Samuel Blatchford

“ Swamp and overflowed lands are of little value to the government of the United States, whose principal interest in them is to dispose of them for purposes of revenue; whereas, the state governments, being concerned in their settlement and improvement, in the opening up of roads and other public works through them, in the promotion of the public health by systems of drainage and embankment, are for more deeply interested in having the disposal and management of them. ”

“ Wright county, with the assent of a majority of the voters of the county, having contracted in writing with the emigrant company to sell to it all the swamp lands in the county, and the claim of the county for indemnity against the United States for swamp lands which had been sold by the United States, and having executed a deed of a quantity of the lands to the company, the county filed a bill in equity to set aside the contract and deed, and obtained a decree to that effect in the circuit court. ”

“ The same views apply to the provision as to the 5 per cent. fund, in the act of 1811, that it shall be applied to laying out and constructing public roads and levees in the state, 'as the legislature thereof may direct;' and, as to both the 5 per cent. fund and the swamp-land fund, we are of opinion that neither of them is of such a character that the debt due to the United States by the state of Louisiana, for the overdue coupons on the Indian trust bonds, cannot be set off against the fund which is in the hands of the United States. ”