The Empire County argus., 1855-03-24
Coloma: Saturday, March "a, 1855.
swamp Lands.

By an act Of congress, all of the swamp and
overfowed landsiembraced within the respective
States inure to the benefit of the State within the
borders of which they are located. Within the
limits of California we have several millions of
acres of this description of lands These lands,
lying on both sides of the Sacramento, Feather,
and other rivers embrace quality Of soil hardly
equaled in any other quarter of the world many
thousands of acres of which are now in cultivation
and claimed by settlers to extent probably, of
million and half of acres. This rich domain
belongs to the people of the whole State, and the
occupants of these lands desire that their locations
may be severed from the public lands of the State,
and titles vested in themselves. For these lands
thus occupied, the settlers are willing and expect
to pay.
The attention of the Legislature has been re-
peatedly invited to this subject by the Governor;
but hitherto, all plans for their disposition have
savored SO much of fraud, that nothing has been
accomplished. Senator Hall, of Ell Dorado, has in
trcduced into the Senate bill for the disposition
of these lands, in accordance with the act of con-
gress, of Sept %, 1850. This bill provides for
Commission, to dispose of the interest of the State
in the swamp lands; provides for their survey, and
the protection of actual settlers now in occupancy
besides limiting the quantity to be sold and the
manner of selling and price to be paid
Last year n grand land grabbing scheme was
concocted; designed, no doubt, to promote whole
sale species Of swndlng, and directed particularly
to the swamp and overhowed lands in the immed-
ate vicinity of San Francisco and other cities and
towns. Mr.. Hall guards against land pirates and
land thieves, in the sixteenth section of his BILL
and provides that no locations shall be made with
in the corporate limits of any city or town, nor
within ten miles of the corporate limits of San
Francisco, nor within five miles of any other town
or city. The School Land Warrant swindle is also
excluded from the opcrat tons of the bill. This is
right and the distance named from the corporate
limits of cities and towns should be increased,
rather than reduced There the lands are the
most valuable, and the occupants will be willing
and glad to pay higher price. 1t is proper they
should; and the interests of the whole people of
the State imperatively require sale of lands in
the neighborhood of cities, in accordance with
their value. The inhabitants of towns and cities
have not alone made city lots and adjacent proper
ty valuable. The whole people have contributed
to this end and should therefore share in the en-
hanced value of favorably located lands.
Now is the time for action. A definite basis for
the disposal of the interest of the State in the
swamp lands should be adopted at once, and care
fully guarded, to prevent landspcculating thieves
from stealing the richest interest of the State and
people. large sum of money can Immediately
be realized from this source, titles perfected, the
taxable property Of the State increased, and now
worthless lands reclaimed thereby increasing tine
aggregate wealth of the State by millions Mr.
Halls bill is in the main, good one. Let it be
perfected, and passed. 1t is. high time the agri-
cultural interests of the State should receive mark
ed attention 1t is mistake-to suppose that the
mines are our greatest source of wealth. This
measure of perecting titles to land is the first step
in the agricultural interest without which it can
never flourish California can never become rich
and great, without an agricultural and manufac-
turing interest commensurate with her mines
With each leading interest properly encouraged,
the stride of progress will commence in earnest.