Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1876-01-14

the State wonld place these innocent
purchasers and pre-emptors would justi-
fy me in exercising somewhat arbitra-
~ right of personal judgment. II
however told the agent Of the company
that if he would arrange terms of sale
with the occupants of these lands, I
would certify them, or would certify
any particular tract which he might sell
to settler, upon the request of such
settler. In this manner some Of the
land has been certified. But this is
very unsatisfactory method of reaching
final settlement. It occurs to mo,
therefore, that Notwithstanding the
agent of the company, Geo. D. 6myth,
Esq, of Keokuk, has acted honorably
and justly, so Ear as I know, to the ex-
tent he has gone in this business, yet If
there is any method by which the legis.
lature can provide for Its settlement
upon liked principle and by just law it
should be done.
Des Moines Rioer Lands.-Four years
ago the General Assembly passed an act
to aid in securing indemnity for the set
tiers upon lands to which the Des Moines
Navigation Company had acquired title.
Under this law considerable progress
was made. Hon. Jackson Orr, then In
Congress, gave the proposed measure
careful attention and able advocacy, aud
aided by the other members of the Iowa
delegation secured the passage In the
House of Representatives of an indem-
nifty bill which would have gone far
towards insuring justice to these settlers.
In the Senate however it met unexpected
opposition, and finally sub committee
of the committee on public lards
reported against it, assigning as
the reason for this determination
that in case of failure of titles
derived from the United States gov
eminent the law provided for refund
ing his money to the party whose title
had failed. This committee strangely
| ignored the fact that on several occasions
the government had Unidentified entire
communities for losses sustained by res-
son of failure of titles derived from the
government. But, notwithstanding this
adverse decision. do not believe that
tho State should surrender the
effort to see justice done to these settlers
until something approaching it is attain
ed. 1t is colo cruelty and insult to Of
fer these people the money they paid
originally for their lands after they have
spent the best years of their lives in i'm
proving them. Our country boasts
that is would redress the wrongs
of its weakest citizen, even at
the cost OF war as against foreign ma
ton, and yet here are over three hundred
citizens of Iowa, many of whom were
soldiers in the union army, and who
through no fault of their own, but rely
ing upon the accuracy and good faith of
the government, find themselves sudden
~ despoiled of the accumulatlons of
life of industry; and it will be sad
commentary upon humanity if when
venturing to appeal for justice these
people are rudely pushed from the door
| of Congress with cool reference to the
conditions nominated In the bond"
Every case included In Mr.. Orr's bill
should have been Unidentified. But, if
this cannot be secured by single appro-
priation, Congress should be besieged
by legislative resolutions to adopt some
general measure referring cases involv.
ing failure of the land titles of actual
settlers arising from confusion of
congressional grants to one of the exist
ing courts of claims; and upon evidence
Of good faith, of valuable Improvements,
and of conflicting titles, Of which even the
United States land officers were igno.
rant, the poor unfortunate settler upon
the public lands should be Unidentified
| for his losses.
In this connection I desire to recon-.
mend some legislative action making it
as criminal in law as it now is in morals
for the owners Of large tracts of land to
force settlers who may occupy any por.
ton of the same under color of title to
sign what are generally known as "cut.
throat contracts" myself have known
many instances where poor, badgered
settlers, through fear of being forcibly
elected from land for which they had
once paid the Government, and in which
their all was invested, but which had
been determined to be part of grant,
have consented to sign contracts provid-
ing for the payment of an exorbitant
price for their lands, and providing that
| in case Of failure to meet a single pay
| ment when due the contracts are to be
forfeited without the Intervention of
legal proceedings and without the reser-
walton of any claim for impro 7ements
under the occupying claimant law of
the State.
In compliance with chapter 30,
private, local, and temporary laws, 10Th
General Assembly, employed Hon. Galu-
sha Parsons and Mr.. John A. Hull, both
of whom had been engaged In behalf of
individual settlers upon the school river
lands prior to the passage of the act, to
carry one representative case through
the courts and determine the status of
that grant. They have not progressed
so far as had hoped they would have
done, but have advanced as rapidlys as
is perhaps practicable under the dilatory
forms of practice III the courts. You
will find a statement of what has been
done In the Registers report.
One of the most important elements
in the welfare of any community is q
perfect confidence in land titles. In
view of the various and conflicting land
grants in this State without the EXERCISE
of great care titles in many portions
of the State will become INTERIM
inably confused. To prevent this, the
land-office should have complete set Of
plat-books, and all the grants should
be plated by township and range, as
this will enable the examiner to detect
an error invariably, and will greately as.
sist the Register In the correct discharge
Of his duty. 1t would be we'll if the
General Assembly would authorize the
procurement of such books.
RAILROADS.
The Fifteenth General Assembly passed
an act to establish reasonable maximum