The true Democrat., 1857-01-20
Cairo and Fulton Railroad Bill.


 swamp land commissioner, and all other offices specially or incidentally created for carrying into effect the present laws, in relation to the swamp and overaowed lands in this State, ex- cept that of Land Agent" be and the same are hereby abolished
 SEC. 2 That the several land agents, respec- lively, shall continue to have and exercise the power, as under existing laws to sell such lands as have been, or shall hereafter be confirmed to the State, swamp and overflow ed lands, either for money or for scrip, heretofore issued and still unredeemed or for scrip which may be hereafter issued in payment for services or on contracts now eX sting.
 SEC. 3. That all scrip issued prior to the first day of January, A. D. 1857, shall be located and cancelled within twelve months thereafter; that is to say, by the lst day of January, A. D. 1S56 and all scrip issued after the lst day of January, A. D. 1857, shall be located and can celcd within twelve months from and after the date of said scrip; and all scrip which shall not be located and cancelled as required by this section, is hereby declared to be void and the holder forever barred from locating the same; Proutded, That all certificates for work or ser vices heretofore performed shall be presented to the Auditor within three months after the passage of this act, and all certificates to be is. sued hereafter account of contracts now ex- lsting, shall be presented to the Auditor within three m@nths after the expiration of such con. tract; otherwise such accounts or certificates shall be void, and barred as provided in this section.
 SEC. 4. Be ft tt0tlier enacted, That for all work how contracted for, and in the course of | construction, whether levee work or ditchng or draining, upon the application and represen- tatlon of the contractor to the Governor, that the same Is completed in accordance with the written contract heretofore entered into with the commissioner of swamp and Overtlowed lands-the Governor shall appoint competent engineer to examine and measure such levee, ditch, or dram, and to report all facts touching the work, whether the same has been executed In accordance with the contract and the num- Der of cubic yards in said levee, ditch or drain, and If the Governor shall be satisfied that said contractor has fully compiled with all the stipu- latlons of his contract, he shall certify the same to the Auditor, and the Auditor shall draw his warrant for the amount due, upon the Treasurer. for such amount in swamp land scrip. Said engineer shall receive as a compensation for every day that he may be engaged in making the ecessary examination and measurements, the sum of four dollars, in swamp land scrip and shall, before entering upon the discharge of hls duties, as such engineer, take an oath as Is now prescribed by law.
 SEC 5. There shall be appointed by the Co., vernor one selecting agent i each county in this State where there may be any unselected swamp and overllowed lands, whose duty it shall be to select all the unreported lands lying wiihin his county and falling within the terms oi the act of Congress conveying the swamp and overfnwed lands to tbis State, aud to report to the Governor d complete and perfect list of such >eiected lands, verified by affi lavit, and tue Governor shall cause to be forwarded to the proper department at Washington city, a list of all such lands so reported for confirmation, and after such reporte! list shall have been acted upon, the sad selecting ageht shall be entitled to ienand and rece.ve, upon the certificate of the Governor, the sum of 75 cents for each tract of forty acres which shall have been con- trmed to the State oi the lands so selected by him.
 SEC 6. That so much of existing laws as fixes the salaries of Land Agents at $500 per a,anum, be so amended that the several Land Agents to be elected under the provisions of hla act shall each receive a pensltion iu tnli for their services the sum Of S400 per an- mum, and fee oi one dollar for each certificate ot purchase which he may issue and which fee shall be pad by the purchaser, provided that the said salaries shall be paid in inst propor- Iions out ol the swamp lands, internal improve. ment lands, saline lands and seminary fund; and provided further, that all tracts of swamp lands which may be in the same township, and may he entered by the same person at one time shall be embraced in one certificate
 SEC :. That so much of the law as estab II-ba Ina n this State, be and the same is hereby re- pealed.
 SEC s. That there shall be established for the sale and entry of the lands of this State, seven land offices, to wit: one at Fayetteville, in the county of Washington one at Betesv;lIe, Tn the county of Independence; one at Clarks- vile, in the county of Johnson; one at Little Rock, in the county of Pulaski; one at Helena, n the county of Phillips one at Champa snolle Tn the county of Unon and one at Washington. n the county of llempstead
 SEC 5. That the five land districts estab- lished in this State under existing laws be and the same are hereby abolished, and that seven State land districts be and the same are hereby created and established, to embrace the land ofhces created by section 8, which districts shall contain the same territory each as is now con- taned in the seven United States land districts III ths State respectively
 SEC 10. It is hereby made the duty of the land agents now in office, to return to the office ol the State Auditor on or before the 1st day of Aprl, A. D. 1857, all the books, plats, documents and Papers belonging 10 thelr respective offices anG t. make d final settlement of their accounts and the Auditor shall cause such books, plots, documents and papers to be distributed to such of the offices created and established by the eighth section of this act they shall appro- priately and respectively belohg and the ex- penses of such return, settlement and dstribu- ton shall be paid out of the swamp land fund or m scrip; PrOUtded, Thatthe land agents now lncumbents of the offices at Helena and at W ashlngton In Hampstead county, shall only return to the Auditor such books, plats docu- ments and papers as do not appropriately pertain to the said Helena and Washington districts, respectively, according to the provisions of this act, and they shall turn over to their successors Ill office all others as provided for under exist ing laws.
 SEC. H. The General Assembly shall, dur ing the present session, and every two years thereafter, elect one land agent for each of the districts created and established by the Sth sec tlon of this act, who shall hold their offices re- spechve'y for two years and uEtil their success sols are elected and qualified, and said land agents shall take the oath and enter into bond as now required by law.
 SEC. l2 All laws and parts of laws relating to the sale or entry of the public lands of this State, and to the duties of land agents, not in conflict with the provisions of this act, are hereby declared to remain in full force and effect.
 SEC. 13 If any vacancy occur in the office of land agent or selecting agent, by refusal to accept, death, resignation or otherwise, the Co., vernor shall have the power to fill such vacan- cy by appointment, and such appontee shall be governed by the laws heretofore provided for the government of such officers
 SEC. H. All laws and parts of laws conflict ing with the provisions of this act, be and the same are hereby repealed.
 AN ACT supplementary to on act passed at the present session cf hjs Genero1 Assembly, enti HsI 4 ,f fo yf of