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

Of the swamp Land Committee to the Cen
eral Assembly Of the State Of Indiana.
!. Ma. PREsIeEST:-The JoiIt Colnrnilte
appointed in pursuarce of the followin,
concurrent resolution of the Senate an,
> House of Representatives. to-wit:
Resolved. By the Senate, the House con
curing, that a JOINT Committee of the ,wt
Houses be appo: ntsd, Two on the par: of eacl
House. to inquire irto the alleged frauds con
cerning the Swamp Lands. with full pow 81
To send for witnesses aud papers, to admin
lister the necessary oaths. and do all thing:
necessary to a ful examination Of the mat.
ter, and to receive from he Committee on
swamp Lands she evi ance taken nj the las,
session, and adept the same as part OF their
elimination. and report to the present ses-
sion of the Genera, Assembly.
Adopted by ths Sena.e. January IA,
1859.
Beg leave to report that they have found
the field OF investigation So very complicated
and extensive compared with the shortness
Of the time allo wed, that they have been
compelled to stop lar short of full inv=sti-
cation; but the evidence so far as they have
gone. has developed sys' EN- OF fraud and
speculation unheard Of in the history Of our
State. Many fragrant violations of the law
relating to the Swamp Lands and disposal
Of the funds arising tberefrom, and many
cases Of frauds upon these funds. and Of
frsudulently obtaining from the State, with
out reconsideration. large bodies Of these lands.
brought to the knowledge of the Commit.
tee. cannet be noticed in this report. for the
reason that the conflicting statements Of the
witnesses who have testified. occasioned by
their varied and conflicting interests and
4 E.x.l. IL. 4
these wrongs in doubt, which could not be
cleared away for want Of time for farther
investigation in these matters. But for a
knowledge of this whole subject, as pre-
sented to the Committee. and the difficulty
they had to encounter. they would respect
fully refer your Honorable Body to the tes.
timony here with filed.
BY the act of Congress of September 20.
1850, the Swamp and overhowed Lands in
the State, belonging to the United States,
were grated to the State of Indiana. upon
condition that the same should be drained
and reclaimed aud rendered fit for agricul-
tural purposes. By the provisions of the
second section OF that act 1t was made the
duty Of the Secretary OF the Interior 10 trans
nit to tie Governor of the State, upon his
request, list and pats of the Swamp Lands
previously ascertained, together with patents
therefor. vesting the title in the State. sub
ject to the disposal of the Legislature, with
The express Proriso that the proceeds Of said
ards. whether from sale or direct appropri-
'tion in kind, shall be applied exclusively, /.
IS far as necessary, to the reclain,i-----I' !
AS near rs can be ascertained by your
the amount Of lands patented by
he General Government to the State, under
he act aior ,said. and under the act OF Con-
yress Of March 2, 1855, granting lands to .
he State for swamp Lands which had been Z
ocated upon by military land warrants, /
amount ID 1,252, ,63S.65 acres. 1t has been
decided By the Commissioner Of the Genel-
al Land Office hat the title to all unsod
lands in Inc State. that belonged TO the
United States on he Goth September, 1850,
see at of Copgres OF this date a. afore-
said, were Swamp Lands vested in the
Slate by the passage of said act, at which
time the Government lands were selling rap
idly ia different parts OF she Stale. The
minimum price oi those sold within the
limits of what was the Miami Reservation
was Two dollars per acre.
Your committee have been unatle to as
certain wnst amount of these lands. after
wards ascerrained to be Swamp Lands. were
sold at the United states Land Offices at two
States Office have refunded to the State the
two dollars per acre received for all Swamp
Lands sold at that price from the fact that
there is no data, in either the Office Of the Au-
ditor or Treasurer OF State, showing these
facts. Your Committee would therefore
that the Auditor of State be re-
CURED 10 ascertain without delay whether
The United States have paid over TO the State
the two dollars per acre for all Swamp Lands
sold at that price. alter the passage OF the
act of September 90, 1880, or whether the
sum of one dollar and twenty FIVE celts per
acre was only paid over on the Swamp
Lands so sold--seventy five cents per acre
being retained; and if il is found that this
sum upon lands sold has been retained, that
paymeu, of the same be demanded of the
Z nited States. Your committee find from
the evidence OF Aquills Jones, late Treasu-
rer of State. that of the sum of eighteen
thousand FIVE hundred and twenty 1--WE dol
lars aud twenty y-five cents paid by the Uni
ted States to Governor Willard for lands
sold at the United States Land Office. only
S17,529 25 were paid into the State Treas
ury, leaving the sum of $1,000 In his
hands. Your committee have been unable
to ascertain by what right, or under what
law. or for what purpose said sum was SO
retained by the Governor; and for the pur-
pose Of obtaining informs.ioa upon this point.
addressed him . note some weeks since, re-
specially asking for Information relative
thereto, -. hsvs obtained no reply from
him. From the fact i. is shown by the
books OF the Auditor Of State. that the Gov
eruor has received the sum of S1,97O rs in
the shape of fees for Swamp Land services,
your committee is compelled to believe that
the sum of 81 600 is retained from the State
Treasury in violation of Law. and would
therefore recommend that Immediate steps
be taken TO recover this sum for the benefit
Of the Swamp Lsad Fnnd.
From the evidence before your Commst-
tee on Public Expenditures. TO which your
Honorable Body is respectfully referred,
Your committee fnd that large sums of
money have been abstraeted from the Gen
eral Swamp Land Fund of the State, IL .Aa