The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1854-01-28

A Bill to aid in CONSTRUCTING. a Railroad for Mi
itary, Postal, and other Purposes.
INTRODUCED BY MR.. RICE, or MINNESOTA

Bill to mid in Constructing a Railroad for Mil
1tary, Postal, and other Purposes.
INTRODUCED BY MR.. RICE, OF MINNESOTA.
BE it enarted by the Senate and House of
Representatives Of the United States of inner
tea M Congress assembled. That the right OF
way through the lands of the United States be-
ana Is hereby grated to the Territory of Mime
sofa, anu to such corporation, corporations
or persons. as said Territory has granted. or
may hereafter grant authority TO use the same
Tor railroad from the southern boundary of
SAID Territory west of the Mississippi river, via
st. Paul, to Fond du Lac of Lake Superior and
said Territory. and its grantees and assigns,
shall have full right to enter upon any of said
lands, and to survey the same, and to construct
such road thereon, and to bridge all streams
on the line of said road, provided the free navi-
sation OF such streams be not in any way i'm
peded thereby, and to take materials Of earth.
stone or timber for the same thcrefrom and
f:om any other lands of the United States
contiguous to the line of said road and such
right OF way shall extend to one hundred feet
from said road on each side thereof and a COPY
OF the surveys Of said road, under authority of
SAN territory, or sanctioned thereby, shall be
deposited in the Office of the Register of public
lands in the district in which such lands are sit
uatc. and likewise in the General Land Office
at Washington City. within ninety days after
the passage Ofthls act and if such surveys have
been heretofore made, and within ninety days
after the completion of such surveys. or any
part thereof hereafter to be made: and OH the
receipt of any such surveys of any part of the
line OF sad road, the land officers of the United
States shall forthwith mark the lands above de-
scrlhcd as reserved for the objects aforesaid from
public or private sale hy the United States;
and whenever any portion of said line shall be
so surveyed, and the location of said road def
nItlvely fixed, the lands within such portion
shall vest in said Territory and its grantees
and assigns aforesaid in fee simple, and patents
for such lands shall be issued as in other cases.
SEC. :. BE 1t further enacted, That for the
purpose OF frlthcring the construction of said
railroad. and thereby increasing the yalne Of
the publ Lands in the vicinity thereof. there
shall be. and hereby is. granted to said Terrific
ry OF Minnesota, and its grantees and assigns
Aforesaid. each and every section Of land on
each side OF said road. designated hy odd num-
bers. any portion whereof is situate within six
miles Of the line of said road. specified in the
first section of this act !: and if upon any Of said
surveys of said line of said road being deposited
as aforesaid it shall appear that the United
States have sold or granted any section OF an
odd number as aforesaid. or any part thereof, or
that any presumption right has attath led there
to, or that n OF aid | l,nls have been reserved
by the United States. as stated in the fourth
section of this act the said Territory, or its
agent or grantees or asst gns atores aid. may Sc
lect Other lands in lieu thereof from the lands of
the United States outside of, ayl nearest to
said sections above granted, such lands so Sc
lectcd to be. as near as may be, equal in guam
tlty and quality to those SO sold or granted or
reserved, or to which pre-emptiOn right may
have attached as aforesaid !; but all of the lands
so selected shall be by sections ofcven numbers
DartS of Such SpcfipNS un1gr Iati
as may be prescribed by the Secretary of the
Department OF the Interior to fulfil the objects
of this act, but no lands shall in any case bc Sc,
lccted farther than fifteen miles from the l:ne Of
said road and all the lands granted by this act
sha be by said Territory and its grantees
ana assigns I'll fee simple forever. subject, iuw-
ever. to the conditions hereinafter stipulated
and all of said lands. and all of the proceeds of
the sales thereof, Or of any pledge thereof shall
be applied to the construction of the road to
run through the same as aforesaid, and shall
not be appropriated to any other purpose what |
ever, until said road shall have been finished
and put into operation.
SEC 3. BE it further enacted, That on the re- |
ccipt by the officers of the land offices of the !
United States aforesaid of any of said surveys of
any part of the line of said road, said officers |
shall forthwith mark said lands, specified in the
first clause Ofthe second section of this act as |
thereby granted by the United States to said
Territory of Minnesota, its grantees or assigns,
as reserved for the objects aforesaid from pub
lie or private sale by the United States and
whensOever any portion of said line shall be SO
surveyed and the location of said road defnit- |
lively fixed. said lands shall vest in said Terri
tory and its grantees and assigns aforesaid in
fee simple and patents therefor shall be issued
y in otl CT cases, under such regulations may
be prescribed by the Secretary of the Depart |
mont nf fhp tnfnriOr ,yifhpuf IN ha !
United States, to secure the fulfilmcnt of the
of this act; and SAID lands grant
ed to said Territory, its grantees and assigns.
by the second clause OfsaiI second section. and |
to bc selected as therein directed. shall vest as
aforesaid from the date of the selection thereof
as aforesaid; and the said Territory and its
grantees and assigns may sell or dispose OF all
of said lands SO granted by said second section
OF this act any portions thereof, or pledge the
same to others, or dispose of timber or stone, or
other articles thereon in order to procure funds
to complete said railroad and for the
maintenance thereof Provided, however, That
none of said lands shall be sold for a less sum
per acre than one dollar and twenty-five cents
and no part of the proceeds of such sales. or any
funds raised by pledge of said lands, shall be
applied to any object or purpose whatsoever
other than the immediate construction of said
road, and putting the same into operation and
the maintenance tnereOI ana prONlded, also,
That no lease of any of said lands shall extend
beyond the term of five years from the date
thereof. And provided further, That all the
lands granted by said second section, excepting
only such lands as may be adjacent to said roads /
or necessary for the convenient maintenance of
said road in operation, shall be sold aforesaid
within ten years from the day Of the passage of
this act.
SEc. 4. BE it further enacted, That the first
section of this act shall extend to all lands of
the United States, though reserved by or under |
any act of Congress, either for the use OF the
United States or for other objects; but as to
such reserved lands, the Secretary OF the De-
partment of the Interior shall have power to
direct the location OF said road, and at the same
time to restrict the width of the strip of land for
the track thereof to any distance not less than
fifty feet on each side from the centre of said
tract, whatsoever greater width. shall inter-
fere with buildings or other improvements or
works of the United States on such lands.
SEC 5. Be it further enacted, That there
shall be, and is hereby granted to said Terrific,