The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1862-02-04


river, in boring for coal oil, and they think
they have fine prospect of sucsess.
Des Moines, Jan. 3lst, 1852.
EDITOR GATE Cry
Dear Sir The Legislature has been
n session over two weeks, yet ve little
business has been transacted thus far;
this may be accounted for in part, FROM
the fact that out of ninety.five members in
the House, only eight here ever served in
such capacity before. and hence not being
very well posted in parliamentary usage.
the machine" works slowly. BY the
rules of both Houses, they 20 into session
at 10 A. NJ, adjourn at 10 M, go into
session al 2 p. M and adjou at 4 p. NJ !,
but for the purpose Of giving the Standing
Committee time to meet and mature bills,
in the Senate there has been no afternoon
session for the past week, and about every
other day the House holds only morn
Ing session, the afternoon being devoted to
the discussion Of memorials, bills &C., by
the various Standing Committees. There
are some very important subjects that will
come before this Legislature. The mill
tia law. passed at the extra session, has
been found to be very defective, and hence
Legislation will be required on that sub
teet. Senator McCrary, of Lee. is the
Chairman ia the Senate, on that subject,
and be is the right man for the position.
But perhaps the ostimportant subject
that will come before the Legislature in
point of dollars and cents. is the rail road
interests. Each of the four rail roads run
ming from the Mississippi to the Missouri
rivers has forfeited par. of the lands
granted by the United States Government
for the construction of said roads, and as
the subject involves millions Of dollars, il
will occupy the time Of the Legislature q
long time. BY the terms of said grant BY
the United States, among other things, il
rs provided us follows: THAT the lands
hereby granted to the State shall be dis
posed Of BY said State only in the manner
following. that is to say, that quantity Of
land not exceeding ONE hundred and twenty
sections for each of said roads, and inclu-
ded 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 continuous miles of any
OF said roads is completed then another
quantity of land hereby granted not to ex-
coed one hundred and twenty sections for
each of said roads having twenty continu-
GUS miles completed as aforesaid, and in
Guided within continuous length of TWEEN
ty 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
are not completed ,eithin ten years no G4r-
Their sale shall Be made and Me lands unsolel
shalt revert 10 tie United States"
This actof Congress was approved MAY
ID, 1856. On the l4th day ofJuly 1856,
theeatra session. ofthe Legislature Of Iowa
convened for the purpose of accepting
said grant Of lands. and carrying into exc.
cuiion the trust conferred upon the State
lind among other things it is provided
that IN case either Of said rail road com.
panies shall fail TO have completed ane
equipped seventy-fve miles of its roac
within three years from the first day q
December 1856, thirty miles in addition
in each year thereafter for FIVE years, ans
the remainder Of their whole line of roat
on the FIRST day Of December, 1865, the,
and IN that case it shall be competent fo
the State Of Iowa to resume all rights con
feried by this act upon the Company 81
failing, and p resume al rights to ia,
lands hereby granted and remaining IN
disposed "a the Company SO failing t.
have the length Of road completed il
manner and time AZ aforesaid. You viii
readily see that by the provisions Of said
grant BIZ the United States 70 the State oi
lows Ia trust for the construction Of said
rpads--that il only conveys title on con-
ditioa. and = the condition L'precedsnt