Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1858-03-01

peeoooeWoeo tho swamp loodA ne
finally addressed Circular Letter 10
Judge Weston soliciting the appoint
meut - Agent for the county ofsoott,
and enclosing . power Of Attorney
which he wished the Judge to execute.
The Judge did not act until he had
seen Mr.. Thorrington, and presented
some objections which the latter was
utterly unable to answer. The power
Of Attorney presented by Thorington
gave him "power to act in oil matters
pertaining to the settlement Of the
Swamp land business Of said county,
confirming and ratifying any business
transacted with him As aforesaid, fully
and amply As if transacted with this
Office, or the County Judge Of said
county" The effect of that clause is
to call on the County Judge to abdi-
cate all power over the Swamp lands,
and vest it in Jim Thorington. The
Jsdge would thereby resign all author
ity to make deeds of the Swamp lands,
and confer on Thorington the power Of
deciding on contested claims, and Of
doing other business which ought to
be done by the Judge, and by the Judge
alone. Judge Weston believes that
the power Of Attorney was broader
than It'd legislature intended, and that
tHt1 >signed by the creation of
. lobby agent at Warrington to confer
on him Judicial authority, or the right
to interfere at ell with the Swamp
Lands after the patent for them had
been seeded from the Federal Govern
meut. He accordingly declined bland
" but decidedly to execute any such
power Of Attorney. That was not,
however, the only objection. Besides
attempting to secure the power which
ought to remain with the Judge al6ne,
Jim went in for double pay. The act
creating the office Of Swamp Land
Agent appropriates $4,000 As a COM
pensation for his services, and provides
that:
"The two thousand dollars hereby
appropriated be refunded to the state
with loper cent. intrest from date of
same, each county paying an amount
proportlonate to its share Of the lands,
scripand money received, to be ascer-
tanned and with held by said board, and
paid over to the State Treasury"
The time for which the agent is to
hold Office is not specified, nor is his
compensation made to depend on his
success in getting patent from Wash
ington. Whether he does much or
little, he receives his two thousand dol
lars from the State. lie may be en-
ployed one week or one year, he may
be at Washington or remain in Daven-
port, he is sure of his two thousand
dollars. That would seem to be quite
enough to compensate Jim for his
services, but he thinks otherwise. In
his letter to the County Judge, occur
these words-"My charges will be rea-
sonable and l trust satisfactory"
| What charges! Why, it appears
that after getting his pay from the
State, Jim intended to ask pay from
the counties! He wanted to be paid
twice for the same services. That, the
Judge, Of course, would not listen to.
If Jim had presented power Of attor-
ney, authorizing him to act as agent at
Washington to secure the swamp lands
from the Government only, and had
made no demand to be paid twice tor
his services, the Judge would doubtless
have appointed him, Notwithstanding
that appointment would have been a
useless form. The Federal Govern
ment does not deal with counties, but
with States, and the Secretary Of the
Interior would not recognize any man
rs the agent of a county. Of what
benefit, then, could a power Of attorney
from county be-! of none whatever.
There we're two objects, however, in
getting powers of attorney from the
counties; the first was to form pre-
text for demanding additional pay, and
the second was to bolster up his au-
thority, if the Federal Government
should look behind his commission az
agent Of the State, and inquire what
interest the State had in the swamp
lands. But that is not oil. The Coun-
ty Of Scott has already an agent. Mr..
Henry Altman. who::was appointed by
Judge Cook, and who has received
already 5000 for services. and has now
his power Of attorney unrevoked. Mr..
Altman has never had any commune
cation with Judge Weston in relation
to Jim Thorington's appointment, but
it certainly would not DO right to ap-
point a second agent whilst We had
another employed and paid.
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