Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1860-07-26
his sppl SUN 70 for tha benefit Of the swamp

lHs SUN ~ ''Soefnep' y WY 'N s''' i'''''N
TS From hc{ Il {c,iiJr evidence before your compittec
on Public Expenditures. to which your
honorable body Is respectfully, referred,
your committee find that large sums. of
money, have been abstractcd from the Gen
cral Swamp Land Fund Of the State. in
the shape of fees and charges unauthorized
by law principally by N. Hayden, Z. B:
Collins and Daniel Mcclure, whilst they
respectively held the Office Of Secretary Of
State 1t win be seen by reference to the
report aforesaid, and facts obtained there
from, that the gross amount thus illegally
taken fromth Swamp Land Fund amounts
to sl4,143 90. =. "'. = ''.. .''''''a I
Your committee most heartily concurrcd
in the resolutions reported. by that com
Inittee, that prompt steps be taken to have
this matter iudicially Investigated for the
benefit Of The Swamp Land Fund = 80 70
We find that the county treasnrcrs were
instructed by Auditor Dunn, without au-
thority Of law, to iSsue to purchasers of
Swamp Land certificates for every subdi
vision offorty acres purchased without re-
gard to the amount OF land sold at a time
in one body The greater part of these
lands have been bought by purchasers in
larger bodies than forty acres-freouently
in whole sections at time, but by this
regulation established by Auditor Dunn,
and adhered to hy all his successors, SIX
teen patents have been issued for every sec :
tion of these lands Sold Aseperate fee is
charged by the Governor, Anlitor and Sec.
retary of State foreachp patent issued The
fec OF the Governor has usually been six.
teen and two-thinls cents upon each patent,
that OF the Amlitor Of State has been fifty
cents upon each patent; while Secretaries
Hayden and Collins ichafged afee Of fifty
cents on each patent. Secretary Mcclure
for the same service charged one dollar
twill be seen by taking the rate of feaR
charged upon the patents by the Governor.
Auditor and Secretaries Hayden and Col 4
Inns that the additional amount of expense
caused to the Swamp Land Fund by this
unjust regulation, where section is sold
to purchaser at once. is SIS 81. instead
OF 81 IL, as it should beat the rate Of
charges made by Secretary Mcclure it
would amount to S25 ,67 instead of 81 IL.
( The committee estimates the less to the
Swamp Land Fund on account of this
mode of charging at about $40. 900.
But the wrong and expense occasiopcd
J by this regulation is not only to the State.
/ for it occasions to the purchaser an almos.
equal expense in the transfer and recor'l-
ing of patents. The law allows TO the
county auditor twelve AMI a half cents for
each description OF lands transferred for
! taxation and to the recorder one dollar for
each dee'l 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 oftwelve and a half cents, and TO
the recorder two, instead of one dollar, and
the man that buys section PAYS to the
county anditor two dollars instead oftwelve
and half cents. anl to the Recorder six
teen dollars instead of ono dol ar ai
The committee find from the evidence
that the officers of State have bccn IN the
habit of retaining ten per cent upon the
gross amount Of sales of Swamp Lands
made by the counties over and above their
/ fec, and have be.n unable to find any au-
tbority Of law for so doing, and estimate
that at least seventy-five thousand dollars
have been retained ont OF the Swamp Land
! Fnntin this way from the counties. The
committee find from an act approved Feb
IA. 1850. entitled "A n act to provide for
dcfraying the expenses of selecting the o.
verflowed aud Swamp Lands in the State
of Indiana, and for other purposes" that
provision was made for the payment of
"all county surveyors and others employ
ell in selecting and designating the Swamp
ami ovcraowcd Lands in the State" and
that this act confirmed and legalizcl the pro-
ceeding of Gov Wright in employing
these persons to select and designate the
Swamp Lands, and that all that we're then
supposed to be Swamp Lands were select
ei by them, mounting to, over one emillion
Of acres. r...,.,.. s,....-e -..... -.
y second selection was afterwards male
Of some Swamp Lands that had been over,
looked in the first selection, and also of
lands in lieu Of some Swamp Lands that
bad been located npon by the United States
land warrants. The committee is compell-
ed to believe. that exorbitant and unau-
tholizcl charges were paid to persons APP
pointed by the Governor. in making these
selections. They find that there has ,bren
paid to Ben Reynolds, Of White county,
the sum of 81 .443 30. and to other. per-
sons the sum Of ST ,604 90; making in all
the sum of S9.052. 80. 80
The law OF 1852 provided for the sale of
Swamp Lands in the several counties. by
the county officers. Unicr this act all Of
these lands in some ofthesc counties were
disposed of, whilst in others, large bodies
remained unsold at the passagr ofthe act
OF 1886. which made ''direct appropriation
in kind for the purpose of reclainling for
| Agricultural purposes, such lands.
By, the law of 1852 it was male the. du-
| ty of the Governor to appoint, Swamp
Land Commissioners in every. county
owning Swamp Lands. Inmany instan-
ccs these appointments were sinsularly an
fortunate, possessing neither qualifications
nor, honesty. OF such a. character as to fit
them for their possibilities !, -....
| 3 We have had our attention called to the
Official misconduct of these officers in sew
eral counties. but have found it utterly im7
| possible to give the in est;ng subject the
investigation which the interest of the