Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1855-02-01
SWAMP LANDS.

bill has passed the House Of Represen-
tative providing that where private claims
were located on Swamp Lands, ceded to the
States, previous TO The setting aside of those
lands, the states can have the purchase
money refunded, or select other lands
When the subject was before the House,
the Representative OF our (Third) Dis
trict made the following remarks.
Nj. Lindey. Mr.. Chain man, desire to
offer an amendn ant 20 TIE suOstitue of the
gentleman from Illinois. The Object Of this
bill, and Of the gentleman's substitute, is
good one. Il is an attempt 10 do Justice to
many persons in the West who purchased
lands Of tie United States, which were aC-
terworhs selected and claimed by the States
IN which they lie as swamp lands. The bilt
and the substitute both very properly pro-
vide that the General Government shall give
10 the States the money arising from the
sales OF such lands, and permits the States
TO appoint commissions 10 locate other
lands in lieu OF those located Ly land war
rants. when the States shall relinquish their
title to the Government, which will inure
10 the benefit of the innocent purchasers.-
But there IS added the following proviso:
And provided also That all lands and
money received bv any State under the pro-
visions Of this act, shall be applied and ex-
pended as required by the said act, of 2Sih
September, 1850: And be it further provi-
ded, That before the purchase money for
such lands sold as aforesaid, shall he paid
over to any State, and before any State Shall
be permitted TO locate other lands in lie. Of
those located by warrants. or scrip. proof
shall be made to the satisfaction of the
district and officers subject to the au-
provaI Of the Commissioner Of the Land Or
fee, that such lands were of the character
embraced by the swamp land act Of Sentem-
Der %, 1850"
And to this object, and nroposc. rs al, NJ
mendment, TO strike ont NIL after the word.
"ProVided also" NV reason for il is, that
IT is wholly inconsistent with the objea: Of
the bill. The difficulty in the Old laW-tbe
evil 10 be remedied-is, That il took effect
IN present., vesting the ;itle in the States at
the time OF the passage of the swamp land
act Your land offices were kept open, and
many persons were induced 10 enter and
pay Tor the very land afterwards selected BY
the states and claimed as swamp lands
The simple question now is, what is Con-
gress willing 10 DO 10 indemnify persons T.
whom you sold lands that did not belong
to You. Many oEthese persons. who bought
these land from the United States, have
sold them and given deeds OF genera! war
ranty. They are liable on their covenants,
and can be brought into court at the end of a
writ. Many others have bought timber ard
prairie in separate tracts. One has been
selected for the State, the other is va!uelcss
without il. Now, what will Congress DO
for these persons? / think we ought TO Dc
all in OUR power, and stop at nothing that
will effect Justice. But the title to these
lands vested in the States at the passage OF
the act, and 10y some Of them, has been dona.
ted TO the respective counties. Now. vou
cannot pass law divestIn9 TIE States aud
counties o! their title. 1t will be altogether
optional with them whether they accent Of
lie provisions otthis act or not. We must
depend on their generosity and sense of JUS
tice. Hence, we should impose no oLnox-
iOUS COnGll llO1S on IlC pyproiSa of tLot 90.
erosity. We should trv to induce The S,o,cs
to accept the provisions of this hiI; and. to
insure thct. we must strin il of tle co,,d;-
tions contained in the nroyiso, some oen.
tlemcn saw we ought 10 make The States rsa
the proceeds of these lands 70 drain the
swamp lands. As bei--een the States .nd
the General Government that is proner.-
Bat we have no no,ycr ,hrs % ,If,a,,idI a.,
States. We have now nothing TO do with
the policy of the swamp land act Bpt.
having first granted these lands 10 the States.
and afterwards sold them for money TO in
nocent purchasers, we must do all we can 10