, 1864-08-08

motion, they shall receive 8 -gratuity Of one
hundred dollars, and a medal Of honor to bO
prepared BY the Navy Department.
Approved, May IL, 1864.
Az ACT for grant Of lands to the State Of
Iowa. in alternate sections, to aid in the conf
struction Of railroad in said State.
De it enacted by he Senate cnd House of
Representatives. Of the URited States of America
in Congress assembled, Chat there be and IS
hereby granted to the State Of Iowa, for the
purpose Of aiding in the construction Of q rail.
road from Sioux City, in said State; 10 the south
line Of the State Of Minnesota, at sEch point as
the said State Of Iowa may select between the
Big Sioux and tho west fork Of the Dcs Moincs
river; also to said State for the use and benefit
of the McGregor Western Railroad CompanyS
for the purpose Of aiding in the construction Of
a railroad from point at or near the foot Of
Main street, South McGregor, in said State, in
a westerly direction, by the most practicable
route, on or near the forty third parallel o! hoTt
latitude, until it shall intersect the said road
running from Sioux City to the Minnesota State
liEc, in the county Of O'Brien, in said State;
every alternate section Of land designated BY
odd numbers for ten sections in width oil each
side Of said roads; but, in case it shall appear
kuAS buV SHlNoN bONahso uANC1 huCh tllG Nuco VI
routes Of said roads are definitely located, sold
any section or any part thereof granted as
Aforesaid, or that the right Of presumption CT
homestead settlement has attached to the same,
or that the same has been RESERVED by the
United States for any purpose whatever, then
it shall be the duty Of the Secretary Of the In
terror to cause 10 he selected, for the purposes
aforesaid, from the public lands Of the United
States nearest to the tiers Of sections above
specified, SO much land in alternate sections or
parts Of sect ons, designated by odd numbers;
as shall be equal 10 such lands as the United
States have sold, reserved, or otherwise appro-
priated, or to which the right Of homestead set
tlement or pre-emption has attached as aforI1
said, which lands thus indicated by odd num-
bers and sections, by the direction Of the Sec!
rotary Of the Interior, shall be bcld by the State
Of Iowa for the uses and purposes Aforesaid:
PrOridel, That the land so selected shall in no
case be located more than twenty miles from
the lines Of said roads: Prorided, .Irrtler, That
any and all lands heretofore reserved to the
United States by any act Of Congress, or III
any other manner by competent authority, for
the purpose Of aiding in any object Of internal
improvement or other purpose whatever, be and
the same are hereby reserved and excepted from
the operations Of this act, except so far as il
may he found necessary to locate the routes Of
said roads Through such reserved lands, in which
case the right Of way shall be granted. subject
to the approval Of the President Of the United
States.
Sec. 9. And be IL further enacted, That the
sections and parts Of sections Of land which by
snch grant shall remain to the United States
within ten mile on each side Of said roads, shall
not be sold for less than double the minimum
price Of public lands when sold, nor shall any
Of said lands become subject to sale at private
entry until the same shall have been FIRST offered
at public sale to the highest bidder at or above
the minimum price as aforesaid: PIoUid d, That
actual bona fide settlers under the presumption
laws Of the United States may, af.er due proof
Of settlement, improvement, and occupation, as
now provided by law, purchase the same at the
increased minimum price: And Pr0rided, also
That settlers under the provisions Of the home
stead law, who comply with the terms and rec
quirements Il said act, shall be entitled to pas
tents for an amount not exceeding eighty acres
each, anything in this act to the contrary not
withStanding
Sec. 8. And Be il further enacted, That the
lands hereAy granted shall be subject to the
disposal Of the Legislature Of Iowa, for the
purposes Aforesaid and no other. And the said
railroads shall be, and remain, public bighways
for the use Of the Government Of the United
States, free Of all toll or other charges upon the
transportation Of any property or troops Of the
United States
Sec. 4. And DO a further enacted, That the
lands hereby granted shall be disposed Of by
said State, for the purposes Aforesaid only. and
in manner following, namely: When the Gov
ernor Of said State shall certify to the Scores
tary Of the Interior that any section Of ten
consecutive miles Of either Of said roads Is COM
pleted in a good, substantial, and workmahlike
manner as first class railroad, then the Seere-
tary Of the Interior shall issue to the State pa,
tents for one hundred sections Of land for tho
benefit Of the road having completed the ten
consecutive miles as Aforesaid. When the
Governor Of said State shall certify that another
section Of ten consecutive miles shall have been
completed as Aforesaid, then the Secretary Of
the Interior shall issue patents to said State in
like manner. for like number; and when eer'
tiicates Of the completion Of additional sections
Of ten consecutive miles Of either OF said roads
are, from time to time, made as Aforesaid, addi,
tional sections Of lands shall be patented as
Aforesaid, until said roads, or either Of them,
are completed, when the whole Of the lands
hereby granted shall be patented to the State
for the uses aforesaid and none other: Pro-
Uided, That IL the said MeGregor Westei Rail-
road Company, or assigns, shall fail to complete
at least twenty miles Of its said road during
each and every year from the date OF its aceep.
lance of the grant provided for 10 this sct, then
the State may resume said grant, and so dispose
Of the same as to secure the completion Of
road on said line and upon such terms within
slch time, as the State shall determine: Pro
rided, further, That il the said roads are not
completed within ten years from their sevelGl
acceptance Of this grant, the said lands hereby
granted and not patented shall revert to the
State Of Iowa for the purpose Of securing the
completion Of the said roads within such tine
not to exceed five years, and upon such terms
Us the State shall determine: ARd pToeided,
further, That said lands shall not 10 any man.
ner Ie disposed Of or encumbered, except a.
the same are patented under tho provisions Of
this act and should the State fail to complete
said roads within eve years after the ten years
Aforesaid, then the said lands undispOsed Of a.
aforesaid shall revert TO the United States.
Sec. 8. ARd Ls a further endeied, That as
soon as the Governor Of said State OF lowa
shall file or cause 10 be fled with the SeefetafS
Of the Interior maps designating the routes OF
said roads, then It shall be the duty Of thd
Secretary Of the Interior to withdraw IRON n1ar I"
ket the lands embraced within the provisions
Of this act.
Sec. 6. And Be IL further enacted, That the
United States mail shall be transported on said
l.. Al a.. A. - Al.