Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1855-01-13
Mr.. Letcher in Ccnxress.

On the 4th inst, Mr.. I.etcher havin
obtained the floor, submitted the followin
remark, ON bill for the relief of the pur
chasers and locators Of swamp and over
flowed lands, after having yielded his priv
ilege for running debate ON Know
Nothingism, Abolitonism, &c.
Mr.. Letcher. We have been ION inalh
considering bill here for some three o
four days. which proposes to settle impor
tant questions in regard to kswamp land
claimed by the States under donation by
the Federal Government in 1886, but
imagine that there are probably not fv.
members in the House who have thought
of it since this discussion commenced.
have been giving my attention to it because
IT is ore Of my rules, when | have any
! LING to say. to address il 10 the subjec,
under consideration, aid as ] believe thi.
is matter Of considerable importance in
connection with the public lands, nave
determined that the remarks ] have 10
make shall be directed 10 that issue, and
none other.
1t will be rccollccted that, OH the 18th
of September, 1850. an act was approved
by the. President Of the United States,
which donated to the State Of Arkansas,
and other land States, certain public lands
therein denomlnated s,oamp and orerqowed
lands. beg isars to- call the attention Of
the House TO some of the provisions oftlat
law, before undertake 10 allude to some
of the difficulties which have grown up
under the construction that has been given
to it.
The first section Of this act explains very
distinctly what the object Of the act Is. II
reads thus:
That to enable the State Of Arkansas
TO construct the necessary leyses and
lands therein, the whole Of those swamp and
overaowed lands made unfit thereby for cut
tiration, which shall remain ansold at the
passage Of this act. shall be. and the same
are hereby, granted to said State"
Now, it is plain aud palpable as Ian.
guage can make it, that the object Of ma
king this donation was to give TO States
those lands which was subject to De over.
flowed, and, which, in consequence Of
such OVERLOOKING. were, to some extent,
prrjudicial to the health Of the neighbor-
hood /; in order that, by giving them TO
the States. they might be reclaimed and
brought into such condition that the
country would be relieved from the dam
ger Of disease, ard that the lands might be
rendered valuable. The act itself limits
the lands which are to be donated, aud
specifies the objects for which they are to
be donated, showing that the limit was
clearly and distinctly understood, and that
the object Of the grant was clearly and &C.
curately expressed.
But II there is any doubt from the first
section Of this act, the second section pla-
ces it beyond all controversy Il reads
thus
s.That it shall be the duty of the Secretary of the
INTERIOR as soon may be practicable after the pas
sage of this act, to make out accurate list and
plate theands described aforesaid, and transmit
the same to the Governor of the State of Arkansas
and at the request of said Governor cause patent
the fee-simple to said ands shall rest, in the said
State Of Arkansas, subject to the disposal OF the Leg
islature thereof: provided, howerer, That the pre-
ceeds Of said lands, whether from sale by direct
appropriation in kind shall be applied successfully
as far as necessary, to the purposes of reclaimng
said lands by means Of the lcvecs and drains aore
said."
Well now, what was the object As
unde stand it, the surveyors in making
their plats OF the land. laid down such as
were lands fit for cultivation. And take
it for granted that when Congress passed
this law. it designed that this information.
gwen 20 the Government by the survey ors,
should be presented to the States. to selec'
the lands which Congress intended to co.
nate to the said States.
MI Cobb. viii state to the gentle.
man from Virginia that voted for the
swamp land act. When the question was
pending before the Committee On Public
Lands, the amount of land stated by the
gentleman, was stated to be the true
amount all the States concerned would re-
ceive.
i Mr.. Letcher. Was the report from the
Commissioner Of the General Land or
fee
| Mr.. Cobb. 1t was. The statement wa
from the Land Office, and was submitted
by the friends of the bill. So want thu
gentleman to understand that. ON this point
am with him.
Mr.. Letcher. ] am glad to hear it,
Now, should like to know whether thu
gentleman is with me OH another subject
Has Alabama taken Sn. land not swamp
land-and ii SO, how much
Mr.. Cobb. AS the gentleman from Wiz
gina has heretofore generally mistruste'
all my movements. am now desirious O
obtaining his good will and confidence. =
, Therefore, SO long as | can act consstentl
with him. l shall do so. In Alabama Their
were four hundred thousand aud odd acre
of land reported to be swamp lands
That State, out OF that amount, has onl
presented two thousand acres as swami
land. Have we done our duty9
Mr.. Letcher. Have you quit demanding
the land
Mr.. Cobb. think that we ought to
for it il no, worth demanding. Aud, wit
the gentleman's permission, | will adj
that according to the opinion ofthe Secre
tary Of the Interior. which have Away
deprecated, had the lands in Alabam
been unso!d, aud the surveys continu.
according to the rules prescribed ard car
ried out in other States. according to tn
doctrine Of periodical overflow. that Stat
would get eight millions OF acres. some O
which are now worth ten, twenty, and fl
~ dollars the acre.
Mr.. Letcher. | am apprehensive, i