The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1856-12-17
Another Pacific Railroad Bill.
WASHINGTON, Dec, H.

AoNS wv
1t is understood hat another Pacific
railroad bill is about to be introduced
into the House. 1t is on a magnificent
scale, and is entitled ga bill to provide
for the construct on of a Railroad and
Telegraph communication from the Mis-
sissippi river to the Pacific ocean. "
Three main roads are projected, viz one
from a point on the Mississippi river,
south CT latitude Sc deg, to San Fran
cisco, with q debouch to San Diego.
Another from some point on the Missou-
ri river, north Of latitude 40 deg. and
south of latitude 43 deg, to San Fran
cisco, with a branch to Marysville, Sac
ramento, Stockton and San Jose and
the third from some point on Lake Su-
perior to Puget's Sound, with a branch
to the mouth of the Willamette river.
To each of these branches the bill pro-
poses to grant thirty sections of land for
each mile of railroad, to be selected by
the parties named in the bill from the
nearest unappropriated vacant lands of
the United States, which shall be with
drawn from sale, or entry, or PIE emp
ton and if required, shall be surveyed
under the direction of the Secretary of
the Interior, provided the parties named
in the bill shall not be compelled to take
any waste lands; and snail pay to the
United States twenty Eve cents per acre.
Provided, also, that no title shall rest
in them any faster than the roads are
extended to completion. Further, they
shall deposit with the Secretary of the
Interior, within six months after the
passage of this act, $500, GOO in good
United States or State securities as a
guarantee hat 100 miles of each must
be completed within eighteen months
from the time of the establishment of
the routes. When the said 100 miles
are ready for the track. the Secretary of
the Interior shall allow the parties
named the use of the said $500, 600 to
purchase iron therefor, and in lieu there
of take a first mortgage bond on the
road for that amount, to be held until
the entire line is completed
Under the bill the United States are
to agree to pay $500 per mile for the
transportation of the mails until the
completion of the road, and ten years
thereafter. Also for transporting troops
and munitions of warfare, such reasona-
Bile sum as the President aud Secretary
Of wal may determine. If the parties
fail to build the lines within ten years
from date, their location and all rights
to the land not at that time paid for,
shall b" forfeited to the United States.
the right of way to the width of 400
feet through the public lands is proposed
to be granted-a further six sections OF
land per mile is proposed to be granted
TO the following roads under the ~restric-
ton that any amount heretofore granted
to the States where they are located for
their use and benefit shall be deducted
therefrom, viz:
South Western branch Pacific Rail
road, Iron Mountain Railroad, Cairo
and Fulton Railroad, Memphis and Lit
tie Rock Railroad, Mississippi, Red
River and Washita Railroad, Vicks-
burg and Shreveport Railroad, New
Orleans, Ohelonsas and Great Western
Railroad, connecting with the first named
route. Pacific Railroad, Hannibal and
St. Joseph Railroad, Burlington Ke-
osangua and Missouri Railroad, Phila-
delphia, Fit. Wayne and Platte Valley
Railroad, Mississippi and Missouri
Railroad, Iowa Central Air Line Rail
road, Dubuque and Pacific Railroad,
North Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska
Railroad, connecting with the second
named route. Trarsit Railroad and
North Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska
Railroad, connecting with the third
named route. Each of these proposed
grants are under the proviso that fifty
miles of road must be completed with
in three years from the passage of this
act and the balance within five years
thereafter.
The United States mails shall be car
ried at the usual prices of such services.
Further provisions make it the duty of
the companies named to construct their
roads, SC, in a good substantial manner,
with an uniform grade all the property
of the said companies in the Territories
to be exempt from location, as long as
they are Territories. None of them
shall construct their roads through the
lands of any Indian Territory, without
the consent of the said tribes; they
must sell and convey half of the lands
granted, within five years, and the ba!-
ance within ten years from the issuing of
the patent from the United States, and
all land not sold at the expiration of ten
years, shall be forfeited to the United
Staten