The Lake Charles echo., 1883-03-31

on tate numbers uf the IN g
Picaynne we notice That quite
sensation is being worked MP b.
that paper on The snbiect Of Col
John McEnerys contract with til,
state of Louisiana. Gov. Wilt
made contract with Col. AEcElaA
~ whereby Tie latter was appoint
led agent Of tbs state to find on
and claim for the state any lan1
helonaing to the general govern
ment which was swamp or over
flowed land, and Col. McIEnery
was - recsiveaa compensation foi
his services 30 per cent. Of snch
lands recovered. This land was
gigcn to the state by act of CON
gress passed September %, 1850.
In order to securesuch land il was
necessary tor the State Register Of
public lands to make out d formal
claim to the lands 10 be recovered,
and this being signed by the gov.
ernor, then passed through the
United States land Office. When
Gel. Millinery, acting as agent for
the STATE, would discover d BODY of
land which could be claimed by
The state, he would draw up a for
mai paper describing the land and
making the claim Of the state to it.
This paperwould be handed to the
Register for his sanction, and il
be found the claim, in his belief,
just and well founded, he gave his
approval, and the paper would go
through the regular routine. 1t
appears from accounts and inter-
views published That alarge guam
titY Of the character Of land .des-
cribed has been foundin the state,
and some even in the city of New
Orleans. This is all very well, but
t seems that there is nothing in
ihe contract made by Gov. Wiltz
with Col. McEnery which prevents
he latter from locating for him
Ielf, as his SO per cent, the best
portions of all such lands recoYer-s
q and giving the very poorest part
Q the state, This was certainly
n oversight on the part of our Ia
aented governor and was not done
18th any wrong intention. Being {
Q much interested, it can scarce
be supposed that Col. McEnery,
! any other man in the same po- |
tion, wonld guard the interests !
tho state with the same fidelity y
. would his own. Provision 9
lould have been made by law, or b
contract, so that the duty of di- D
ding the land between the agent !
I'd the state would hayetdevolyed p
ION disinterested parties. But q
. worst feature Of the whole bus j
sss, as it appears upon the sur II
ee, is this The state of course p
iues scrip 10 Col. McEnery for b.
] half Of all lands recovered and u
can locate il on land Of the state of
when and where be pleases. Not ~
y that, but il a party desires to 70
rchase land Of the state he can
, for the same in this McEnery n,
ip, which is received and ac- a
oWledged to be as good as 80 "
Ich cash BY the present State as
gister, Maj. .. G. Richardson. II
!. McEnery having his office at ye
capital, and also having active ri,
'nts there, he was apt to know 81
9n q cash buyer WAS around, and u
could, and tits charged that De- ~
intercept parties who were go- no
With money in their pockets TO sta
land, dispose of bis scrip to a.,
! parties and pocket the cash. ~;
snch cases Col. MoEnery seems tra
ave overlooked The fact that MA,
was the trusted agent Of the ~,
e and not She land speenlator, ree
il is for snch questionable prc
as this that the Pic
ne boldly charges that "this
p has led 10 an actual pIunder- y y
of The state treasnry." It il ~
] TO believe anything deroga- 'ua
to Ex=GoY, John McEnery as our
honest man. He Is d man this 'fs
9 hes delighted to honor nai
him but aIl others BY that aefe J
Ie bnt there ID evidently We
ething radically wrong about VIII
land business which needs IN pehs
igation. We confess our sur- We =
? thatthe papers at the state ana
tal have had SO little to say on gene
sIllject, bat probably they are slon'
the Investigations il order to Il,
% Of ''half cooked. Iftbere lase
two sides to this question il eael,
e 0e 9 pleasure and 2 relief 70 af 10
he other side. trs;,,