The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1858-04-08

and these results, vindicated the great mt
iural resources of Minnesota, that Congrea
made the Territory an exception TO tn
usual course Of legisiation. granting land
to aid in the construction Of railroads. Al
similar acts except that of March 8. 1857
for the benefit Of the Territory and then
future State of Minnesota, are donations 4
States, disposing of the otherwise unmarked
able land of the General Government, anc
seldom resulting in the full endowment
Expressed by the terms Of the grants- Muci
more munifcent was the provision for tn,
internal improvements of Minnesota
A brief abstract of the Congressional Grant
will properly introduce the special topic o
this discourse. viz :-THE RAILROAD SrsrK
OF rHi STATE OF MINNESOTA.
THE RAILROAD LAND GRANT 10 fHB TERRITORY
AND FUTURE STATE OF nIxNEsorA
By the Act of March.3, 1857, the Congress
of the United States granted to the Terrific
| ~ and future State Of Minnesota, subject L
the future disposal of the Legislature, for the
purpose Of aiding in the construction of the
lines Of railroad described in the act, ever
alternate section Of land designated by ode
numbers, for six sections in width on eact
side of said railroad lines, with the right Of
making up the full complement of !, s4(
acres per mile. by sppropriating lands out
side the six mile limits but within fifteen
miles on each side. These indemnity sec
tons las they are called must be selected
from the lands nearest to the six mile limits,
until the deficiency caused by previous sales
or vested rights of pre-emptors within six
miles on each side of the roads, is supplied.
The Government has decided that the right
Of railroad company to which the State
has transferred the grant of lands, is vested
whenever the engineer has driven his stakes.
definitely fixing any portion of the route.
The date Of such field-work, on every por-
ton OF a route, is therefore carefully noted,
and Is understood to have the full force in
favor OF company of prior settlement by
an individual pre-emptor. OF course, the
company, like q pre-emptor. must go for
ward and complete the title as prescribed BY
law, but there can be no interfering claim.
1t has been decided by the Attorney Gen
eral of the United States, that the language
employed In these railroad land grants
that there be and is hereby granted, &C.
vests the title of the government without any
necessity for future patents from the Execu-
tive. The State, or . company -ces:-s-s enc
grant of lands from State. may maintain
an action of trespass like any other owner
and possessor Of property. While this is %,
yet the act restraints the right to sell except
asprescribed in Section 4, (which will be fully
considered hereafter, } and adds this impor-
tant condition. that if any of said roads
or branches is not completed within ten
years from March 3, 1857, of coursel, no
further sale shall be made, and tie Llnds u,s-
sold shall rrert 10 the trn,ted States
Ill.
THE LAND GRANT RAuRoAD ROUTES AND THE
ACTION OF TEE MINNESOTA LDarsLAruRl IN
RELATION rHnEFo.
With this preliminary statement of the
general nature of the grant, ] proceed to .
sketch Of the roads and branches. to the con-
struction Of which, severally, the Act directs
tho lands to be exclusively applied.
RoUrE l AND q" From Saltwater, by
way of Saint Paul and Saint Anthony, to q
point between the foot of Big Stone Lake and
the mouth of Sioux Wood River, (this point
fixed by the Legislature of Minnesota at
breckenridge with q branch via Saint
Cloud and Crow Wing. to the navigable
waters Of the Red River of the North, at
such point as the Legislature of said Terri.
tory may determine, and which has been
fixed at Saint Vincent on the international
boundary in latitude 40.
The Legislature on the I'D of May, 1857,
organized the Minnesota and Pacific Railroad
Company, and vested the lands granted in
behalf of the foregoing main and branch
lines in said company The charter made
Saint Anthony the point of junction between
the main and branch lines. and included
Aroka As point on the route of the branch
| line.
Rorrn AND A." From Saint Paul and
SAINT Anthem, via Minneapolis, to q con-
venient point oil junction west of the Mis-
s'ss'ppi to the Southern boundary of the
Territory in the direction Of the Big Sioux
River. with q branch ia Faribault, to the
North line of the State Of Iowa. west of
range sixteen
The grant for the main line above des.
cribed. WAS vested in the Southern Mime.
sofa Railroad Company las now styled) with
a route from Saint Paul and Saint ANTHONY
tS,> ainne.pslis. to . point Of junction at
snAkopee o''y IN the county of Scott, and
5 thence via Bell. plaine. cl.rksville T.
: sueur. Travers de - 80 -
sofa, MAnkato and s. ~ n ~.
southern boundary of the Den'' 70 the
nesosA, in the direction of Ii, i'o'y OF MN
Big Sioux River" Another '. '"e
Was made of the foregoing
lands for branch line. By SCI "
Chapter s, of the Legislative Act, the o.
If neapolis and Cedar Valley Railroad CO.