St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1864-05-12
4 ELL

Making grant Of lands to the Territories Of D1kota
and IDAHO, IN alternate sections, to cid IN tie
suc.ion Of certain railroads in said Territories.
!. Mr. Donnelly, on leave. introduced in
the House Of Representatives on the 26th
of April, the following bill, which was read
twice, referred to the Committee on Public
Lands, and ordered to be printed:
BE I? ~7,gct.d By the Ss.e ard House q 2trysts':c-
tires TIE UttI Safe; q, Aaaeic1 in C5Hgress
ssmd, That there be, and hereby is granted to the
Territory Of Dakota for the purpose Of aiding in the
ofa railroad sn the point Of intersec-
1ion OF the railroad running from iineapoS, in the
State of Minnesota, to the head OF rS stone lake,
with the eastern bounar: line of said Territory at or
near the mouth Of the I2uZah rivers :l.c"ce up tho
valley OF said river to some suitable point at Or near
its source thence westwaTdly. via Lake kanpesca,
to point the 5ricton Of SNAKE river with
the Dakota river: thence TO point at Ut near the
! main forks Of the MeI.Hiac nncli river: thence by
tile most suitable rout" IL TIE meath Of lHe Great
Shevcnnc river the Miss liver thence up the
valley of said river tu its iaain forks thence up the
valley Of the north fax ei said rive: to point at or
It's healwaters; thence Gi";s the h:Se ot tht.
Black hills thence by the best at !'>t feasible route
westvart!ly to son:o suitable point the western
boundary Of said Territory the legislature may de
terc.ine: thcrce wcstw"ra!y ty the laVst suitable
hea1waters Of the jefferson fork # the Missouri
river thence by the r,ost practicable and feasible
| route to Fort i:entoe in Idaho Territory:
Fran @ e as2 Isrs'ory wv5tvFss, IT, sst
Wai!aWaa. IL Washington Territory: ~
From point TT the main fork, OF the Floyd
river in Iowa where the Dubuque and Sioux City
railroad said river, to TIE Big Sioux river,
near town of Wes,tied: thence down the valley OF
said river the Missouri valley; thence mp said val
lev to the town Of Elk Point Dakota Territory, or
from Sioux City, Iowa, the town Of Elk Point by
the most practicable and feasible racute, as the leg
isrture ofsaid Territory may elect thence via Yer.
million, Yankton. and Bon Homne. to the mouth OF
the Great SheyenNc river. in said Territory:
From Bon Hoinmc. in said Territory, to point OF
convenient crossing the Missouri river near the
mouth Of the Neobra or Pcnca river. as the ceisia-
ture Of said Territory lnay Getern,ln thence along
the valley cf said river, BY the most feasible and
practicable rput, 10 Fort la-nTc an: thence to tue
South pass-every alternate section Of ni designated
by odd numbers for FIVE sections in width Ola each
side OF said roads. Eut in 1t Shall appear that
the United States have, when the lines or routes ol
said roads definitely fixed Sol" any sec:lHS or any
parts thereof granted as aforesaid Or tina: ;ic right
| of pre- empton homestead has attached to the
same then it shall be lawful for any agent agents,
future States to select subject to the approval OF
the Secretary OF the Interior, from the lands OF the
United States nearest to the tiers OF sections above
specified so much land in alt rnatc sections or parts
Of sections shall be equal to such lands as the
United States have sold otherwise appropriated:
or to which the rights of pre-cmpion or homestead
have attached. aforesaid which lands (thus Sc
ected in lieu of those sod and to which prception
homestead rights have attached as aforesaid to-
eether with the sections and parts of sections des,
ignatcd by odd numbers af csaid and appropriated
as aforesa shall be held hy the Territories or future
States Of Dakota and Idaho, within their respective
limits. for the and purpose aforesaid Prcr1ded
That the land be located shall in no case be further
than fifteen miles from the lines of said roads and
| selected for and on account Of each of said roads
rcridcd further That the lands granted for and ni
account of said roads. ssrcraily, shall be exclusively
applied to the construction Of that road for and o,
account Of Which such lands hereby granted an'
shall be disposed of only as the work progresses anc
the same shall be applied to no other purpose what
: soever And procided further. That any and al
lands heretofore reserved to the United States b,
any act of Congress- or in any other manner by Gem
retent authority, for the purpose OF aiding i'll an,
object ofintcrnal Improvement or fur any other pEr
pose Whatsoever be and the are hereby reServet
to the United States from the operation of this act
except so far asst may be found necessary to ocat
the routes Of said railroads through such reserved
lands, in which the right Of way only shall b.
granted, subject to the approval Of the President
the United States
SEC. 2. And bes further enacted, That the section
and part of sections Of land which, by such grant
shall remain to the United States within fifteen mile
on each side of said roads, shall not he sold for les
than double the minimum price of the public land
to private entry until the shall have been frs
offered at public sale at the increased price.
| Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That the sal
lands hereby granted to the said Territories fuur
States shall be subject to the future disposal Of til
legislatures thereof for the purpose herein eXnresset
and no other. And the said railroads shall be an
remain public highways for the of the govern
ment of the United States free from toll or othe
charge upon the transportation of airy property G
troops Of the United States: Irorded, That the d
position by the legislatures Of the said grants shall
submitted to the Secretary Of the Interior for his
, proval, before title shall be acquired.
SEC. and be 1t further enacted, That the land
hereby granted to said Territories future State
States only in the manner following that is to say
3 that quantity Of land not exceeding one hunlrc
and twenty sections for each of said roads, and il
cluded within a continuous length of twenty miles
eachof said roads may he sold and when the govern
Of such Territories future States shall certif
to the Secretary Of the Interior that any twenty
tinuous miles Of any of said roads is completed the
another quantity Of land hereby granted not to e,
ceed one hundred and twenty sections, for each
said roads having twenty continuous miles complete
aforesaid, and included within continuous length
twenty miles Of each Of such roads, may be sold; an
from time to time until said roads completed
And if any Of said roads not completed within te
years, no further sale shall be made and the lanG
remaining unsod shall revert to tho United States.
Sec. 5. 4ad ben further e',a ted, That the Un
States mails shall be transported over said road
under the direction of the Postmaster General, &
such price as Congress may by law direct Fsscride
That until such price is fixed by law the Postmaste
General shall have the power to determine the sam
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