Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1860-07-26
tpoeo to- Constitutional Giberp, nuiuu, aro rustp
willard on swamp Land Frauds

~ WfHaru on swamp Land frauds.
9"As Gov. Willard, IN his New Albany
speech attempted to implicate certain Re-
publicans in stealing from the Swamp
land Fund--4uttering the s'stop :thicfY cry
to draw attention from his own decisive
publish to-day a portion Of the report of
the joint rcommittee of the last Legislature
on the subject Of Swamp Lands.snIWe sug-
gcst thatsit. and the items of Cow Will
lara's family expenses, for which the pco-
/ PIE have been maleto pay, be published in
the same pamphlet with his rExcellency's S
speech. The three should go together: -
-iso1 " al', eaa' REPoRF0nAa sssAnre9'ao1
OF rrrE stSAxr LAND coxairrsE ro THE GENERAL
I" : ASSEMBLY OF rHr STATE OF ISpfasa. ',''h'i
Mn PnEsiDESr: The Joint, Committee
appointed in pursuance Of the following
concurrent resolution OF the Senate and
House OF Representatives, .o-wit: '','''''
iResotied. By the Senate. the House, con-
curing, that a Joint COMMITTEES OF the
two Houses be appointed, two on The part
Of each House, to Inquire into the alleged
frauds concerning the Swamp Lands. with
full power and strength to send for per-
sons and papers, to administer the neces-
saly oaths for full examination of the mat
ter, and to receive from The Committee on
Swamp Lands the evidence taken at the
last session and adopt the same as part
Of their examination, and report to this
session of the General Assembly. -
| Adopted by the Senate. Jan. IA, 1859.
Beg leave to report that they have found
the field for investigation so very compli
Gated and extensive, compared with the
shortness of the time allowed, that they
have b cen compelled to stop far short of a
full investigation; but the evidence, so far
as they have gone has developed course
Of systematic fraud and speculation unheard
Of in the history Of our State. Many fla
grant violations Of the law relating to the
Swamp Lands and disposal of the funds
arising therefron,, and many cases Of frauds
upon these funds. and of fraudulently OBJ
tanning from the State. without consiicra-
tion, large bodies of these lands, brought
to the knowledge Of the Committee. can
not be noticed in this report, FOR the rea-
sons that the conflicting statements of the
witnesses who have testified, occasioned by
their varied and conflicting interests and
feelings. have left the mole and detail of
these wrongs in doubt, which could not be
cleared away, FOR want of time for further
Investigation in these matters. But for a
knowledge Of this whole subject, as pre-
sentei to the COMMITTEES, AMI the Difficult
ty they had to encounter, they respectfully
refer yonr Honorable Body to the ,estiino-
ny herewith filed. -
By the act of Congress OF September 90,
1850, the swamp ani ovcraowcl lands in
the State, belonging to the United States,
were granted to the State Of Indiana. mp
on condition that the same should be drain
cd and reclaimed and rendered tit for agri-
cultural purposes. BY the provisions Of
the second section of that act it was made
the duty Of the Secretary Of the Interior TO
transmit to. the Governor OF the State, mp
on his request, a list and plats Of the Swamp
Lands previously ascertaincd, together
with patents therefor, vesting the title in
the State, subject to. the disposal of the
Legislature, with the express proviso that
the proceeds Of said lands, whether FROM
sale or direct appropriation in kind, shall
be applied exclusively, as far as necessary,
to the retaining OF said lands I. - l
As near as can be ascertained by your
committee, the amount of lands patented
by the General Government to the State
/ under the act aforesaid. and under the act
OF Congress Of March 2. 1855, granting
lands to the State for the Swamp Lands,
which had been located upon by military
Land warrants, amounted to 1859 ,93S
acres II has been decided by the Com
missioner of the General Land Office that
the title to all unsold 1antls in the State,
that belonged, to the United States on the
2sth of September. 1850, see act Of Con-
grcss Of this date aforesaid) known as
Swamp Land was vested in the State by
the passage of said act, at which time the
Government lands were selling rapidly in
different parts ofthe State The minimum
price of those sold'within the limits Of what
was the Miami Reservation was two dol
lars per acre. saasaI ...ssstsk
= Your committee has been unable to as
certain what amount of these lands, after
wards ascertaincd to be Swamp Lands,
were sold at the United States Land Offices
at 80 per acre, nor whether the United
:. States Offices have refunded to the State
the'two dollars per acre received for all
7 Swamp Lands sold at that price, from the
fact that there is no data IN either the office
of the Auditor orTreasurcr of State, show
ing these facts. Your committee would
therefore recommend that the Auditor OF
State be required to ascertain without de-
lay whether the United States have paid
over to the State the two dollars per acre
for all Swamp Lands sold at that price,
after the passage of the act of September
20, 1850, or whether the sum OF one dollar
and twenty fire cents per acre was only
paid over ON the Swamp Lands so sold
seventy five cents an acre being retained;
and if itlwas found that this sum upon
lands SO sold has been retained. that paw.
meht of the same be demanded of.the Uui.
ted States. Your committee find from the
evidence of;Aqnilla Jones, late Treasure,
, of State, that of the sun ofeightccn thous.
and five hundred and twenty-ni dollars
and twenty-five cents paid by othelsUnited
States to Governor WilIarl'for lands sold
at the United States Land Office, that were