Charles City intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Floyd County, Iowa) 1864-1866, 1865-01-12

AN ACT to encourage and facilitate Tele
graphic Communication between the East
nrn anil Wtst..rn c-rnIinnnts

! AN ACI TO encourage and facilitate TeIe
! graphic Communication between the East
| crn and Western Continents.
| WHEREAS the governments of Russia and
| Great Britain have granted to Perry MacDOn.
Ough Collins, a citizen of the United States.
/ the right to construct and maintain u line OF
electric telegraph through their respective ter
| ritories. from the mouth of the Amoor River.
! in Aaiatc Russia. by way of Behring's strait
and along the Pacific coast to the northern
| boundary of.the United States with a view of
thereby uniting the tecgraphic systems OF
! both continents, and of promoting internt-
/ tional and commercial intercourse and where
as, the government of Russia. in furtherance
of that object, is now constructing a line of
telegraph through its Asiatic territory to unite
at the mouth of the Amoor River with the
/ line projected by said Collins; and whereas
the government of the United States desires
/ cordially to cooperate with Russia and Great
Britain in the establishment and maintenance
of such line Of communication now there
fore
BE 4 enacted Jy tie Seaafs and Ho,tse Of Repre-
,cntatires oF the United States Of 1meyict ia Con
grces assembled, That Perry Marlborough Col
| Inns, Of California, his associates and assign
ees, shall have the right to construct and
maintain line or lines OF telegraph from any
point or points on the line Of the Pacific tele-
/
Congress approved June sixteen, eighteen hun
/ drod and sixty, northerly, through any of the
territories of the United States. to the bounda-
/ ries of British America. with such branch
I lines "a may bc needed to open communica-
! tion with the various mining districts and 9TH
ct settlements in said territories. And for the
/ purposes aforesaid, the slid Collins his asso.
Cates and assignecs, shall have permanent
right of way over any unappropriatcd public
l., r Al. ~ Al.
( right TO take any timber AMI stone for con-
structon purposes and for the purposes Of cs.
tablshing and maintaining said lines. and the
stations necessary for the repair and working
thereof, there is hereby granted to said par.
ties the use OF So much unappropriatcd publ,
! lands. not sold, granted reserved, pre-empt,
ei, nor occupied by homestead settlers. as
may be necessary for stations, not exceeding
forty acres for each fifteen miles of line con.
structed across the public lands of the United
! States, SO long as the same may be used foi
said purpose Proridsi, ho'rerer, That SO much
of section one of this act us authorizes the
construction Of telegraph lines TO open COM
munications with the various mining districts
| and other settlements in said territories shall
/ be null and void unless said branch lines shall
! be completed within five years from the ap-
/ proval thereof
| Sec. >. A,.d be il ftrttcr enacted, That in
! order TO encourage and aid the construction o!
said line of telegraph beyond the limits of the
| United States, the Secretary of the Navy Is
authorized to detail for the use Of the surveys
and soundings along that portion of the Pa
/ citic coast both of America and Asia. where il
| is proposed to establish said telegraph, one
steam or sailing vessel, in his discretion, t.
assist in surveys and soundings, laying down
! submerged cable, and in transporting materi.
! ais connected herewith, and generally afford
such assistance as may be deemed best calcu.
lated to secure a successful promotion of til,
enterprise.
! Sec. 3 ind BE- Il further enacted, That the Gov
eminent Of the United States shall at all times
! have priority in the use of the line or lines
so far as the same are within its territory, anC
shall have the right, when authorized by law
to connect said line or lines hy telegraph witt
any military posts Of the United States, and
to use the same for Government purposes
And in order to secure the same from injury
! by sayages or other evil disposed persons, to
the interruption of the public business the
Secretary of War is authorized TO direct tn,
i commanders of the military districts or sta
tions and other officers, acting under author
~ of the United States in the Territories ira
versed by said telegraph, to use any availabi
force at their command to protect the same
Subject to the right of prior use by the Gov
tIIiheit, as d!oiestlu, Stiu iiHt OF iiies sIitt
be at all times open to the public and to AM
other telegraph company upon the payment o
the regular charges Tor transmission OF dies
patches. and all dispatches received shall b'
transmitted over said line and lines in the or
der of their reception at the telegraph office
and the ans 'rs 10 said dispatches shall b,
delivered to such palties as may be directed
by the sender
Sec. 4. Ind be IL further enacted, That tn,
better to accomplish the object of this act
namely, to promote the public interest an,
welfare, by facilitating international and com
mercial Intercourse between the eastern an,
western continents in the construction Of sale
telegraph. and keeping the same in working
order, and TO secure To the Government at al
times. but particularly in time of war, th,
, use and benefits of the same for diplomatic
naval. military. postal, commercial, and 9th
er purposes, Congress may at any time add to
alter, amend, or repeal this act,
Sec. 5. And be IL further enacted, That the ratt
of charges for public or private messages shall
not exceed on said line the average usual rate.
in Europe and America for the same service