The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1860-08-23

| We md that the county treasurers wer
instr ucted by Auditor Dunn. without au
thorIty OF law, to issue to purchasers
Swamp Lands certificates for every subd
vision of foTty acres purchased without re
gard to the amount OF aud sold at time i
one body. The greater part o. these land
have been bought by purchasers n large
bodies. than forty acres,-frequently ii
whole sectiOns at time. be- By this regu
lation, esta abli>hed bv Auditor Dunn aud al
hered to by al. his successors, sixteen pat
ents have been issued for everv section O
these lands sold. A senarate fee Is charged
by the Governor, Auditor and Secretary o.
State for each patent iss'ied. The Zee d
the Governor has uniformity been sixteen and
t"o-thirds cents upon each patent; that o
the Auditor Of State has been fifty cents
upon each patent. while Secretaries Hayden
and Collins charged q fee Of 6t,y cents on
each patent-Secretary Mcclure for the
same service charged one dollar. 1t vii.
be seen upon taking the rate of fees charged
upon the patents by the Governor, Auditor
and Secretaries Hayden and Collins that the
additional amount Of expense caused to the
Swamp Land Fund by this unjust regula-
ton, where section is sold to q purchaser
at one time is S18 81, instead Of 81 II. a.
it should beat the rate of charges made
| by Secretary Mcclure it would amount to
$50 81 instead Of 81 II.
The committee estimates the loss to the
Swamp Land Fund on account of this mode
of charging at about $1,000.
But the wrong and expense occasioned
by this regulation is not only to the St.te,
for it occasions to the purchaser an almost
equal expense in the transfer and recording
OF patents. The law allows to the county
auditor twelve and half cents for each dc.
scription OF lands transferred for taxation,
and to the recorder one dollar for each deed
recorded. The poor man who buys eighty
acres of Swamp Land from the STATE is
caused by this regulation to pay to the
county auditor twenty-five cents, instead of
twelve and half cents. and to the recorder
two instead of one dollar, and the man who
buys section pays TO the county auditor
two dollars instead of twelve and a half
cents, and TO the recorder sixteen dollars in
stead of one dollar.
The committee find from the evidence
that the officers of State have been in the |
habit OF retaining ten per cent. upon the !,
gross amount of sales of Swamp Lands made
counties over and above their fee. and have
been unable to find any authority for their !
80 doing, and estimate that at least seventy
hive thousand dollars have been retained out
Of tie Swamp Land Fund in this wav from
IN act approved February IA. 1850, entitled,
AN &C. to provide for defraying the ex-
Denses OF selecting the overfiowed and
wamp Lands in the State Of Indiana. and
or other purposes That provision was
made for the payment .'of all county sur
veyers and others employed in selecting and
the Swamp and overiowed
Lands in this State and that tais act con-
rmed and legalized the proceedings OF Gov
ernor Wright IL employing isese persons
to select and esigna.e the Swamp Lands,
and that all that were theu supposed 10 De
Swamp lands were selected by them, amount
ing to over one million OF acres.
A second selection was afterwards made
of some Swamp Lands that had been over
looked In the fist selection, and also OF
lands iu lieu of some Swamp Lands that had
been located upon by United States land
The committee Is compelled to
believe that exorbitant and unauthorized
charges were paid to persons appointed by
the Governor in making these last select
IONS. They find that there has been paid
to Ben Reynolds, of White county. the sum
Of S7,448 50. and to other persons the sum
II 81 .6O4 90; making in all the sum OF
50 .O52 So
The law of 1852 provided for the sale of
Swamp Lands in the several counties. By
the county officers. Under this act all of
these lands, in some of the counties, We re
disposed of. whilst, in others. large bodies |
unsold at the passage of the act of
1857, which made direct appropriation in |
kind" for the purpose OF retaining for az |
rIcutural purposes such lands
81 10 tlp<d dtNfx
OF the Governor to appoint Swamp Land
Commissioners in every county owning |
Swamp Lands. In many instances these ap- |
poin,merts IS were singularly unfortunate. pos
sessing neither qualifications nor honesty OF
such a character as to 6t them Tor their re- |
sponsibiities.
We have had our attention called to the
official misconduct of these officers in sew
eral counties. but have found it utterly im |
possible to give the subject that investiga-
ton which the interests of the State and JUS
ties demands. La the county Of Jasper our in
vestigations have satisfied US that the otlcel 5
of that county have not only aided others In
the commission of great frauds upon the
Swamp Land Funds but have also been par
ticipaasS in the profits arising therefrom.-I
la this charge We make no reference 10 the
present treasurer and auditor of this coun-
II.
The commissioner. a: letting OF large
amount Of ditcning under the law Of 1852,
let almost the entire work to one man for
the sum OF 20 cents the cahic yard. although
at this letting there were other good and re
spousible bids for the same work at Ii cents
the cubic yard, and one as low as 10 cents.
The ditching contracted for at this letting
has never been finished according TO the
plans and specifications. and some OF the
ditches are worthless. The entire estimates
of this work. amounting to $50. .45t 50.
have aeea paid to the contrsctor. Ac-
eording to the testimony before US this Que
transaction has resulted In great loss To-
the Swamp Land Fund and loss to the
value of real estate il TIE vicinity of the
work.
In the year 1856. without the color OF
law, ant in violation Of a. right, me then
Auditor Of State. Hiram e Talbot. directed
the Auditor Of Jasper Coun.y to withhold