The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1901-04-19
VETOED BY GOV. COOKERY.
Tho swamp Land nm Rsturn.a without
His Approvai-Lstter Of the uoverncr
Explaining His Position.

ItitNiAbF Aiht' ~ 'fI I
| dorsed thereon. tho following bill, |
which reached me within the ten days
next before the final adjournment of
the general assembly;
House bill No. IS, entitled AN act
20 repeal section 500 of chapter i22.
article .. Revised Statutes of Missou-
ri. 1890, and to enact n new section In
lieu thereof, relating to proceeds OF
sales of swamp and overiiowed lands.
and 60 amend section s2G7, chapter
ip2, and 10 amend sections s2s2. 1902,
s20s OF chapter 1879, article 4. Of the
Revised Statutes OF Missouri. 1899, re-
lating TO the drainage of swamp and
o~yeriiowcd lands"
by the act Of September 20, 1850,
congress granted to this state the
swamp and oycrfiowed lands lying
within its territory. The purpose of
this grant was to enable the state TO
drain and reclaim the lands and put
them In condition for cultivation. II
was provided hat the proceeds Of the
sales Of the lands should he applied
exclusively, as far nv necessary. for
the purpose Of reclamation.
The general assembly of this state.
lby the act OF December ~. 1855. vest
cd the title TO these lands In the
counties In which they were situated.
In 1858 an net was passed by the
legislature. the eighth section OF
which Is rs followsi "The net pro-
cccds Of the sales of all such lands.
after dcfrnylng the expenses OF drain.
age. retaining, surveying aid selling
the snnr. as herein provided. shall be
paid into the county treasury and be-
come u pnrt Of the public school fund
OF the county"
Since the law M II now stands was
enacted many acres OF swamp lands
have been sold. and In some counties
ut least the moneys arising thcrefrom
have been paid into the county treas.
ury M u part Of the school fund. This
amounts to many thousands Of dol
, lars In one or more counties and con.
stitutcs u very considerable part Of
the fund provided for the support of
the public schools.
The law authorized the county
court 10 make sales. In It's discretion.
without first draining or reclaiming
the land. leaving that to bc don" by
the purchasers. Sales have been
made In that way IN many instances,
. l am informed, md the money. OF
course. In that event. was placed to
+. the credit Of the school fund. In
: other cuS.s the lands have been
, drained and reclaimed. aud after the
: payment of such expenses the net
|, proceeds have been paid into the
. school fund.
The hill under consideration In in
. tended "a permit the county court Of
, amy county to use "any money now
In the county treasury arising from
" the sale of swamp and oyerilowcd
I, lands" ~ well Ms all money that may
y arise from future sales, for the pur-
pose Of building lc,ces and drains aud
retaining swamp lands.
q This Is not objectionable In no fai
q as II Affects the proceeds arising from
q future sales. II, however, IL permits
% money now In the country trcasur,
q and belonging to the school fund q
II he diverted from the use To which u
Inns been dedicated. II manifest,
should not become u law. II, upoi
the other baud. IL will not have tina
n effect. hut will only apply To none,
'c In the treasury which IL not yc
Il school money. but held for furthcl
u reclamation purposes. the bill 4
y wholly unnecessary, ms under tn
present Inv such money may be ~
used.
n. In other words; II the proceeds o
the salcs of swamp lands have not nj
=. rcndy been dedicated Ia school pur