The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1858-03-06
BOARD of Supervisors.


An adjourned session Of the Board Of SUI
pervisors Of this county convened at the
court house in Ottawa on Monday Of last
week, and continued until Saturday noon
The finances OF the county were overhaul
ell, and an understanding Of its financial
condition arrived at, and several other sub
iects of considerable importance disposed OF
or discussed. The greater part OF the ses'
sion, however, was taken up, as usual III
scanning and allowing bills against the
county, tie bulk Of them being, again as
usual, pauper accounts We have no room,
however for list OF these accounts allow
ed. amounting in al to four or Eve thousand
dollars.
FrxAxcEs.-Thc present financial condi-
ton Of the county may be very briefly sum
med up as follows: The gross revenue for
the year 1857, up to the present meeting Of
the board. will amount to $23,5Oo
The amount OF orders, jury certificates,
and all other liabilities outstanding against
the county up to the beginning of the pre-
sent meeting Of the board is given by the
financial committee, in round figures at
sI4,4O0, leaving 4 balance in favor Of the
county Of 50, 100. Out of this sum must be
paid, first, that portion of the funded debt OF
the county falling due in July, amounting 10
$3.50, and the board instructed the Tres
surer to retain funds enough in his hands to
meet this demlud; secondly, the claims a.
lowed and orders directed to be issued at the
present meeting Of. the board, amounting to
between s., 600 and 81, coo; and thirdly, the
salaries of officers accruing, and the ex-
penses OF circuit and county courts during
the next nine months, until the collection OF
the revenue for 1858 commences. From
this resume Of the finances of the county, we
infer that until the meeting Of the courts in
May and June, the County Treasurer will DC
able to redeem all the orders as presented;
but from that time on until the commence
ment OF collecting the revenue Of 1858, the
county Will fall behind, the deficit, by next
December amounting to eight or ten thou
sand dollars, as the committee estimate the
expenditure Of the current year at Sic, $50
The following is I statement OF the funded
debt Of the county:
Boni No. 90, due in July, 1865, ....&l, go
Bonds Is and 10, due in - 80. 1900
Int on bonds 20,2i, %. 23,'' 80. 100
Bonds due in July, 1852, ..--..-.-.. l,cGo
Bonds due in july, 1860, .---..--.. 1000
Total debt, with interest, .........Si,4 30
A committee was also appointed TO settle
with Mr.. Cushman, late County Agent, WHO
presented the following statement OF his &c
count with the county:
Paid out by Mr.. c., in taking up bonds,
paying interest, exchange, commissions,
&c, i,1I4 81
Reed. By Mr.. c. Of Co. Treasurer, 4,ISl Il
Leaving in his hands, ... IS p
Which he paid over to the committee, wiz
paid it into the County Treasury.
SWAMI L.SDs.-This subject, which b.!
occupied good DIAL OF the attention OF tn
board heretofore, to very little profit, cam
up in new shape, and promises now t
amount to something. i letter YVES re
ceived from the Auditor of State, in Janua
w, enclosing list OF 1880 acres Of land, "
ing in the towns Of Ophir, Mendoza, an
Earl, which lands arc recognized by the &C
OF Congress of 1850, as swamp lands, al
Of whose swampy character sufficient prot
IS already on Gle in the general land office q
Washington. Accompanying this letter froE
the Auditor was also circular from the e.
neral land office, giving the decision Of Il.
Commissioner, that under the act Of Cor
gress Of 1850, al lands that were "swampy
in 1850, or subject to periodical overflow
and at that date belonged to the L. s, wcE
granted to the State by the act of 1850, an
in lieu Of any such lands that have been eE
tered since 1850, the L. s. viii either gran
the state certificates 70 enter any other &c
vernment lands subjec: TO sale at sl.2J a
acre, or vii! pay to the State the purchas
money. Due proof must be furnished Of III
swarnpy character of the lands in 1850, an
this "due proof" the Commissioner decids
must be the affidavit of the man who enter
cd or has resided upon the land since 1856
or the next best proof of witnesses in IT,
neighborhood. AS there is believed to b
considerable land in this county, that was G
"swampy" character in 1850, and wa
then unentercd; and as, further, the Stat
has granted these lands 20 the county, til
board considered the matter worth lookin
after. They appointed Richard Thornc
Esq, drainage commissioner" (sn Office
named in the act Of 1855, and have made i
his duty to ascertain the character and pre-
sent state of the title OF the 1850 acre
named by the Auditor, as well as to look ul
what other swamp lands there were unentcr
ed in the county in 1850; and to procur
from Washington either the cash for ,lios
lands or certificates to enter other lands.
DWIGHT RoAp.-Thcre yas no subject be
fore the board that excited more discussion
and somewhat excited discussion, too-thar
the proposed road from Ottawa to Dwight
This road was authorized by an act of tbs
last Legislature, by which Commissicncr:
were named TO lay it out, assess the da
m $, &c. The road runs in 4 southeast
erly direction, and therefore cuts diagonally
across lots through farms its whole distance
So 1t happens that the damages Claimed
along the length Of the road are enormous
claims ta-iur- han- -