Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1854-03-08
LAND GRANTS TO MICHIGAN


certain grants Of land 10 this State for railroad
purposes. II is annexed:
Bill making grant of land to the State Of Mich,
igun to aid in the construction OF the Oakland
and Ottawa Railroad and railroad from the
Grand Rapids to the Straits of Mackinaw, ana
railroad from Pontiac via Pere Marquette river,
Manitowoc and Ontonagon river, TO kewana
Point, with a branch to the vicinity Oh carp rlver
upon Lake Superior.
Be il enacted, &C., That there be, and is here
by, granted to the State OF Michigan, for the pur-
pose Of aiding in the construction OF the Oak
land and Ottawa railroad, and railroad from
Grand Rapids to the Straits Of Mackinaw, and a
railroad from Pontiac, via Pere Marquette river,
Manitowoc, and Ontonogon river, to Kewana
Point, with branch road to the vicinity of Carp
river, upon Lake Superior, every alternate Sec
ton of land designated by odd numbers, for six
sections in width on each side of said roads and
branch road but in case it shall appear that the
United States have, when the lines or route of
said roads are definitely fixed by the authority
aforesaid, sold any section or any part thereof
granted as aforesaid, or that the right Of pre-
emption has attached to the same, then it shall
be lawful for any agent or agents, to be appoint
ed by the governor of said State, to select, SUBJ
ject to the approval of the Secretary of the lnte
ror, from the lands of the United States nearest
to the tier of sections above specified, so much
land in alternate sections or parts of sections as
shall be equal to such lands as the United States
have sold or otherwise appropriated or to which
the right of presumption has attached rs afore-
said; which lands (thus selected in lieu of those
sold, and to which presumption rights have at
tached as aforesaid, together with the sections
and parts of sections designated by odd numbers
as aforesaid, and appropriated as aforesaid) shall
be held by the State of Michigan for the use and
purpose aforesaid: Provided, That the lands to
be so located shall in no case be further than fiji
teen miles from the line of the road in each case,
and selected for and on account of each of said
roads and branch road: Provided further, That
the lands hereby granted shall be exclusively
applied in the construction of that road for
which it was granted and selected, and shall be
disposed of only as the work progresses and the
same shall be applied to no other purpose what
soever: And provided further, That any and all
lands heretofore reserved to the United States
by any act of Congress, or in any other manner
by competent authority, for the purpose of aid
ing in any object of internal Improvement, or for
any other purpose whatsoever, be, and the same
are hereby, reserved to the United States from
the operation of this act, except so far as it may
be found necessary to locate the routes of the
said railroads through such reserved lands, in
which case the right of way only shall be granted
subject to the approval of the President of the
United States.
2. And be it further enacted, That the Sec
tons and parts of sections of land which, by
such grant, shall remain to the United States
within six miles on each side Of said roads and
branch, shall not be sold for less than double
the minimum price of the public lands when
sold nor shall any Of said lands become sub
ject to private entry until the same have been
first offered at public sale at the increased price,
3. And be it further enacted, That the said
lands hereby granted TO said State shall be SUBJ
iect to the disposal of the legislature thereof for
the purposes aforesaid, and no other; and the
said railroads shall be and remain public high
way for the use of the government Of the United
States, free from toll or other charge, upon the
transportation of any property or troops of the
United States.
"a. And be it further enacted, That the lands
hereby granted to said State shall be disposed
of by said State only in manner following: that
is to say, that quantity of land not exceeding
one hundred and twenty sections, and included
within continuous length of twenty miles of
said roads or branch road, may be sold; and
when the governor of said State shall certify to
the Secretary of the Interior that any continu-
Gus twenty miles OIL Salu ROADS OF DTdtlcn is COLL
pleted, then another like quantity of land hereby
granted may be sold and so from time to time,
until said roads and branch are completed and
if said roads and branch is not completed within
ten years, no further sale shall be made, and
the land unsold shall revert to the u. States.
5. And be it further enacted, That the Uni
ted States mail shall be transported over said
railroads, under the direction of the Post Office
Department, at such price as Congress may by
law direct Provided, That, until such price is
fixed by law, the Postmaster General shall have
the power to determine the same.
6. And be it further enacted, That in order
to aid in the construction of so much of the said
railroad from Manitowoc, on Lake Michigan, to
Ontonagon river, in the upper peninsula of Mich
igan, as runs through the State of Wisconsin,
all the rights, privileges, and liabilities herenbe-
fore conferred on the State of Michigan, shall be
granted to the State of Wisconsin, and that pub
lie lands of the United States to the same extent
ia proportion to the length of the road, on the
same terms, limitations, and restrictions in every
respect, shall be, and are hereby, granted to the
said State of Wisconsin.
PoTATo CUsTARD--Mrs. Bateham-Eouse-
keepers are often obliged to seek out many in
ventions during the winter season, to get up ia
vorite dishes, and IN such cases harmless decep-
ton is virtue. Us girls are always Interchange
ing nice bits with our neighbors, and few
days ago Lizzie sent us a motherly custard pie,
IL had n peculiar pleasant taste we beset her