The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1856-02-28
A False Impression Corrected.

We have heard in our streets, within the last
few days, from the lips OF enemies OF the NJ. x
\. W. II. II. Co, the statement made that il
was dangerous to grant an extension OF time
to that company, and that, by a refusal so to
do, the Legislature should force forfeiture Of
It's charter, for the reason that it was the de
sign Of the Company to get possession of the
lands, but not TO build the Railroad The idea
that the grant Of lands was made independent
of the condition of building the road has gen
orally been made q matter Of inference but in
some cases we have heard il distinctly asserted.
This error We propose to correct by quoting
parts Of the original charter enacted by our
Legislature. and Of the act Of Congress max
ing the grant Of lands to the Territory to aid
in the construction Of Railroad. section 3,
Of the Companys charter provides that
For the purpose Of aiding the said Com
pany in the construction and maintaining the
said Railroad, it Is further enacted, that any
land that may be granted TO the said Territory,
to aid in the construction of the said Railroad
shall be and the same are hereby granted in fee
simple, absolute, without any further act or
deed, and the Governor Of this Territory or fu-
ture State OF Minnesota, is hereby authrized
and directed, in the name and on behalf Of said
Territory or State, after the said grant OF
land shall have been made by the United
States TO said Territory, TO execute and
deliver to said Company such further deed or
assurance Of the transfer Of said property, a.
said Company may require, to vest in them a
perfect title to the same Prori9ed, hotrerer,
that such lands shall be taken upon such terms
and conditions as may be prescribed BY the At
Of Congress granting the same
Now the terms and conditions prescribed
by the Act Of Congress granting the same, p
are found in the fourth section Of the law APP
prved June goth. 1854. which reads as follows:
"And be Il further enacted, That the lands
hereby granted to said Territory shall be dis
following. that is to say, no title shall rest IN
patent issue for any part for The lands hersin-
before mentioned Until q continuous length Of
tsceniy nudes Of sad road saoH BE- completed
through the iaads hereby granted and when
the Secretary Of the Interior shall he satisfied
tuut any tNttftN futWS W s<Am fVau utS tVhpN~
ted. then a patent shall issue ior quantity Of
land not exceeding one hundred and twenty
sections, and included within a continuous
length Of twenty miles Of said road, and so
from time to time patents shall lie issued IN
like manner upon the completion Of each ad-
ditional iwenty miles Of said road until il shall
be completed aud II said road is not completed
within ten years no further sale shall be made,
and the land unsold shall revert to the United
States"
The Act OF Congress makes il impossible for the
Territory Of Minnesota to secure title any por-
ton Of the lands granted until twenty mikes Of
the road shall be completed; and certainly the
Territory canno, vest in the Company rights
in thee lands to any greater extent or any
faster, than those rights are received from the
general government II is the height q folly
to say that the Territory can grant what il does
no, receive and it cannot receive title 10 these
lands except on the condition Of the prior con-
siruetion Of the rad This Is 80 plainly
matter Of laei and Of law, that We feel bound
to oacr an apology to our reaasrs for noticing
an objection which can have hecu offered only
for the parpose Of gulIing the fats.