The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1859-02-24
Special Correspondence of the Detroit Tribune.
The Swamp Land Laws of 1859.
THE SWAMP LAND QUESTION SETTLED.
LANSING. Feb. 10. 1850.

LANSING, Feb. 10, 1859.
The Swamp Land Bill which was
agreed upon by consultation of men,
bers from both the Northern and
Southern portions of the State, was
finally passed to-day. The following
is the bill, in full:
Il bill to prooide for the drainage and
reclamation Of scamp lands By
means Of State Roads and bitches.
Whereas, The act of Congress of
Sept. %, 1850, granting to this State
certain lands known as swamp lands,
requires said lands or the proceeds
thereof to be applied, so far as neces-
sary, to the purpose of retaining said
lands:
A,,d achereas, In the opinion of the
Legislature, one of the most efficient
means of effecting that end is the con-
struction of roads, with proper bitches
and drains, through the more unsettled
parts of the State, where such lands
are chiefly situated; therefore,
Sec. 1. The people Of the State Of
Michigan enact, That there shall be
laid out and established by commits
sioners to be appointed by the Cover
nor, by and with the advice and con-
sent o. the Senate, upon the most
direct and eligible routes between the
places hereinafter designated, the fol-
lowing State roads:
roaA from or noor f0uia II,
Ionia county, to Houghton Lake, in the
county of Roscommon, to be known as
the Ionia and Ioughton Lake State
road.
2. A road from Newaygo in the
county of Newaygo, thence to North
port, to be known as the Grand Rapids
and Northern State road.
3. A road from Port Huron, in the
county of ST. Clair, to Bay City, via
Vassar; thence westwardly to the
meridian township line between ranges
two and three west; thence sontherly
to ST. Johns in Clinton county, to be
known as the Port Huron, Bay City
and Clinton road.
4. A road from East Saginaw, in the
county of Saginaw, to Bay City, in Bay
county, and thence via Ottawa Bay, to
the river Sable, to be known as the
East Saginaw and Sable State road.
5. A road from Lexington, in SAM
lac county, westwardly TO the Flint
river. in the county of Lapeer.
6. A road from St. Mary's Falls to
the Straits of Mackinaw, to he known
as the St. Mary's River and Mackinaw
State road.
Z. A road from the village of On
tonagon southerly to the State line, to
be known as the Ontonagon State Line
road.
s. A road from Marquette, on Lake
Superior, to Little Bay De Noe, (or
Noquette,) to be known as the Mar
quette and Bay De Noe State road.
9. A road from Houghton village by
way of L'Anse Bay to the Wisconsin
State line, to be known as the L'Anst
Day and State line State road.
/ Sec. 2. For the purpose of laying
out and establishing said roads, ant
procuring the right of way for th'
same, the commissioners appointed il
pursuance of this act, shall have powe
to survey or cause to be surveyed th,
respective routes of said roads, (whicl
shall be not less than four nor NOR,
than six rods wide, } across any of th,
public lands, the lands of this State n
of any private person; and for tn
location, laying out and opening o
such roads, to enter upon and take TO
the use thereof, any such lands lying
within the boundaries of the road, AM
not in any incorporated city or village
Provided, That when it shall be neces
sary, in constructing such roads to tax
the land of any private person o
owner, the commissioners shall procee,
as follows: They shall proceed t
view the land so to be taken, and ma
! give to the owner or occupant sue
notice as they may deem reasonable
to be present at the view, and max
: such showing as he may desire toucl
1 ing title, and the amount of damage
. to be sustained by such taking; an
: having taken such view, the commits
$ sioners shall thereupon estimate til
n amount of such damages, if any, an
II make and sign certificate of the
/. finding, describing the lands in que
v ton, and cause the same to be filed
!, the office of the State Treasurer an
n in case the same shall be approved b
e the board mentioned in the third Sc,
tion of this act, such damages shall /
:, paid out of any moneys in the Stat
It Treasury that shall at any time aftt
the passage of this act accrue from ii
sales of the swamp lands; and upo
| such payment or the tender thereof, {
d of the auditors warrant on the Sta
e Treasurer for the amount of sue
damages, to the owner, his agent, (
to the occupant, the land may be take
+ entered upon and used for the purpo'
of such road. But in case said boar
:. shall disapprove such estimate or fin'
" ing, the commissioners shall re-estima
: the damages in the manner and to Il
effect aforesaid.
= Sec. 3. There shall be appointed
the manner hereinbefore provide
/" three commissioners for each of tt
). aforesaid roads, and the commissions
~ at their first meeting, to be held at son
place on the line Of their respectil
roads, to be designated by the Cove
e. nor, shall be by lot to be drawn |
A themselves, divided into three classe
4 II = NJ