Weekly hawk-eye and telegraph. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1855-1857, 1856-05-21

The following Dali, IN aid OIL tue iouf nahfoaus
named, was passed in the House on the sth inst
by majority of2o. and has since passed the
Senate and become . Law, as VIC learn from NJ,
Thorington.
81 Be It c~aeted 6y the .Ssnate and House of Rep
reseatdfires Of the United States Of 4meried in
Coagress assembled, That there be, and is here
by, granted to the State Of Iowa, for the pur-
pose Of aiding in the construction Of railroads
from Burlington on the Mississippi river, to a
point on the Missouri river near the mouth off
Platte river; from the city of Davenport, via
Iowa City, and Fort Des Moines, 10 Council
Bluffs; from Lyons City, northwesterly to =
point Of intersection with the main line of the
Iowa Central Airline Railroad, near Maquoketa;
thence on said main line, running as near as
practicable to the forty-second parallel, across
the said State to the Missouri river; from the
city Of Dubuque to point on the Missouri river
near Sioux City, every alternate section of land,
designated by odd numbers, for six sections in
width on each side of each Of said roads But
in case it shall appear that the United States
have, when the lines or routes Of said roads are
definitely fixed, sold any sections, or any parts
thereof, granted as aforesaid, or that the right
has attached to the same, then it
shallb be lawful for any agent or agents to be ap-
subject to the approval of the Secretary of tie
Interior, from the lands Of the United States
nearest to the tiers Of sections above specified,
80 much land in alternate sections, or parts of
sections, as shall be equal to such lands as the
United States have sold, or otherwise appropri-
ated, or to which the rights Of pre-emption have
attached as aforesaid; which lands (thus select
ed in lieu of those sold and to which presumption
rights have attached as aforesaid, together with
the sections and parts Of sections designated by
odd numbers, as aforesaid) shall be held by the.
State of Iowa, for the use and purpose afore-
said: Pyoeided, That the land to be SO located
shall in no case be further than fifteen miles from
the lines Off said roads, and selected for and on
account of each of said roads: Proyided further,
That the lands hereby grantedfor and on account
of said roads, severally, shall be exclusively ep-
Piled in the construction of that road for and on
account of which such lands are hereby granted,
and shall be disposed of only as the work pro
crosses, and the same shall be applied to no 9TH
er purpose whatsoever: And PROVIDED further,
That any AID 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 aiding in any object of internal
or for any other purpose whatso-
ever, be, and the same are hereby, reserv-
ed to the United States from the operation of
this act, except SO far as it may be found neces-
sary to locate the routes of said railroads through
such reserved lands; in which case the right of
way only shall be granted, subject to the ap-
proyal of the President of the United States
Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That the
sections 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, shall
not be sold for less than double the minimum
price of the public lands when sold; nor shall
any OF said lands become subject to private en-
try until the same have been first offered ut pub.
lie sale at the increased price.
= SEC. 8. And be it further enacted, That the
said lands hereby granted to the said State
shall be subject to the disposal ofthe legislature
thereof for the purposes aforesaid, and no other;
and the said Railroads shall be and remain pub
lie highways for the use of the government of
the United States free from toll or other charges
upon the transportation ofany property or troops
OF the United States
Sec. 4. And be 1t further enacted That the
lands hereby granted to said State shall be dis
posed of by said State only in manner following:
that is to say, that quantity of land, not ex-
ceeding one hundred and twenty sections
for each of said roads, and included within
continuous length of twenty miles of each of
said roads, may be sold and when the governor
of said State shall certify to the Secretary Of the
Interior that any twenty cotinuous miles ofany
of said roads is completed, then another quanti-
ty Of land hereby granted, not to exceed one
hundred and twenty sections for each Of said
roads having twenty continuous miles completed
as aforesaid, and included within a continuous
length of twenty miles Of each of such roads,
may be sold; and so, from time to time, until
said roads are completed; and if any of said
roads is not completed within ten years, no furth-
er sale shall be made, and the lands unsold shall
revert to the United States
SEC. 5. And belt further enacted, That tho
United States mail shall be transported over said
roads, under the direction of the Post Office De-
partment, 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. a ~