Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1882-01-14
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our regular correspondent.
WASHINGTON, JAN, IA, 1881.

1S
we have had since Congress re-as-
sembled is the lively shaking up of
certain swamp land transactions
down in Florida. OF late years the
people have come to understand
something about the ways in which
the public domain has melted away,
as it were, only to benefit and en-
rich grasping corporations; but there
is still little general knowledge as to
the devious ways by which millions
of acres are gobbled up through the
dishonesty and connivance of trust
ed public servants. Rumors are fire.
quently heard here of frauds in con-
nection with the public lands, but
nothing is done to protect the Gov
eminent. Strange stories are told of
the wonderful expansion of Spanish
grants in New Mexico land of frauds
committed in various parts of the
country under cover of the home
stead and presumption laws: and
some d~isagreeable facts have been
presented to the Commissioner of the
General Land Office, touching the
abuse of the presumption law in the
State of Minnesota, where it it said
many thousands of acres have been
located for truely speculative pur-
poses. Most political economists
agreed with the theory of Edmund
Burke that it is better for the Gov
eminent and the country when eve
ry acre of tillable land is taken up
and occupied; but this wholesale
violation of the law which provides
that they shall go out only for actu-
al settlement, should be sat down
upon.
In 1850 a law was enacted grant
ing to the several States, except
Kansas, Nebraska and Nevada, all
the swamp or overlooked lands with
in their lines remaining unsold and
unfit for cultivation. 1t was made
the duty Of the Secretary of the In.
terror to mark out these lands and
convey them, and the States were
required to use the profits of the sale
of such lands in retaining them by
levees and dams. In deciding the
question whether any legal subdivi-
sion of land was swamp land or not,
the rule was to be that when the
greater part Of the subdivision was
wet and unfit for cultivation it was
called swamp land but that it should
not be so called when the portion of
wet land was not greater than the
area of dry land. The total area of
swamp lands selected for the sever
al States up to June 30th, 1879, was
nearly 81, 000, 900 acres, of which
Florida had the largest area-more
than Is, SOC, 900 acres. OF this area
in Florida nearly 1900 900 acres
has been approved and nearly H.
600 900 acres patented to the State.
Since that time a large additional
area has been secured-over a mil
lion acres-and it is this which is to
be the subject of a Congressional in.
vestigation. The Reporters month
ly bulletin of Governmental affairs,
published by the National News Blu
reau of this city, first makes the
charge that there was %connivance on
the part of the commission repre-
tsenting the Interior Department
with the State agents-in short that
the lands confirmed are not swamp
lands. The charges are specific, and
Senator Jones, of Florida, with a
copy of the Reporter before him,
which he said came from the Secre-
tary of the Interior, calls for a COM
mittee. of inquiry. 1t can be stated
that the editor of the Reporter knew
what he was talking about, and that
there will be some developments.
The three men named is partici-
pants in the swindle have been re.
lieved from duty in the Land Office.
The Americans living at the Ar
lington Hotel have, of course, been
greatly interested in watching the
newly arrived Chinese Minister and
their servants, The latter are num-
erous and seem to be all pervading,
for, of course being utterly unac-