Washington telegraph., 1854-11-29

on tho Auditor amounting In fhe nt9MG1tn
10 $50. SAT 80; apaa'so that ~ ;1lo=auccs
made but not Pad by the old ubsArAef. pon-
miSsionerS and fdr brlanasH ftAtrtf NM 4r 1rp
to individuals on examination cfFYHNf w
counts, and to enable persons s get scrip II,
lieu Of that Paid NV tIAcfh in excess on en-
tries of swamp ara ovcrfrtssl lsnds or
paid on Illegal ehtlics, iutinf filG hose where
two entrics were fuaniv IN coi1iafaEflc new-
board Of Swamp I.al5l Ca,rnis<iousrs grant
ed certificates uT6'ffE M dfffosl tfIrharst
amounting in the aggrr4-itet tcAs9q 800 7s.
This information Of the action orathcGew
board Of Swamp Land Commissioners has
been gathered from papers not officially au-
thcntici;ed, but which were no doubt intend
cd TO be parts Of the report Of the Commits
sioners. Lambert j. Rcardon was onc of
the Swamp Land Commissioners and the
other two seemed 10 have cnnfded in him
to make ihe report; but before completing
it, unfortunately for The State, on the Oath
of OCTOBER, 1854 he expired. To Gil iho
vacancy that 50 happened during The recess
Of the gneral assembly, the Governor ap-
pointed John HUT. Swamp Land Commits
soner. The other two commissioners. rot
being at the seat Of government, the newly
appointed one will have III wait their arrival
10 enable them 10 let with him ID making u
report.
When made. Tic Executive will comma
nicaic it t. you.
1t is stated that "lhe board Of commis-
sioners haya caused to be levied and >ecnred
from oyerf,w almost the entire portion Of
the State frnirg On Tile Mississippi river,
and large portion If tie Arkansas river,
and considerable portions elsewhere in the
State
There is nc doubt but much good bas
been effected BIZ The levccS constructed, ard
whilst it is a public duty ~ have suitable
laws 10 prcvert the fund from being wasted
and squandered, vet at. the same time the
great work of lcvying our rivers, draining
oar swamp> and rcclaining and rendering
the land fit for cultivation and hnbitation
should in no wise he impeded but should
b. pressed forward to completion
We should at the same time look to ;hc
future. and set apart ana invest portion "
these lands il such 4 manner as TO yield
peipetualy a Swamp Land fnnd, to be used
for the purposes. to accomplish which the
lands were granted, and in repairing the
levees that have been n well as such as
shall lie made; and thus preserve what has
and will cost the State millions of dollars,
from ultimate, certain total destruction.
The frs; board Of Swamp Land Commits
sioucrs not being provided with plalS, show
ing the areas of swamp and ovcrfawcd lands
and not krovin. What lands would be con-
frnled TO the State, were doubtless led into
errors in selling such llnds-some by im-
proper estimates Of The acres, aud others bv
the disposition Of lands as swamp and over
flowed. which have rot been and nay never
be confirmed to the State as such. Ii is re-
commended that provision be made by law.
for all persons holding certificates for swamp
and oyel1uwcd lands. disposed Of BIZ the
first Board of Commissioners to present
them for examination aud adjustment 10 ;hc
State land agents Of the proper districts. 50
that errors may be corrected. the proper
amount paid upon each tracf, the lands reg
i~tcred in their books by The lard agents.
and patent certificates surrendered. in all
cases where the lands have been confirmed
to the State, and tie proper number Of
acres nad for.
Provisions should also lie made for ihe
land agents upon proper hearing Of parties.
holding conflicting claims 10 swamp ana
ovcrAowcd lands disposed of by authority
Of the Swamp Land Commissioners, 10 adj
Just and settle such conf cts ~ fir IL posi-
bic, so that all persons legally and justly en-
titled to pre-emptions to such lands, may be
secured in their rights.
To secure the rights Of the State in the
southeast quarter Of section three, in town.
ship one. north. i'll range twelve. west. en-
bracing portion Of the southwest part Of
the city of Little Rock, Tie Executive en-
ployed Albert Pike, As attorney for the
State, TO bring snit against such Of the ad-
verse claimants as had not been adiudged to
have valid claims to any part of the tract.
\ prc-emptor obtained decision of the
Supreme Court Of the United States, that
he was entitled q eighty acres Of this quar-
ter section The attorney employed for the
State is the same one who successfully con
duc.cd the suit for the pre-cmptor, and he
concars in opinion with the Executive that
the State is entitled to and can recover tile
remaining eighty acres Of the quarter sec
ton. The suit of the State has been COM
menced and ought 70 be vigorously prosccu-
ted, so that the titles TO the valuable pro-
periy involved may be settled as early rs
practicable. The attorney employed flr
the State has agreed with The Executive to
receive such compensation. for his services
in the cause, as the General Assembly may
allow him. and 70 resort to no other mode
of obtaining what he might think himself
entitled TO.
This claim OF the State originated under
an act of Congress, granting LOCO acres *
land to the late Territory Of Arkansas. "a