The Van Buren press., 1859-08-31
From the True Democrat.
Swamp Lands.

List No ), of confirmed swamp lands in
the Clarksville district, has been received by
the Governor. This lists describes tracts
containing 109, ,77S acres. These lands will
be offer led at public sale sometime in No
vcmbcr next.
Four or five patents have been received
for lands in the Batesvillc district, and all
the lands in that district will be patented
soon, as the general landofllce is at work
on them.
The sales of swamp lands by the State
agents during the quarter ending, June
3Oth, exceeded 100000. The sales in the
Little Rock district alone during the three
months amounted to about ninety thousand
dollars.
We find in the Washington States, the
following in regard to lands selected as
swamp lands under the act of Sept. 2Sth,
1850, and claimed as railroad lands:
"IowA SUSPENDED SWAMP LAND GRANTS.
The secretary of the interior some days
since gave further exemplification of the
decision of the department in reference to
certain lands in Iowa which, selected as
swamp lands under the grant of Septem-
Der %, 1850, are also designated as lands
which would fall to the State of Iowa under
another grant for railroad purposes. Affi-
davits are on file in the land office repre-
scnting these lands as dry, and the confirm
alton of the selection Of these lands as
swampy, has for some time been suspend
o,l l., &1,,& Il
would be of great detriment, both to the
State and the United States, than any error
that can occur and accordingly instructs
the land Office as follows:
The act of Congress of the 81 of March,
1851, confirmed all selections under the
swamp grant which had been regularly re-
ported, and were on file in your office at
that date, so far as the lands remained va
cant and unappropriated and we need not
now inquire whether lands so selected and
reported were or were not swampv on the
2sth September, 1850, if they remained va
cant and unappropriated on the Sd March,
1857. If, therefore, the title of the State
under the grants for railroads to the partic-
ular tracts now under discussion had not
vested prior to the 3D. March, 1857, l think
Congress has decided that-the land should
pass under the swamp grant and with ca
ses of that kind you may at once proceed
with the certilication and patenting of the
tracts
If, however. the title under the grants for
constructing railroads TO any of the tracts
under discussion had vested prior to Sd
March, 1857, such tracts were appropriated,
and they should not be carried upon the
swamp lists unless they We're IN fact swamp
lands ON the 2Sth September, 1850. The
question of the description of such tracts
whether swamp and overHowed or otherwise,
at the date of the swamp grant--you may
examine and determine upon the record, pa
pers, and affidavits now ON file, and if YOU
find that they were of the description of the
lands granted by the act of the 2Sth Sep
tember, 1880, you will so report but il
the record and evidence before you will not
warrant that decision, the selection as swamp
may at once be rejected. and the lands may
be carried upon the lists of lands insuring
under the grants for constructing railroads,
and the title of the State under those grants
fully recognized
-