St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1883-04-28
OPEIOISAS. La. SATURDAY, APRIL %, 1888.

and the resting places of the dead are
to be ransacked and halved. The Canal
Bank property, extending from Carroll
ton, and in to the Metairie Ridge, is
now discovered and scripped. This
embraces a large portion OF the. ceme-
teries on the Ridge.
But to this contract. The document
in full is published elsewhere, and
speaks for itself. It gives Mr.. McEne.-
ry one-half of all lands discovered, and
makes no provision for the costs, and
travelling expenses, etc. These may be
saddled upon the State later on, and
take up the other half. There is docu-
mentary evidence to show that able
writing to Gov. Nichols to do this work
for one-fourth the land recovered, and
to bear all costs. 1t will be observed
also that the contract provides that
scrip shall be issued to the contractor,
| which he can place on any land. In
other words, when he RECEIVERS 1000
acres of sea marsh, worth, say 10c. an
acre, he gets scrip for 500 acres, which
he can place on other land belonging to
the State worth say 81 per acre. Or II
| the tract recovered shall be fye-eighths
swamp and three-eighths good land he
may take the latter and leave the State
the least valuable portion, and have
besides a little surplus scrip to put
somewhere else.
The law authorizing this contract,
approved March s, 1880, reads as fol-
lows:
shall be and he is hereby authorized to take
| the necessary steps to institute proceedings,
| to employ counsel and to make the neces sary
| agreement, or agreements, to recover for the
4 Stata ba fed in tha State Of IOIIiE-
/ lana, and donated by several acts OF Congress
to the State for divers purposes, some OF which
have been Illegally disposed of by the Federal
| Government and other portions though Hstett
| to the State, have been improperly suspended
or rejected by the Federal Government and
the approval to the State refused, or to recover
| the value of said lands in money or Govern
ment scrip: prorided, that the State shall in
cur no cost or expense i'll the prosecution OF the
/ said claim, other than an allowance to be made
by the Governor out of the lands, money OF
scrip that may be recovered, sthe Governor is
especially authorized herein to make all agree
ments and contracts to carry out the purposes
OF this act
SEC. 2 That any settler under or holder OF
a patent fom the Land Office of the United
States. or purchaser of the same, under exist
ing laws, shall not be in any manner affected
by this resolution.
i It will be seen the Assembly did not
| fix the, portion to be paid, nor did il
provie4 for any scrip process OF swap
ping good land already owned by the
State for worthless swamps and sea
marshes. Furthermore, it clearly init,
mated that the act was not to be used
as means OF speculation, by protect,
ing actual settlers and purchasers OF
these lands from the United States, al
was done in section 2.
The labor of perfecting these titles
.. particularly where the lands have beer
already listed but not confirmed, is no
great, nor is any superior ability O
learning necessary in the prosecution
!, of these claims. One-quarter the lant
recovered, given in kind out OF eact
piece, would have been ample com
, pensation, and that is probably NOR.
than the sub-agents who do the Worl
{ get now.