The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1854-02-22
A BILL
To did the Territory Of Minnesota tn constrnc-
ting railroad yfor miiitary, postal
and other pnrposes
A BILL

oH o"eF purposes.
Be 1t enacted By the Senate md House Of Re-
prssentatirss Of the United States Of .3Glerica IN
Congress assembled, THAT for facilitating the
transportation of the mails, men and munitions
OF war, and other purposes, there be, and here
by is, granted TO the Territory of Minnesota,
for railroad from the mouth of Left Hand
river, at the head of Lake Superior, via St.
Paul. to the southern line Of SAID Territory,
with the privilege of extending The same to the
northern terminus of the Illinois Central rail-
road on the Mississippi rives, every alternate
section ofland designated by odd numbers, for
SIX sections in width on each side of said road
but In case that it should appear that The Uni
ted States have, when the line or route OF SAID
road ls defnately fixed by the authority af1re-
said, sold any section or part thereof granted
as aforesaid, or that the right of pre- emption has
attached 10 the same, then it shall be lawful for
any agent or agents, to be appointed by the
governor OF said Territory, to select, subject %
The approval OF the Secretary of The Interior,
from the lands Of the United States nearest 10
| the tier Of sections above specified, so much
lar in alternate sections or pars oil sections as
shall be equal tn such land as The |. s have sold
or otherwise appropriated, or to the right oi
pre- -emption has attached as aforesaid which
land Chus selected in lieu of those sold, and 10
which pre-emption rights have attached, as
sections designated by odd numbers aforesaid,
and appropriated as atoresaiL) shall be held hy
the Territory OF Minnesota for the use aud purpus
aforesaid; Prorided, Tha; the lands to he Ioca- =
ted shall in no case be further than fifteen
miles from the line of the road, and selected f. r
and on account Of said road Prorided tn
her, That the lands hereby gr nicd shall be ex
clusively applied to the construc ION Of said
road, and shall be disposed of only as he work
progresses, and the same shall be applied to no
other purpose whatsoever .4ad prorld.d fur.
thcr, | hat any and all lands heretofore reserved
t. the United States by any act Of Congress,
or in any other manner by COMPETENT authority,
Tor the purpose of aiding in any object of inter-
nal improvement, or for any other purpose what.
soever, be, and the same are hereby, reserved
to the United States from the operation of this
act, except so far as it may be necessary to 10.
cate the route of the said railroad 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
SEC. 2. ind be it further enact:d, That the
sections and parts of sections OF land which, by
such grant, shall remain to the United States,
within six miles each side of said road shall
not be sold for less than double the minimum
price of the bpblic lands when sold, nor shall
any OF such lands become subject to private en-
IL
put lie sale at the increased price
SEC. 3. .4nd be 1t further enacted That the
said lands, hereby granted to The said IT, rritory,
shall be subject 10 the disposal of the legisia
tu'e thereof, for the purposes aforesaid and no
other; and the said railroad shall be and re.
main public highway, for the use of the gov.
eminent of the United States, free from toll or
other charge upon the transportation of any pr p.
erty or troops OF the United States.
SEC. a. find be ii further eaacted, That the
lands, hereby granted to said Territory. shall be
disposed o by SAID Territory only mann
following, that is to say: that q lnnlttj oi
land not exceeding one hundred and twenty
sections, and included within a continuous
length Of twenty miles of said road may be sole.
and when the governor of said Territory shall
certify to The Secretary of the Interior that any
continuous twenty miles of said road is compile
ted, then another like quantity OF la,.d hereby
granted may be sold; and so from time to time
until said road is completed; /; and if said road
is not c7mPTsreu wlti4ff- ten wears, no further
sales shall be made, and the land unsold saf :
revert 10 the United States.
SEC. .. .3nd be ii further enacted, Tha. the
United States mail shall be transported over
said railroad, under the direction of the Post
oifce Department, at such price as Congress
nay by law direct: FroUiGed That until such
'rce is fyed by law the Post Maser General
shall have the power tn dat Z Gam,