Daily national Democrat., 1860-03-01
The swamp and Overlooked Land Bill.


ionship of the Express. an advocate in a
"Citizen Of MarysyiIle," who corresponds
with that paper We shall not notice the
intimation of the writer that we oppose the
bill because of political spite against Mr.
Parks, further than to say that, disdaining to
be governed 10y such motives, we shall rest
satisfied with the conscientious discharge Of
our duty as public journalist, regardless Of
any mans estimate Of our sincerity What
is Air. Parks to us that we should bother our
head with any poHticul spite concerning him?
1t is not M Parks that we have to deal with
but his bill, and only with the merits Of that.
We reiterate the declaration, that we do not
believe it would be fair, right, just or polite
for the Legislature to dispose of the swamp
and overhowed lands in the manner proposed
by Mr. Parks. The proposition is to give
bodily over to the counties in which they
lie the swamp and overAowed lands, as also
the money now in the Treasury which has
accrued from the sale of such lands, of this
description as have been sold. The condi-
tion Of the gift Is simply that the counties SO
favored reclaim the lands and enjoy the pro-
eeeds. "A Citizen of Marysville" AYERS that
we are greatly in error, when we say that
this would be virtually robting all the coun
ties in which none OF these lands happen to
be, because, he continues, we ought to know,
if we do not, "that the proceeds from the
al. .,(g 1,.,, l. l,, ,,f
be applied to the common fund. The grant
positively forbds it until the land is thor
oughly reclaimed" Now, the writer an
swers and refutes his own position. while he
establishes the correctness of ours, by the
very language which we quote This land
will, of course, some day be reclaimed
When reclaimed it will be exceedingly val
liable, and the sale Of the large tracts, still
remaining unappropriated by private buyers
and occupants, must necessarily add a large
revenue to the common fund. If this fund
is to be given to dozen counties only, why
is it not plain exclusion of all the balance
from their just and equitable share of the
proceeds?
His next argument IS that the interests Of
Yuba and Sutter are one, and that the re
clamation of the swamp and overhowed
lands in the limits Of the latter would open a
large agricultural district for the benefit of
Marysyilje. True enough, it would, but we
do not oppose the reclamation. We do not
oppose the throwing of these lards open for
settlement and cultivation, and we do not
deny that such settlement and cultivation
would increase the amount Of taxable prop
erty, and thus indirectly and ultimately be
benefit to the State Treasury. What we op-
pose is the giving Of all this land, after it is
reclaimed, to a dozen counties and excluding
all the rest A comparatively small portion
Of the amount for which these lands will sell
will pay for their reclamation. Very well,
we believe then that the enormous balance
remaining in the fund should be for the com
mon benefit of the whole State.
The advocate of this bill further observes
that it is very ridiculous for us to say that
the proposed measure would throw open a
wide door to land monopolists and specnla.
tors, and yet he does not deny that one see
ton Of the bill actually provides that there
shall be no restriction as to quantity in the
sale of these lands. The fact itself is a sufli-
cient argument on our side of the question.
If there is to be no restriction as to quantity,
what is to hinder monopoly? The rich few
would soon buy up millions Of acres, and
leave the poor many to be mere tenants at
will upon their estates. This feature of the
! bill will never do, and we cannot believe
that tie Legislature will ever agree to it.
The thing is so plain that even the Express,
after fayoring the bill, and champiouing Mr.
Parks in the measure. acknowledg ged that the
showing Of the DEMocUAP on this head was
right, and that the section throwing off all
restrictions as to the quantity would lead to
monopoly and was manifestly wrong.
The disposition of these lands is of very
great Importance Their value is to the ex-
tent of millions of dollars, and the State
should be very careful to prevent their appro-
pration in any manner which will not be
for the common benefit. AS to the matter
of reclamation, the State can reclaim them
by general system Of drainage and en-
bankment, similar to the plans pursued in
the Netherlands and in Louisiana The re-
claimed lands of Louisiana are, we believe,
the richest in the State. and have long ago a
hundred times repaid into the common
treasury the outlay for their reclamation.
That New PRoGRAMME-It was the Wash
ington correspondent Of the New York Times
who started the silly story that our Govern
ment was about to invade Mexico 1t is the
same correspondent who has started the story
that the Republican and American members
of the lower House Of Congress have arrang-
ed a Presidential programme, fixing Upon
Edward Bates, Of Missouri for the Presidency
and Gen. Cameron Of Pennsylvania, for the
Vice Presidency The f-st story was based
upon the order sending troops to the Rio
Grande, and nothing more This latter story
it is true, is more probable than the first, vet
it is difficult to accept it as set forth by the
Times correspondent. We can hardly be-
lieve that all the Republican and American
members Of the House of Representatives
have irateruized and gotten up the pro-
gramme stated. We are inclined to believe
That in making this announcement, the Times
correspondent has again drawn largely upon
his Imagination. 1t is very likely that some
of the Republican, and also some of the