The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1859-04-07

So fully had the energy of her peopl.
and these reSults, vindicAted the great nai
ural resources Of Minnesota. that Congres
made the Territory an exception 20 tn
usual course Of legislation. granting land
TO aid in the construction Of railroads. 81
similar acts except that Of March 3. 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, an
seldom resulting in the full endowment
expressed BY the terms of the grantS Mucl
more manihcent was the provision for tn.
internal improvements of Minnesota.
A brief abstract Of the Congressional Grant
will property introduce the special topic %
this discourse. viz :-THE RAILROAD Srrxs
% THE STATE OF MIySEsora.
THE RAILROAD LAND GRANT 10 TIE rERRIroRi
J AND FUTURE sTAYE OF xISSEsoIA-
By the Act of March 8, 1857. the Congress
Of the United States granted TO the Terrific
~ and future State of Minnesota, subject 70
the future disposal of the Legislature. for the
purpose Of aiding in the construction of the
| lines Of railroad described in the act, every
alternate section Of land designated by odd
numbers, for six sections in width on each
side Of said railroad lines. with the right of
making up the full complement of $40
acres per mile. by appropriating 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 10 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 feld-work, on every por-
ton of a route, ia therefore carefully noted,
and is understood to have the full force in
favor of a company of prior settlement by
an individual pre-emptor. OF course, the
company. like a 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 receiving the
grant Of lands from q State, may maintain
an action Of trespass like any other owner
and possessor of property. While this 20,
yet the act Restraints the right to sell except
as prescribed in Section 4, which will be fully
considered hereafter, } and adds this impor-
tant condition. that if any Of said roads
OF branches is not completed within ten
years from March 3, 1857, Of coursel, no
further sale shall be made. and the lands IN
sold shall re,>rt 10 the Un,ted Stairs
THE LAND GRANT RAiLRoAD ROUTES AND raE
ACTION OF THE MINNESOTA LEGIsLArURE IN
RELATION THERETO.
With this preliminary statement Of the
general nature of the grant, ] proceed to n
sketch of the roads and branches, to the con-
struction of which. severally. the Act directs
the lands to be exclusively applied.
Rourrs | AND q" From Saltwater, by
way of Saint Paul and Saint Anthony, to a
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,l with a 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 ~.
The Legislature on the 22d 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 ofjunction between
the main and branch lines. and included
Aroka as point on the route of the branch
line.
Rorrns 8 AND A. From Saint Paul and
Saint Anthony. via Minneapolis, to con-
venient point of junction west Of the Mis-
sissippi to the Southern boundary of the
Territory in the direction Of the Big Sioux
River, with a branch via Faribault. to the
North line of the State of Iowa, west OF
range sixteen"
The grant for the main line above des'
Tibed. was vested in the Southern Mime
sota Railroad Company las now styled with