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


in time for the use Of the General AS
sembly, which Is the chief object of its
issuance, if the law should be SO amend
ed as to require 1t to be made biennially.
The Adjutant Genaral thinks we should
have we'll organized and efficient
militia system, and I fully agree with
him in this opinion. He complains that
the General Assembly has failed to sup
ply him with the means to perform the
duties which prior mandatory laws have
devolved upon his Office. And it docs
seem that the quartermaster's allowance
is too limited to be of practical utility,
if he is expected to do anything for the
encouragement of militia organizations
or to properly care for the arms, equip.
ments, books, and other valuable mill
tary archives. commend the consid-
Grafton of the requirements of the law,
and the clerical and other aid necessary
to the performance of the duties en-
Joined, to the General Assembly.
I would particularly invite attention
to the claims of the State against the
United States. If other States through
special agencies press the collection OF
suspended and rejected claims, We can
not we'll afford to pay pro rata towards
reimbursiDg these allowances and not
at the same time make proper efforts to
collect those Of equal validity due to
Iowa.
To the miscellaneous suggestions OF
tho Adjutant General I would direct at
tention; and would suggest in addition
whether 1t would not be we'll to equip
the Adjutant Generals office for full and
constant work and impose upon it the
general duty CT giving such information
to the soldiers and widows and orphans
Of the war as is now frequently OBJ
tanned by them on the payment of ex-
brilliant fees to attorneys. I have always
believed that every citizen of Iowa to
whom pension Is justly due, or whose
dues from the government for services
In the war had not been fully adjusted,
should receive all proper aid in the OBJ
tainment of his just claims without cost
to himself.
PUBLIC LANDS.
The report of the Register of the State
Land Office shows the operations of that
department during the past two years.
There has been patented by the State g.
474.57 acres Of the 100000 acre grant;
53,13477 acres of the 10Th section grant;
2,039.77 acres and 10 town lots of mort
gage school lands; $50 acres of tho
saline land grant; and Is, 47S54 acres of
the agricultural college grant. There
have also been patented to the State by
the general government, and by the
state to the several counties, S,715.52
acres of swamp lands. The Register has
published full list of the swamp land
selections as made by the counties. This
list having been carefully compiled will
be valuable book of reference to all
tho officers of counties seeking final
adjustment of their claims.
Lands have been certified 10 the vari-
Gus land grant railroad companies as
follows: Cedar Rapids and Missouri
River r. r 62S, 589.71 acres; Sioux City
and ST.. Paul R. R., 20S,050.34 acres;
Iowa Falls and Sioux City R. r., 8,471.-
08 acres; Des Moines Valley r. r., Co.
630.98 acres; making total of 1853, 49,
% acres. There have been certified to
the State by the United States for the
benefit Of the railroads named the fol-
lowing lands: Burlington and Missouri
River r. r., 100 acres; Cedar Rapids
and Missouri River R. R., 1881 40 acres;
Iowa Falls and Sioux City R. R., 8, 1885,
SO acres; McGregor and Missouri River
Railway, 4,297.74 acres; Sioux City and
st. Paul R. R.. 10,911.41 acres; Des
Moines Valley r. R., 39,94297 acres;
making total of 90, 1888 acres.
In regard to the lands certified for
the benefit OF the Des Moines Valley
Railroad, it is proper that I should
make statement somewhat in detail.
After the so-cailed Litchield decision,
announced in December, 1859, which
fixed the limit of the grant Of 1916 at
the mouth of the Raccoon fork (the city
of Des Moines), immigrants believing
the land north of this point open to
presumption, and being encouraged in
this opinion by the commissioner of the
general land Office, settled and improved
thousands of acres within five miles of
the river, between the city of Des
Moines and the north line of the state.
On the 18th of July, 1869, bill was
passed by Congress extending the grant
of 1916 to the Minnesota line. The act
Of Congress provided that the lands
were to be held and applied in accord
ance with the terms of the origina!
grant, except that the consent of Con-
gress was given to divert portion to
aid in the construction of tho Keokuk,
Fl. Des Moines and Minnesota
Railroad - since called the
Des Moines Valley Railroad,
This act further declared: "And if any
of said lands shall have been sold or
otherwise disposed of by the United
States to the grantees of the State of
Iowa, under joint resolution of March
I'd, 1851, the Secretary of the Interior
is hereby directed to set apart an equal
amount of lands within SAID State to be
certified in lieu thereof" Under this
provision 29S,921.06 acres of indemnity
land were subsequently selected and
certified to the State in lieu of lands
which were found to be occupied within
the limits of the grant, and these lands
we're afterwards transferred by the
State to the Des Moines Valley Railroad
Company. In the meantime an act
entitled IAN act confirming the title to
certain lands" approved March 8, 1871,
the object of which purported to be to
allay any doubts that migbc have arisen
rs TO the validity OF tho title to these
indemnity lands, was passed by Con-
gress. Subsequently at the December
term OF 1872, the Supreme Court of the
United States in effect decided that this
act of March Sd, 1871, made a new
grant of the so-called indemnity lands,
and held that the title to all these lands
was therefore fixed in the railroad COIN
pany; aud at the same time the court
decided that the odd sections within five
miles of the Des Moines river, having
been reserved by competent authority