New-York tribune., 1883-11-04
IOWA Land GRANTS AND TITLES.
THE DISASTROUS RESULTS OF PAST BLUM
DERS.

FROM An OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE
Dies MONIES, Iowa, Oct. 23.-Ihe time is
coming and may not be far distant when trouOe VIII
como 10 thousands purchasers and holders OF Govern
roent lands both under homestead entries and under
Ind grants made totnls staye for the use OF railroads
For twenty-five years settlers aud homesteaders on ne
and granted TO the old Des Mones River Railroad anu
NAVIGATION have been worried by litigation as
IN their titles Many have been ousted and compelled
90 surrender their homes where they have toed Ior
core of years. and this even when they held possession
of natent deed direct from the Government But unde
the rncipe of law that better title can DO conveyeu
than Is possessed the Courts gave the land TO the cor
noration under the grant TO the State which vested
tbe title n the State Iowa The Government guaran
tees nothing In conveyance therefore the Government
sbould make no bunders; but 1t dOes serious numerous
and disastrous The records show that this corporation
and Its successors received over eleven thousand acres
Of the most fertile land in the State more
than # was entitled 10 under the grant, by
any pcssibIe construction OF the various
nbterres raised as to lands held by settlers or indem
nifty lands It is only question OF tine Whon thls mat"
ter will be oyerhauled and settlement made. under
the grant Of this company the question arose as TO no"
far north 1t extended along the DeS Mones River Unde
the persuasive influence OF the corporation In those days
ot Democratlc rule the land department at Washington
decided that extended the north line OF the state
ana even nearly one hundred mlesnto Minnesota-oyer
$50 miles further than It was possible Tor steamboat
to get. 81, ,,,o .,,,,,ossa
nt were disposed Of including large tracts OF what
oro kpnwn "a swamp lands. Since then the supreme
r has decided three times that the grant did not e1
,d bevond the forks Of the Raccoon River which Wss
where Des Moines IA located and which was de Jdeo
tn northern limit Of steamboat navigation under the
,nost favorable conditions and stages of water the
hohettrbunal having thus decided there Will ultimately
s further settlement as the title to all this land and
acme sharp shrewd speculator viii be apt to begin with
the swamp lands"
he records show that the state Of Iowa has received
of tho uubo domain over two hundred thousand acres
more than she is entitled under the various grants
made 70 her This is fact which cannot be Ignored ana
the land officers at Washington are making an nyessa-
p n ASCERTAIN where this excess is, and what has De-
come OF It, The result ikeJ to lead TO almost ehueS'
uugat and disastrous wreck OF uuee o.. -,o,,,-
az the grant inside to the STATE Tor the nlS a.
tTs CSsgs II has recently been discovered tDat te
t~uIh ~ 49, s.rs{reJ over thirtynine Thousand acres M
o ~ a. rant this excess all being In korsutI
Couuty The college probably disposed 0i ths Ahuu s
| age-gpieb Involves another conflict VI ullh% -,
Jn tbe IJDited states Lan1 Oice here are nel nNaJ
-. tSsnIy-iye tbousaud pntcnt-doeds for Goyernmel y
\ land eyefy Que OF which should be ~ porso.slo,
"a tss ur5er owner Many Of eil are thirty ana ioiy
seT. did and we're signed by President Taylor sa hls
successors. The persons Who enIersu '"i' 'A"S