, about 60u00 acres, and it is estimated that
the amount of lands in this State embraced by the
provisions of the act of Congress donating the lands
Il.
has been sold by the local land offices, subsequent
the passa &c of the act Of 1850 and prior to the filing
of the lists of such lands in the LEGAL land Offices Of
course the State has claim on the General Govern
for the purchase money received for such portion
of those as have been sold, and the question then
arises what will the State do with this money? Shall
it be given to the counties in which the swamp and
overflow ed lands situated, in accordance with the
act Of Assembly Of 1853 wonld it not b. better to
app,opriate il in tn endowment Of Asylums now
dumb, blind, and insane?
1t occurred to US at the time Of the passa OF the
act of Assembly of 1853, that the policy Of giving
those lands the proceeds Of them to the counties
which they we're situated not the best that could
have been adopted. From an examination of the
act last referred to, We are inclined to think that
without further legislation the proceeds OF the swamp
lands witch have been sod and which of will
be paid back to the State will go TO the counties in
which the sold lands situated, the same as il the
lands had been sold under the provisions If the act Of
Assembly If the money be thus disposed Of, though
It may be Of temporary advantages to some counties.
no substantial or permanent advantage will result
to this State from the donation by the General
Government Of the 1000 acres Of land estima
ted to be embraced by the he terms Of the act If 1850
within this State One Of The gentlemen elected to
the Senatorial District. Judge Ha milton, intends to
move for new disposition Of the fund arising from
the sale Of those lands He intends to propose that
those funds be appropriated for the endowment of
such Asylums as we have referred to above and so
far az we can we shall second his endeavors to have
the finds so appropriated There is but little time
now for reflection in the matter previous t. the meet
ing Of the legislature but portion Of the intermedi
ate few weeks between now and the meeting of the
legislature can be devoted by the people to consd
GRAFTON OF this and other matters OF importance to
them individually and to the State at large they will
be able by the time of the meeting # the legislature
to make known TO that body what alterations and
amendments they want made By existing laws aud
what new ones circumstances require to be enacted