Des Arc semi-weekly citizen., 1861-07-27
Pre- Emptions on Swamp Lands.

Having been written to on the subject, we made enquiries of the proper officers and ob : tained certain information concerning pre-emp- tions, which may be of interest to some of our readers.
 The ordinance of the convention adopted May 27, 1861, has the following sections:
 SEC. 19 Be it further ordained, That no public sale of swamp lands shall be made be- fore the first day of October, A. D. 1861.
 SEC. 20. Be it further ordained, That where proof of pre-emption rights have not been made, pre-emptors on swamp lands shall make proof on or before the day of public sale, and upon satisfactory proof being made, the State land agent shall give his certificate, which shall state that the pre-emptor has proven a pre-emption to the tract of land therein men, tioned, which certificate may be transferred by assignment, indorsed thereon, sealed and acknowledged by the assignor.
 SEC. 2l. Be it further ordained, That pre- emptors, their heirs, executors, adminstra- tors and assigns, may make payment for such lands on or before the first day of January A. D. 1863.
 SEC. 9. That in case of claimant of a pre-emption being in the military service of this State or the Confederate States, the proof may be made by others than the pre- emptor.
 SEC. 3. Be it further ordained, That all laws of this State, not inconsistent with this ordinance, regulating pre-emptions, are here by continued in force, and this ordinance may be altered or amended at any regular session of the General Assembly of this State.
 These, obviously, refer only to swamp lands which have not yet been offered at public sale Where the land has been offered the pre-emp- tor has year, from the date of filing his dec laration, to pay for the land. In other words pre-einption rights to offered lands are not changed or affected by the ordinance,
 The fifth section of the ordinance referred to, says:
 "All the swamp lands which have been To- cated, or reported as such to the proper au- thorltes of this State, and which have not been confirmed by the commissioner of the general land office, and the authorities at the city of Washington, be, and the same are hereby deem. ed to be fully confirmed and this confirmation shall have the same effect as though said lands had been ratented to the State of Arkansas, except all those tracts or parcels of land that were sold by the registers of the several land othces of the United States, to any part or parties whatever, who shall be entitled to their patent deeds for the same.''
 1t will take some time to make out lists of these lands and have them compared with the registers of sales in the several land offices. When it is done large quantity of the best lands will be brought into market. It is not probable that the sales of these lands can be made until next spring. Of the lands hereto fore confirmed no sale can be made until next no+a ah Dro trict have until the day of sale to make their proof, and until the first of January, 1863, to make payment for these unofF9red lands.
 When the lists heretofore referred to are completed, it will close up the selections of swamp lands. Pre-emptors on these lands will have until the day of sale to make proof and ayment.-[LittIe Rock True Democrat.