Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1858-03-19
Nu,c.,,r. low. Narch =. 1883.

MuscA.Is., Iowa, March =. 1853.
Eproa DEMOCRAT In the Gazette OF
the 9th inst. appears q letter from '"'
Hon. Jas. Thorington. dated Warrington
March 9Th, 5s, which is calculated 10 ms
lead those interested. and which does mus
.ice to party. and to individuals Of the
State, by his attempting to convert the
Swamp Land interests into q political
hobby.
Il would seem from his letter that some
newspaper had been indnging in some
structures in regard to him. for he says
"The interests Of Iowa and her citizens, IN
the Swamp Lands, are of too much imPor-
lance for me TO pass the article tne"sp"-
peri without informing the people Of Iowa
how their interests have been attended 10
by the Democratic party IN Iowa.
How much it is to be regretted that the
people of Iowa were not informed sooner,
say any time, for instance. during the two
years that he represented the people of
Iowa at Washington, during all OF which
time, and even since, the State Government
has been in the hands of his friends.
lie says "Mr Parvin, the Democratic
State Register (the people Of Iowa will be
surprised to learn they have such an off
cer) in his report on the lst day Of Dec.
81. says: The whole number Of acres Of
swamp Land returned to this date is 5l6,-
9I9 800 The head of the Swamp Land
, Bureau at Washington informs him. he
says, that he has reported to his office 49,
! 296 POO acres, and then he asks why
this discrepancy whose fault is it, No
discrepancy. NoboGy's fault at all. The
same report that he quotes from shows
that only % of the 62 odd counties that
have selected their lands have reported to
the Register OF the State Land Office, the
balance having reported to the Surveyor
General, and by him to Washington, among
| the latter, Scott county.
Mr.. Parvn did not intend to convey the
idea to the public that 5l6,9ls 800 was
the total amount Of acres that had been Sc
lected in the State and returned to Wash
ington, but that only 20 of the G2 counties
| that had made returns had reported them
to his Office.
On the same page that Mr.. 7. quotes
from, he gives list of 80 counties that had
made their selections, and reported them to
the Surveyor Generals office at Dubuque,
and not to his, the proper place. Taking
the average for the 90 counties that he did
report, Mr.. Parvin's report shows that the
80 counties had returned l ,393,405. OF
course the average was too low. Now
none, not blin dly perverse by interest upon
MISREPRESENTATION would be guilty of such
a distortion Of facts Mr. Parvin's eficien-
CIV as a public officer needs no defence, how
ever, at my hands.
To make case, Mr.. T. then takes the
I752,286 29-lOS, the amount reported 10y
the General Land Office at Washington,
and the 5l6,9l9 800 reported by the State
Land Office, and finds the difference to be
l,235,377 acres. lie then estimates them
to be worth So per acre, but gets down to
81 50 per acre, which gives SO, ,l42.
This amount unaceounted for is due the
different counties of Iowa, and yet there
must be no legally authorized agent to look
after it," indignantly asks Mr.. I. This il
conclusion worthy the great Democratic
party of Iowa"
Ifby such statement it is only intended to
Justify his own appointment, it is in gooc
keeping with the same. But as state
ment Of facts for the information of the pub
lie it is knowingly Incorrect Supposins
: that the discrepancy charged really ex-
listed which have shown does not,) wha
r is the real value of the lands to the state
There is not. probably, over twenty PEI
cent. OF these lands vacant That would b,
sos. $50 acres Now, there is not a county
in the State that can realize over 81 % pc
acre for her swamp lands Some have sole
them for sixty cents per acre, | am told
At 81 20 per acre we have, for the vacan
lands, s3s6.O27. OF the 20 per cent re
naming, that the General Government ha
sold 65 per cent, have been entered will
warrants, for which the State will receive
scrip OF course the scrip can never be
higher than warrants They are now
worth so cents. This gives US for the scrip
s4sl sos. For the remaining ten per cent
which has been entered with cash, which
the State is entitled to, We have
Sll5,slS, making a total of 1888, 1913, the
actual value Of the discrepancy alleged, In
stead of s3,os7,442 Nc rs valuation
which he says is due the different counties
and unaccounted for, is statement not borne
out by the facts. If there is any Of the peo
pie. of Iowa, besides Mr.. T., that do no
know that the entire l,752,2996 29-lOt
have been accounted for, | would respect
fully refer them to the Surveyor General
office, ut Dubuque, where they will fine
the original list of selections by each count.
amounting, in the aggregate, to the sun
last named Any one anxious to know
: what fraction Of that amount belongs L
Scott County, if they will step into his OF
: fee, Judge Weston can show them care
: fully prepared abstract showing the tota
| amount of acres claimed, what proportion
Of them are vacant, to which the count,
will get little, what proportion Of then
5 have been sold for warrants. and what 70
IS cash, with the date Of sale, purchaser
% name. No. Of warrant, when received, l.,
n This abstract prepared myself, under m
=. contract with Scott county. from the bool
and pIats Of the Land Office.
Mr.. T. speaks very practically when h
u refers to his duty to his immediate citizen
J. | "a thouuh his dutv IN them raallx, o.,,,>ol