The Daily state register. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1870-1872, 1871-11-24
NEVADA'S SWAMP AND OVER
FLOWED LANDS.

SoLStAtobNN q bhA w"
lands within the meaning of the stat
ute Surveyor General Bost of Cali
fornia has written a lengthy letter,
with copious extracts from the de-
bates in Congress at the time the
original bill granting lands of this
character passed. The substance of
Gen. Bost's authorities and reason
ing is embodied in the following:
Congress granted theState of Arkan-
SaS (tne grant was afterwards extended
to this Siate) all of that portion of the
public domain rendered unfit for cui-
uivati0n by reason of o~verf1Ows. 1t
would seem from debates on the bill,
when it a being discussed III Con-
greSS, that they not only intended to
grant the swampland, but also auyand
all land made unfit for cultivation by
being overlooked or subject to inunda-
ton. Ii i clear that ali land than re-
quired artificial work of any charac-
ter, whatever, t. render it fit f, r cul-
tivation was granted, and it certainly
was so intended.
Let any man take the foregoing
definition of swamp and overlooked
lands, and apply it to the State of
Nevada. Estimate how much of the
lands lying along the Humboldt,
Truckee, Walker, Carson, Reese,
Muddy and other rivers in Nevada
are included within this definition,
and of the various sinks into which
the waters of those rivers fow-esti-
mate these, and then you can deter
mine just how much land the State
of Nevada has lost by the course of
its Senators at Washington. This
enormous tract, as large perhaps as
some of the smaller States of the
Union, ought to belong 20 Nevada
by all precedent, and would have be-
longed to it long ago had the State
been represented, as it ought to have
been represented, at Washington.
Nevada is the only Pacific State to
whom this grant has not been made.
Senators Stewart and Nye had but
to ask for it to obtain it !; but instead
of asking for it, Mr.. Stewart made a
speech against it, and Mr.. Nye by
his silence acquiesced. Senator
Williams presented a bill extending
the provisions of the act to Oregon
and the grant was readily, willingly
made. Iowa, through its Senators,
made the same request, and it was
granted. Nevada, on the contrary,
presented the strange spectacle Of
refusing these valuable lands, and
denouncing their appropriation by
the several States. We have no
means by which to estimate the
amount which Nevada has |,
niarally by this singular ira
1t certainly amounts to ma
dreds of thousands of doll
haps to several millions. ]
certainly more than paid of
tire debt of the State. The
an unprecedented demand
lands. Applications are be
every day. A steady st
.1zz1 =, A
treasury from this source.
lands now owned by the Stf
overfiowed lands were al
State of Nevada would be in
condition than any State
Union.
Let not our present Sena
agine that the people of Nev
forget this transaction. Til
touched the State on a tende
the most sensitive of all otl
finances They must answe
They alone are responsible
There is no substantial d
whether the State Treasury sa.v
robbed of a half million dollars, or
deprived Of it by the acts of its off
Gals or representatives. Before
either Senator Nye or Stewart can
hope to be returned they must ex-
plain this transaction.