Important Decision

It seems, from the following letter, that the Secretary of the Interior has reversed his decision in regard to Swamp Lands.  The Government, if we understand the correspondence, will now issue land scrip in lieu of swamp lands donated to the State, but sold by the Government, previous to the selection.  As the number of acres of swamp or overflowed land thus sold by the general Government is large, this decision of the Secretary is a very important matter in our State:

WASHINGTON CITY, May 10th, 1862.

C. DUNHAM, ESQ., EDITOR HAWK EYE,

Burlington, Iowa.

SIR: Enclosed I send you a letter from Hon. J. M. Edmunds, Commissioner of General Land Office in reference to swamp lands in the State of Iowa.

This reversal of the original decision of the Secretary of the Interior, made after hearing arguments of Senator Harlan and Representative Wilson, will give to the state of Iowa, many thousands of dollars, and a large amount of land scrip in lieu of lands selected in Iowa as swampy, previously sold.

Yours very respectfully,

JAS. A. BEARD.

GENERAL LAND OFFICE, May 7, 1862.

Hon. JAMES HARLAND, U. S. Senate:

SIR – Referring to the case of report No. 13, 392 for $9,006 92-100 of Iowa indemnity on account of swamp lands, I have the honor to advise you that since the rendition of the recent decision of the Secretary of the Interior, I have been instructed to regard it as fixing form of affidavit and terms as facts in future cases, and not as affecting the past; and in this view I have certified said report and submitted it, this date, for final approval of the Secretary, so that It may be sent to the Treasury to the end that it may be followed by a draft.

With great respect your obd’t serv’t,

J. M. EDMUNDS, Commissioner.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Thursday Morning, May 22, 1862, p. 2