, 1875-08-18

animation. to loawnn,r-rAn'a. I find no Rsouud
for questioning thu r,rrrtncna Of either Lllo
ro:'sf Or r'n',rle f1,'.ou III .l,o language q
arr1irahty to tho nIa,ter In hand 10 make
tho lunsuagc Ut tho sorsrtsry effective Of 1ho
eli1is Of Tho Companies. It IL ''cccsrnry to hoid
i"r "s ,so, S,s r"" pross Es Int =" fSs' s /. "s iss
cernptinl point df denial, en- which tho lrorosoh
act IN Of tho oflico ,a 10 10 lRd for It IL nel,
that il, on Tin 2Rsh day Of aonla,nber, 18'a' tho
vcstcd, woro erantcti to tho State hy ito act ar-
proved OH that day. t1,evsnrd B!atuter. scc. 2,
2,a79,, and that tcnceforth cot'9ress wae power-
cas citucr to rccciro tho grant Or to tilrost i
tho action of this onIce. in certifying
tho lands 4, qncrsfon 10 tho Comranfes wsa not
action un.tcs grant, b.,t moro lnistako Which,
However, It may rccrn to tmp,lcn ita cato In the
execution Of ita funstuns, must not be allowed
to ttnnd IN tho wny Of tho duo discharge Of
pEeaent duty.
Tic angge1tcd l,ar,lsl,'r upon nurchaaors from
the Maao'd Companies oss"t ntnaent to o.
by tho proposed Investigation, has but tts!o tel
ovanco To tho 1ucs'ion rnw before thtH Office.
Tho fact, however. remains. Tint the swamp
Land net carried over to tue State present
| Companies aud to their grantees bote testimony
| upon Ito faco identifying II aa tho land Of tho
| State under tho grant or that Of tho United
| BlateB. Ruh}cct to Congressional control.
:! lHH HULL pNIIR tIHH E4d!kCA IL t1&Atf lHo
| ncs Of Congreas granting tho hnnao imnosca eer-
tain tluttB OH tito Secretary of tho Interior, 10
wit: 10 mako accurate Isis and rlata Of all Bnch
| innds. and transmit tho Bnn,c to tho Governor,
| and on tho request Of tho Governor. caueo
| patenta 10 ho iRHliei to Tho Htnee.
| Tho Secretary tnl,at t,cccHaarily perform tlls
duty through BneoEdinRtcH and soou after tho
asango Of the swan'T,.erRnt BY Congress, p!nn
Was ntloptotl. OH consultation with the State MI,
thor:tics, for n,nking this examination. In Iowa.
| tho Htato undertook tho selection Of the latltl
and thu rrcrentRtion Of proof OF its ewampy
character to tho Surveyor Gencra, tito ultimate
determination OF tho matter being reserved to
| tho Interior DEPARTMENT.
Tia State Inns long rinco claimed TINT tho
lands in question aro HwaMp-lands, and fur
ntKI,cd rrina facle evidence that theY arc Of Tint
| character. Tlis claim has not yat boen OK
amlucd at this Office, aud, uu'i it ia 30 exam
tned and either rejected or approved, Tho duty OF
this Department is not performed, Neither is It
excused from this duty becauso the General LAT d.
OfIlco las hastily Of inadvertently certified tho
I land to another etaiuant. The fact that anc.l
certicatlon wa4 notninally 10 tho State for cor
tain liailrnhd Companies does not change s1!c
mntter. It waH not granted for hl1ch railroads
II tho land iH Bwamp. and Huch certi1cAtlOn Ia er
roneous,-tho aaue NJ II II had beon 1uade to the
1sailroRi Ct mrAnics directly.
The Supreme Conrt OF tile United statest IN
December. 1sap, III tho caao Of tho Hannibai Il
10 tho Supreme Court from Mieaoulil. declared
that 1t waH tho duty Of tho Secretary Of the Into
| ripr rrin,nrilv IN f].cfdn the n11Gntipn of TIM
swam,,y character Of Tho land. and then hold
that DIV Il was rro.;nr fnr ii,n fnurt Ia mnfn
thc ipouiry.
| Tl,o Iutv t1,nn nf nscertnnnp tim fart
| whrthpr tia land n or la rut nvnmu. bolpnrs
ur;mnr,ly. a. declared Inv tho aunretna Court. Ia
IL" fntnrinr T1anartmrnt flint Dnnariincut
| makrs tho fnuniry throurh this otlico: and.
tInmoi, the anra estions fbu1 Tho Gcncrn1 Land.
tsnnica !. :. oTerIu,danrd with ita nnmnrnma
and intricato duties NAV eectn to c3cuse the
flnnys mid mistnkcY with which it in pomoti,ncr
rhnrrnni,lc IL cnnnok rxcuso q rnfuHal or nnnfnrt
IN dtscharro Main tnty.
III" ta1;ne ~ thrsn iands. md tin effect NJ,
tho Iitlo I,.cr liza lnwa n ie Htato. In matter
~ -ono ri ~ ,ybjc} Il ia ,nt lin rrnvirrc nj hid
IL, an,,,nent r. inn1,ir".
| IT. Villain raw. ntt Ia ,ntnrinus Tint rnaDv
Of tlto heut ,auds il, tho State hnyo boon certified
IN tho stntc ,,n.ior thn swnmI,-ianl urnnt-lanfs
thnt n,o in M scnao asamn. Arc tloso c.sia ID
ha rennenr1 AMI ti,o i,nn.uanos aIjow al tn cor.
tcst liz Wit nf the Etoln n1,l ith rrnnteos. ho-
fsrs I'm Dnrprt,onnt >, ~
Who' tho nueattnn il nrcsontcd It will bo mot
but will mt bo anticipated. / u,ay.saY, tow.
aver n ,crnrd tn lila mattor. that It IN ntobabo
tIst moat If mi iii tho japds ,yIlnh 11nv hayo
hanr thna nortttoS ~ INV snch were ncrtif|cdI'
,yoIo confirn,ci i,v s,1haanu ant mi of Eonurnsa
Wev,so.i Ht.twtss sec. 1aM'1 ~ ><'''
nnastion hna 1,een snproatel in regard IL
fnra ,Iis oa,cs lv In mi of Cougresa annroyc1
Sfsrcl, i 1s3S fHtatntos At i,mrgo. VOL III p. 37l
on'i alt,,,nuah hIr Wilson siocs nor ra,sait. A
NAV In vail to n1amino II.
Tbn .ct ,,roy,des tint tho Commies.onor shall
rran,no ocrtoin Selections and ajinw or t,Isal,nv
tnc thn ssma ut Ifs lima such solsctions var.
n,e,'n wii,ouf rrniul,ca +o lcrni cn,,ica or tI,r
aid rrc.emntion lnus OF Tho Unttou States. priol