The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1860-01-12

An appropriation Of $1,000 to dsfray the expense
~ se1scting the swamp and overnowed hnds IL
AWeavs counties then unorgsnircd, and the seudine
= IN agent to Washington to settle the prslimi-
nertss Of the proof required under the act Of Coz
4es0 alluded to, - we'll = some other open snss-
lDn1 In relation to the manner Of listing and ps4-
emitting these lands to the State. Ths Hon. Jam1g
Thorington was oomnisstonsdfo S this purpose, ana
= sdjustmsnt was edsstsd, undsr which the 0sess-
listed to the Stat. sos si1ss ssr.. The r.pert y
tho State Register win show in what counties
these lands are situated. The hats have been At.
Anined, corrected and approved, and patents re-
questsd 10 be issued to the State for the same
which In now In process OF being dons. 6l,8I1. d
acrss Of the above amount, embraced within the
Fort Des Moines and the old Iowa City Land Dis-
tricts, hsvs recently bsen paAsntsd 70 ls State and
which have casssa 70 b patented 70 the counties
lands viii Oh soen - certified By patents 10 the
0tate and they belong 10 that olass Of swamp Iana
about which thsre 10 no sontrovsrsy, the title b.
ing, ~ hAvs before stated. sonrmsd 70 the State
by IN Act OF Congress dated March I'd, 1851. But
In addition 70 there lands there has been listed TO
the State 1899 7s-l00 acres, falling within the
IT. Dos AOiDes and Charlton Land Districts, which
had been wroHgfnlly permitted to hA entered by
cash, or with military land warrants, the title
whereof has been confirmed TO the several pur-
ehassrs and loea tors but indemnity for which Il TO
be given 70 the State, provided IL shall be proved
In the method prescribed, that they wsre swamp
and over6owsd lands within the meaning and In
tent Of the oct granting the same 1t the date there
Of. n ct ~ tina Of their selection Forms Of the
proof, with the requiaite instructions, have been
forwarded to the Judges Of those counties where
these lands are situated, that the work Of sstsb-
fishing the swAaPJ character Of the Same may be
TAs asnssai Land OaAes, - Washiagtsn, il nm
willing to adjust this grant With any other party
than the state authorities, which devoivss upon
the kxssutvs greater duties than Ii 10 possible fos
exa ninstioa snd correction - they are forwarded
(which II oay done By Land Distxicts, The divsion
OF these lists into counties md Transmitting . such
counties tAoss which are 70 b patented and those
which have been sntsrsd BY cash and thoss which
have bssa located with land warrants, In separate
lists that the requisite proof may b taken In re-
gard to their character. and supplying the coun-
ties or other agents with MI needfui information
they may require sonssraing the manner Of con-
Quoting the proof, examining and correcting these
proofs when taken, before thsy are transmitted to
Washington for approval, will require more labor
than one individual can bsstow, should he give his
entire time. HsncsI felt II ny dsty 70 snploy J.
B. Stewart, Aq, Of De. noinss, special agsni .
although the Register Of the State Land OiAse and
his deputy have already - heavy duties - they
can we'll perfsFm, this swamp land business should
b transacted In his once, under the general super
vision OF the Governor, and that the Rsgister
should be authorized 10 employ one or more CON-
petsnt psrsons, the nsesssitiss Of the cass may
require, whose time and lAhofs should be given az
cnsively TO this branch Of the public service and
whatever amount the state should b. required 70
pay the agent or agents thus employed could and
ought to be refunded 10 tho Treasury out Of the
money obtained from the General Government for
swamp lands sold. This would hasten the final
close and settlement Of this troubissens business
which Is very much desired By tho counties inter
tax{ - -kS A. a. -
made, has cost the Exssstivs DspAstmsnt OF the
Ssate unrsmftting labor and sttsutton.
There ID, howsvsr, anoshsF ohataele to The early
completion OF this services, with should not omit
70 mention. The four land grant railroads in this
State claim the right to impsach the swamp Land
selections % far - they conflict with THAR grant,
Dotwithstanding near three years ago these selec-
tions, whether their real character were SWAMP or
dry, were BY special act OF Congress confirmed 10
the State This right upon application vas eones-
Ger er.l Land Once, with the consent Of the Score
tary OF the Interior, without giving the State .
hearing upon the question. Hence tho Swamp
Land selections found upon odd sections, falling
lheing fifteen miles on either side Of each line J
have not bcsn with otheFsswamp lands certified 10
the state. On being informed of these facts pro-
ceeded TO Washington and made IN urgent personal
appeal 70 the Secretary Of ths Interior tor . Re-
versal OF this decision, for reasons which were
named, bat be declined to DO IL, yet expressed 3
willingness to require the railroad companies to
designate At once the tracts claimed to be dry and
to submit proof that should II least bs equivalent
to the evidence furnished that they have swamp
lands, otherwise they should be certified the STATE
and to this effect did he % instruct the Commits
sioner. Still have heard Of no such ignations
the lands still remain unoertifed to the State.
have been unable to learn from the Commissioners
what he designs to pursue In reference TO the
instruction OF the Secretary Of the Interior. AND
the question recurs, where Ia this after to end p
II tue contest gees On II must necessarily be pro-
traetsd and expensive 10 the people Of the counties
whilst u willprovs In ths end detrimental to the
railroad companies themselves. II IL obviously
their interest to propitste the favor rather than
the hostility OF the people, In pushing forward
thsir several enterprises The counties deeply feel
willing to give or subscribe their swamp lands to
attain so desirable m obj cot, but they not thus
willing to b deprived Of them, without their con
sent or subec ted 10 the other alternative Of prov
ng them up second time 1t great cost and trouble
The railroad grann were made 70 the State In trust
for certain railroad companies. The State, ~
read the act, has already made declaration II thin
TRUSS In favor Of the companies In question, sub
Jsct, however, to the conditions and restrictions
contained In the act Of Congress granting thsm.--
One OF these conditions H. that tho lands shall only
be sold - the Of the roads proer
that IT, after hundred and twenty sections have
been sold another like quantity shall not % sold
until the 0evsrnor Of the State shall certify TO ths
Secretary Of the Interior that twenty continuous
milss Of any Of said roads have been complets Cd
Now In order 70 put IN end to this unhappy con,
trovsny which has hssn ahs source u % much
complaint IN the State, cannot but feel that 1t II
my duty to recommend The adoption Of joint re-.
olution By yoar bodies instsuctiDg the Governor Il
sign no more certificates Of the description spoken
Of to any OF saidoompaniss until they shall die II
his once written Fslinquishmsnt Of their sup
posed right TO contest the swamp land selections
that may fall within the limits Of thsir grants
and consent ON their part that the Conmissionel
of the General Land Once may proceed to paten,
them to the States - other swamp lands, 10.
10 be Continued
TAe BTickbas InsurrecsS On ~ BOli.