The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-03-28
Read and Remember.

Read and Remember.
We have never seen so much apparent OBJ
tuseness among men who have the right to
be considered reasonable, as some of oul
sensible citizens in different parts of the Ter.
ritory manifest in reference to the provisions
of the Railroad Grant. We do not intend,
however, to get out of patience with any Of
them. We will continue to hold ourselves
in readiness to publish and re-publish the
provisions of the act, until men who learned
to read at school, but who appear to have
forgotten that rudiment of education, get
back to this first principle of their early
training.
We give below the first section of the act,
in full, which is all that is enacted in regard
to prescriptions or in reference to the seve-
raj lines of road-the different branches
diverging therefrom, and the points named
on the routes.
If persons who feel an interest in this i'm
portant matter, will preserve this number Of
the Minnesotian, or cut out this article, and
the quotation attached, and carry it in their
pockets for reference, they will save them
selves much trouble, and the editors whose
papers they take but appear to never read, a
great deal more.
We re-copy the first section of the act
granting lands to Minnesota for Railroad
purposes, approved March 3, 1857, with the
important points thereof underscored:
"That there he, and is hereby, granted to
the Territory of Minnesota, for the purpose of
aiding in the construction of railroads from
Saltwater, by way of St. Paul and St. Antho-
nv, to point between the foot of Big Stone
Lake and the mouth of Sioux Wood river,
with branch via st. Cloud and Grow Wing.
to the navigable waters of the Red river of
the North, at such point as the Legislature
of said Territory may determine; FROM
SAINT PAUL AND FROM SAINT ANTHONY,
VIA MINNEAPOLIS, TO CONVENIENT POINT OF
JUNCTION WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI, to the
southern boundary of the Territory in the
direction of the mouth of the Big Sioux
river, with branch via Faribault. to the
north line of the State of Iowa. west of
range sixteen; from Winona, via Saint Pc
YEA W a POiht Oii ItiC Dig OtOuA hLVcr. SOuC0
of the forty-fifth parallel of north latitude
also from La Crescent, via Target Lake up
the valley of Root River, to a point of juno
ton with the last mentioned road, east of
range seventeen, every alternate section of
land, designated by odd numbers, for six
ctions in width on each side of each of
said roads and branches /; but in case it shall
appear that the United States haze, ahen the
Il Il \. =
definitely yfred, sold any sections, or any
parts thereof, granted as aforesaid, or THAT
THE RIGHT OF PRE-EMPTIoN has attached
to the same, then it shall be lawful for any
agent or agents, to be appointed by the Gov
ernor of said Territory or future State to Sc
lect, subject to the approval of the Secretary
of the Interior, from the lands of the United
States nearest to the tiers of sections above
specified, SO much land in alternate sections
or parts of sections, as shall be equal to such
lands as the United States have sold, or 9TH
erwise appropriated, or to which the rights
Of presumption have attached as aforesaid,
which lands (thus selected in lieu of those
sold, and to Uhich presumption rights haze
attached, as aforesaid, together with the sec
tons, and parts OF sections, designated by
odd numbers as aforesaid, and appropriated
as aforesaid) shall be held by the Territory
or future State of Minnesota, for the use
and purpose aforesaid: Provided, That the
land to be SO located, shall, in no case be
further than fifteen miles from the lines OF
said roads or branches, and selected for and
on account of each of said roads or branches.
Provided further, That the lands hereby
granted for and on account of said roads and
branches. severally, shall be exclusively ap-
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 progresses, and the same shall be ap-
piled to no other purpose whatsoever And
provided, further, That any and 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 improve
ment, or for any other purpose whatsoever
be, and the same are hereby reserved to the
United States from the operation of this act
except so far as it may be found necessary
to locate the routes of said railroads anG
branches through such reserved lands, il
which case the right of way only shall b.
granted, subject to the approval of the Pre-
sident of the United States"