Arkansas true Democrat., 1860-11-10

R The estimated cost of levee and ditch work now under contract, and being con structed in the Batesville district, is S223,- 972 37. It is believed that all this work will be completed during the next twelve months. For information in detail with regard to the amount of such work con- structed in each district, you are respect
 fully referred to the report of the swamp land secretary; and for information of the confirmed swamp and overhowed lands re- maining unsold in each district to the re- port of the auditor. As the swamp land interests of the State of Arkansas have not yet been fully adjusted at the general land office of the United States, the amount of money and land to which this state will be entitled, under the acts of Congress ap. proved March 2d, 1855, and March 3. 1s57 in lieu of swamp and overhowed lands dis posed of by the United States, after they had been granted to the State of Arkansas by the act of Congress of the 18th Sep tember, 1850, has not been ascertained. - | Therefore, tAis state has not vet received | any money or land under either of the two acts of Congress des ignated. Provision by law should be made for obtaining from the United States, the money, and for the To- cation of the lands during the next two years, and also for the appropriation of the money and the disposition of the lands when obtained under the two acts of Con- gress referred to.
 By the act of Congress of 12th March, 1860, the time within which this state must complete the selections of swamp and over flowed lands granted to her by the act of 18th September, 1850, has been limited to two years from the adjournment of the pre- sent session of the General Assembly of our State. It is therefore recommended that such legislation be had as is snecessary to insure the selection. within the limited time, of all the remaining unconfrmcd swamp and overiowed lands, to which the state is entitled. Under the present law, the SC. lecting agents cannot be paid anything for their expenses or labor until after the au- thorities of the United States shall have confirmed to this state the lands selected by these agents. Provision ought to be made to compensate the agents who render ed such services to the state, and who have not yet received any remuneration.
 Since the last session of the General As sembly, the governor designated three hun dred and twenty acres of land, and caused the same to be confirmed to the State of Arkansas as an unconfrmed portion of saline land, which had remained due the state, under the compact between this state and the United States.
 Your attention is invited to the report of the solicitor general of the State of Arksn- sas dated 20th September 1860, on the sub | feet of five sections and nine-sixteenths of a section of unlocated seminary land sold by the governor in the year 1S42, under "an act to authorize the governor to dis pose of the seminary lsnds," approved December 18th, 1S40. This act of the General Assembly contemplated the loca- ton of the unlocated claims sold, in legal subdivisions of not less than one Aalf quar- ter section But the act of Congress- of March 2, 1927, prescribed that the seventy two sections of land granted by it for a | university, should be located in tracts of not less than an entire section, corresponding with any of the legal divisions into which l the public lands are authorized to be suI- veyed The parties who purchased the un- located claims in the year lS42, applied to the courts and, af,er many yeaIs of litiga- tion, succeeded in having the contracts an- nulled, and the state perpetually enjoined from the collection of the purchase money. The five sections and nine-sixteenths of a section of uilocaiea seIl.laTy land hare