Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1860-07-26

eellencyib be respectfully requested to re.
move blarkle from said office ID. 81. - .7,=
: y our committee find that in Lake coun
ty frauds of the grossest kind have beer
committed by the present. Swamp Land
Commissioners, s.. r. Chlds, inconectior
withthe Treasurer and DIR. Stanton; thai
said Stanton by the deposit with said
Treasurer Ola pretended check or draft
has obtained certificates for all the unsolL
Swamp Lands III the county, amounting
to about fifteen thousand acres; that aftei
the pretended lettings, the contracts being
all let off by Stanton, each time at -four
cents per cubic yar,l was afterwards
confirmed to him at about forty cents
per cubic yard; that Stanton has deed
ed the undivided half of these lands tc
said Childs; that Childs issued to him
digging certificates for $4,000 on the 23d
of May last, and soon after other ditchine
certificates to the amount of between So
600 and $1,000, by which the pretended
check or draft deposited with the Treasurer
was taken mp. and that there has been but
very little ditching done yet.
There are also complaints of frauds
committed by Henry Wells and II. a
Eddy, former Swamp Land Commissions
of that county. but your committee have
not had time to investigate these matters
but, from the testimony we have, would
recommend the removal Of said Childs.
Your committee have also received com
plants from Pulaski county. in relation
TO frauds in the management Of the SWAMP
Lanl interests, but have been unable to in
vestigate them.
We respectfully refer your honorable
body to Che documents herewith on file, il
relation to each Of these. counties.
Yonr Committee find that the Swaml
Lands. Of this State, and the funds arising
therefroSm have been the object of greedy
prey by nearly all who have had an oppor
tnnity, and that though most OF thes
lands have been sqrandercd, there arc still
a few thousand acres remaining unsclC
in the different counties. mostly of wha
are cared The second The large numbe
Of the Contracts for drainage, though le
at exorbitant prices in most, instances
are still unfinished. That all the law
relative to swamp lands. especially thos,
relating to 'iitching and draining, are rad
ically defective Among the defects mos
apparent to which your committee woulc
direct attention, is that the Commissions
is not required TO give bond Tor the faith
ful performance of his duty, and of his ac
conntXbility to no other officer or tribunal
except in a slight degree to the officers o
State, who are distant from and have little
interest. in those. matters to prompt then
to strict oversight. rsaa9 'le'i + 7fs =
| Your committee therefore, recommend
that those laws be revised and changed
so asto place the sales. making of deeds
ditching, drainage, and enforcement ofcon
tract<s &C., underthe control of the coun
ty officers and board doing county business
in which these lands lie, which officers ant
boards having an immediate interest TO
the benefit and improvement of their res
pective counties would vigilantly protec
and economically and judiciously expend
the funds. and enforce the rigid observ
ancc of all contracts for their drainage.