Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1864-01-16

ro6u0OOe to1IeU % pey eI.ues Ps'se'pfs
or ieoersst. Hsetious Of the lsuds taSe
thes become loriei,ed 70 tho State e
non -psyment q the purchase money $40
have been re sold to other parties. But
there 10 70 sufi -isnt provsiou Of isw
sacs forfcitares ssd se-sales
to be reported 10 any State officer, and
the result il that it il now impossible to
ascertain, +, ON any record at the Capitol
the number Of acres or the particular
description Of the several parcels If the
School Lands yet unsold.
This condition Of sffai,s should not be
permitted TO continue, and | recommend
the enactment Of such laws ~ will is-
move the difficulty.
The Saline Lands and Funds are now
"a part of the Permanent Fund" Of the
State University. cali your attention
to that part of the Report Of the Regis.
ter Of the State Land Office, which
shows the necessity for further lesisla-
ton 10 regard to the issuance Of Cer;ih-
Gates Of full payment for the portion OF
these lands already sold, and recommend
that the Treasures Of the University Be
authorized to Issue such Certi6catef, and
that the power to sell the unso d portion
Of the lands be vested in the Trustees.
In many cases School Lands we're sold
prior 10 1857, at such high prices that,
after that date, they were not wor b the
amount due on them. The purchasers
have ceased to pay either principal or
interest. ! suggest the inquiry, whether
it Won d not be we'll to provide for the
surrender OF these lands TO the State,
tho purchaser being relieved from fur
Their liability, by forfeitipg payments al
resdy made, without resort to legal pro-
ceedings.
call your particular attention to the
full and able Report of the Register OF
the State Land Office. 1t contains much
valuable Information touching the vari-
ous land grants made to the State, and
suggests several points upon which fu,-
ther Legislation is needed.
THE soc, 900 ACRES GRANT.
As have elsewhere stated, it is not
possible to a.c ertain, 10 any Office here
the amount or tho description OF the Va.
rious parcels OF this land yet unsold by
the State. The records Of the register
show the amount that has been patent I'd
10 purchasers, but do not show how much
of the balance has been sold or 10 held
under contract of sale, and how much is
unsold. This 10 also true of the Six
teenth section lands. The Ninth Gen.
eral Assembly provided, by Law, Tor the
purchase, for the use Of the School Fund,
OF lands mortgaged by borrowers Of that
fund, as security, but the law does not
provide for the making Of a return t.
to the Register Of lands thus purchased
and of sales made thereof by the officers
authorized to sell. Information on all
these points can be had, only, 10 the va
rious counties. Under these circum-
stances. it is clearly imposs bic tor the
State to exercise, over these Iands and
their proceeds, that vigilaut super'n,eu-
dcnce 10 should exercise. These lands
were granted to the State, 10 trust, for
educational purposes, add good faith to
the grantor, a. well rs the best interest oil
the State, involved IN the education oil
our youth, require the utmost care and
vigilance in the execution Of the trnst.
l therefore recommend the passage Of
a law making it obligatory rpon the
proper county officers to make return to
the Register Of all the lands OF the Six
teenth Section and the 100000 Acres
Grant, sold j, their respective counties,
the dates Of 5 ,les, the names Of the per.
sous to whom s,ld, the terms Of sale,
and the extent 10 which these terms have
been complied With, the forfeitures to
the State for non payment, and the re.
sales of the lands thus forfeited, with full
particulars, and like full INFO, mation con-
corning the lands mortgsged by borrow.
ers Of the School Fund, and purchased
by the State for the use OF the said
Fund. To secure uniformity, it would
be well to require the Register to furnish
forms to the county officers, and to Sc
cure the making Of the returns, it would
also be we'll to provide for the punish
ment of any officer failing to make them.
The University Grant Lands are now
under the cootro! Of the Trustees of the
University, and the Saline Lands, now
belonging to the University, should, |
think, be under the same control.
recommend. however, that the Register
be required to call for, and the Trustees
10 furnish. Information in regard to these
lands, similar t. that above named in re
gard to the School Lands, that the Reg
ister may have, in b $ office. full and par
,icnier e.idcnc. Of thtir situation.
THE pEs MONIES RIVER GRANT.
Portions ,f these lands, above the city
Of DesMoines. have been sold to individ
uals, whose titles are now contese ed by
certain ra'lroa. companies. repeat a
portion Of my communication to the
Ninth General Assembly, on the subj c.,
as f.llo -:
"Tue $ ate having only conve, ed what
title it had to these lands, may not be
lega " liable to make good any loss re-
sul,ipg to Others from failure of that
title; bn', certainly, IS morally bound, a,
least, 10 do what may be reasonably and
fairly done to protect the gifts aud in
tercsts Of these Threatened with such
loss. When the State granted TO the
railroad companies the lands granted to
The Sta by Congress. for railroad pur-
poses, it vas not contemplated Ly the
parties, certainly it wa. not cotte,nplat-
ed bv the State, that I WIS granting to
these companies lands previously con-