The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1872-03-02
STATE OF INDIANA,
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,

l0olanpOiiS, Jan 10, lCIl.
DEAR SIR: l this morning
received a printed copy of the
bill introduced by you in the House
Of Representatives, entitled IA bill
to authorize the survey and sale of
the lands reclaimed by the drain
age of Beaver Lake, in the State of
of Indiana" with Your accompany
ing note on the same subject, calling
my attention to and expressing a
desire to hear from INC ON tie sub
iect.
In response. l beg leave TO say
HIT have purposely avoided TAX
ing part in the controversy between
those wto claim the lands under
the Bright and Dunn title AMI
those who seek to pre-empt them
as Government lands, except tina:
| have held it to be my duty to do
nothing to the prejudice of any
title made by the State, but. on
the contrary. to furnish any insor-
nation that would tcnd 10 uphold
or protect titles made By the State.
Having this in view, beg leave
to state some of the facts as l un-
derstsnd them.
Beaver Lake o1ie;onally covered
about 16, 900 acres OF land in Jas
per and Newton Counties. The
lake was situated some fifty feet
higher than the Kankakee River,
passing about four miles from the
lake.
After the swamp-land law of
this State went into operation. the
swanlp-land commissioner, under
the law, located ditch from said
lske to the Kankakee River.
Thcreupon. NJ G Bright and John
T Dunn entered or purchased from
the treasurer Of Jasper County oil
the fractional tracts bounded On
the lake. amounting to about 1000
acre., they being swamp-lands do
mated by Congress The ditch
was dug and paid for out of the
swamp-land fund Of Jasper Coun-
ty, aud partially drained the lake,
and it may be made, as 1 am in
formed, to drain the entire lake.
Bright and Dunn then claimed
title to the whole Of the lend which
had been or still was, covered by
e the waters of the lake as tue ripa-
J. rian proprietors owners of all the
8 lands bounding its margin; and,
r for the purpose of division. they
1 made plat of the entire body,
r (including the fractional lots which
t they had 60 purchased. represent
n ing on said map the lines of the
Government surveys and subdivi-
II sions as extending through the
e lake north and south, east and
If west, SO as to divide it into forty
n acre lots. They then divided tht
= whole as between themselves BY
y numbering the lots from No. l con
(, secu,ively up to the highest mum
n ber, Dunn taking the odds ant
le Bright the even numbers. Dunn
Of interest in the lots which fell t
is him in the division, Towering 7,S8'
le acres. was sold on execution ant
er purchased by Bright, and convey
r ed by him 10 the sheriff, who mai
ty the sale. Dunn and his wife, afl e
IN this sale. relinquished 10 trigh
it all interest in or claim to tn
re lands included in the sherifi's sale
ell Bright then conveyed the Dunn
er lots covering, as before stated
y, 1880 acres, to the then treasure
sc of the State, for the use of til
Il. State, in satisfaction Of a Deb
ut which Dunn owed the State, an
l. upon which Bright was his surety
q. The treasurer Of state (Jones a
IN tcrward conveyed the same land
be to the State. BY an act approve
ue December l2, 1865. entitled "A
y. act to provide for the sale OF Ger
b tain lands belonging to the Stat
RI of Indiana in the counties of Jas
cy per and Newton, and to give pro
lc. lection to actual settlers thereon,
he the State fully recognized and af
. firmed the action Of the Stat
Nv treasurer in the premises. Thi
IL act in the clearest terms asser,
nd the States ownership of the Dun
Ist portion of the Beaver Lake land,
Ike and provides ter the eale there,
es. at public auction, alter tie givin
ed Of ample notice by The auditor {
go State by publication OF the tim
as aud place of sale. TIE ac, re
lot quires the land 70 be bid in fort,
lat acre tracts, and that none of the
us shall, at the first offer, be sold Il
ds less than 81 80 per acre, and Civ,
ey each actual settler right to pr.
in empt the laud occupied by hir
MS not exceeding 100 acres, at 81
ou per acre. You will find this o
his in the acts Of the special sessio
lot of our general assembly Of 186
cir at psges 1872. 1913, and 1874. 1t ca
icy be doubtless found in the Go,
by gressional Library.
ate also refer you to report ma
he to the legislature by Judge OFT
on- Judge Elliott, and Hon. Norm,
e's Eddy, in 1862, covering this a,
Ids other matters. See Documents
nj Journal Of 1861, pages 246 u
247.
tate The State, under the act
the December IL, 1865. before cite
ghs has sold and conveyed to quite
s'n number Of different purchasers