, 1864-02-11
THE IOWA LARD GRANTS.


In the article headed "Thc Iowa Railroad
Grant,'' in your iEsue Of the I'd, I find some
slight mistakes, and IN omission of grave
fact First, the grant was mndc In 1856, and
expires in 1850. I think lis slight mistake
when you say that ia move is about to be
companies OF these lands, by taking advantage
Of the precise letter oftbe law, for the reason
that the roads cannot be completed before
Tie ten years shall expire" As such action
will notmaterially benefit this State, 1t would
be charitable to suppose there must be
wejeltier rraeons. Let us sec:
Ii Angus, 1916, Congress granted to
this State ccrtain lnnds lying along the Des
Moincs river, 10 aid in the improve
ment Of the navigation Of that river:
4 question arose as to the extent OF TINT
grant, which was settled BY tho Department
ut Washington constituting the net to mean
to grant the lands to the northern boundary
Of Tic State; and accordingly the lands en-
braced in the limits were certified to this
State long prior 10 the Tailroad grantCthat
coon fork Of the Des Molnes were SO certified
MP to Goth December, 1883. All this land has
been disposed Of by the State-part to lndi-
viduaIe, mostly settlers, and part to the Navi-
gallon Company, who sold out to individuals
and settlers. So this question was supposed
to be settled, and no question was believed to
exist as to the legality Of this disposition Of
those lands; and It Is believed tho railroads
SO understood 1t (thrce Of those roads crossing
that river within OF In reach OF this land). But
the Supreme Court Of the United States, at the
December term, 1889, decided that the
grant Of 1916 conveyed no lands to i'm
provcmcnt Of the river above the Raccoon
Forks, and that the certificates for lands
above that place were issued without author
ity oflaw, and were void, and SO the 27l, ,573
acres were still legally the lands Of the Uni-
ted States. subsequently, however, Con
grees attempted to confirm the titles to tins
State, but in the meantime these railroads
claim that their rights have attached BY vir-
tue Of her grant Of 1856, md 80 VERT tmpor-
tant title bns arisen between these roads md
the citizens and settlers along that river, BE-
iDg some Of the richest farming lands In the
State, and many Of them well improved. The
State is therefore largely interested IN prop
cr settlement of this matter, az well In pro-
tectipg her people, as in being the gEantor;
and good faith to those purchasers requires
TINT She shall not permit them to suffer BY
the railroads taking advantage OF the strict
Then another important question has
arisen, in regard to "swamp lands" that lie
within the limits Of the road grants, In which
vast interests to settlers, bona tide purchasers
3re involved. shall not further refer to that
difficulty, as Its merits are similar to those Of
The Attorney General of this State puts
these matters III this way: IT have very 1T
tie faith in any amicnble arrangement with
these companies. The very fact that they
have persisted In q claim which, If successful,
must involve large class Of our citizens
IN ruin and may occasion fsst ten civil ,,maa war
j technical claim of right 10 vlola.
| lion Of the intention Of the State that
has dealt 60 literally with them, is conclu-
eIve evidence to my mind that no other con
| eidcrations thnn those Of interest can reach
them. Fortunately, perhaps, for the State,
upon them"
| Two years ago the Northern Road was re-
euired by the Legislature to relinquish Its
rretenEions; It declines to do so. Words
and g1uss have failed to effect anything. 1t
seems to Us here in Iowa, however it may np.
| pear to you and the Chicago Journal, and the
railroad' interests, that, as these roads have
failed in SO many particulars, 1t is slightly i'm.
| pudcpt in them to maintain their "dog-hold"
! Of these lands, when they have not yet had
them certified to them.
All, BEREMAE.
The following is the bill to yacate The land
grants referred to by our correspondent:
BILL
For mn act TO certain lands grant
So Ss5S s. ass ab1ioSsd ssth As9ss lss'
w1ERtAs, BY act Of Congress appEoEsd Nay !: y
ese t. sne s1f 9 fa
ses sISa sass
| cfNy The State and ..oa.,,,
ec6Iy approved 18th july 1855, nccepted said EIAut
with Eli III terms, conditions and ha4
M1xREAs Such lands EsIs, b said act ct lsth Jnly
11oTed e6th Of March, 1850 granted to four CERTAIN
x, r. IT, sen
Hfver Kalroad Company, the Cedar Rapids Mtss9o g.
enc n.!road Company xth ~ TIE lta,1ons:d ah9 h9
esid ast Of and were aseepfe11 81 9y sd fa
nnd restrictions Imposed by said act Of Congre5s and
| Iowa and
VETERAN, Certain Of those conditions and terms
were. that EcFtntg.1ge miles Of each OF said roada
should be completed and equipped BY the Inst day q
neccnher 1S5y and that fhfty miles thereof In id
aG for the next succeeding ave years; and further
that certain lands were to ba reserved GQn the OPT
raflonA Of said acts; and further that sthe Cedar
Rspids and Missouri River Railroad Comnary ehould
bufd, before the nEst of January 1851 rsipad ffor
reas stEGsf u L1ena ctJ f. Polnt of inteEseettcn
in ths eospo!ate limits Of Clinton City and further
rr6m deagnated point On tho Cedar River, by III
1rEt Of December 1851. and thirty mies Ia addtioH
| eArh year thereafter; and
TAu t-zf