Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1866-04-08
EXTENSION eETHE IRON MOUNTAIN
RAILROAD FROM PILOT KNOB
Wn rrrWRW

ExrENsEON eF THE ZION MOUNTAIN
RAILROAD PROM PILOT KNOB
70 HELENA.
We yesterday stated that a bill had
been introduced into the Senate of the
United States granting lands to aid in
the construction and extension Of the
Iron Mountain railroad from Pilot Knob,
in Missouri, to Helena, Arkansas; we
now give a synopsis Of the bill as we
find it in the st. Louis Democrat:
The first section grants to the State Of
Missouri every alternate section of land,
designated by odd numbers, for ten sec
tons in width on each side of the road,
10 aid in the construction of said work
from its present terminus at Pilot Knob
to a point OF the southern boundary line
of the State, excepting, of course, such
lands as have been already sold or pre-
empted, and such as contain other min
erals than those of coal and iron, as well
rs all reservations by act of Congress,
or by any other competent author
ity, for the purpose of aiding in any OBJ
ject Of internal improvement or other
purpose. Through such conveyed, pre-
empted, mineral or reserved tracts the
AAEAA VI WY ID EldiAltus hIblb0N ~ ~
approval of the President of the United
States. In lieu ofthese exceptional lands,
it is made lawful for any agent or agents
appointed by the Governor of the State
to select, subject 10 the approval of the
Secretary Of the Interior, from the lands
Of the United States nearest to the tiers
Of sections specified, 50 much land, IN
sections or parts Of sections, as shall be
equal to such lands as the United States
have sold, or otherwise appropriated,
provided that the lands so located shall
be within the Ironton Land District as
now established.
The second section grants the same
quantity Of land, with the same provis-
ions attached, except that in place OF re-
stricting the selection of sections and
parts of sections to supply the reserved
amounts on the line of the road to a
" land district" 1t defines the bounda-
ries therefor TO Twenty miles from the
line where the same shall be located"
This grant is declared to be for the pur-
pose of aiding in the construction and
extension of u railroad from the point
where the Iron Mountain railroad inter-
sects the southern boundary of Mis-
souri,, by the nearest and most practical
bic route, to a point at or near the town
of Helena, on the Mississippi river.
Section thirdtixcs the price of the M
which remain to the United States within
ten miles on either side0f the road at not
less than double the minimum price of
public lands when sold, and precludes all
sales thereof at private entry until the
same shall have been first Offered at pub
lie sale to the highest bidder. Actual
bona hde settlers under the presumption
laws and the homestead law, are permit
ted to purchase at the increased mimi
mum price, aud the latter are entitled to
patents for eighty acres.
It is declared in the fourth section that
the roads shall be public highways for
the Government of the United States,
free of all toll or other charges upon the
transportation of any property or troops
Of said United States, and the roads are
required to be constructed within five
years from the lst of July next.
The fifth section prescribed the man.
ner in which the lands thus granted TO
Missouri and Arkansas for the purpose
aforesaid shall be disposed of. When
the Governor of either State shaIIcertify
to the Secretary of the Interior that any
section Of ten consecutive miles
is completed in a good, substan-
tial, and WOrkmanlike manner, the
Secretary Of the Interior, upon
the proof of the fact, shall issue to the
State patents for all the lands granted
situated opposite to and within a limit of
twenty miles of the line of said section
thus completed, aud so on. No land
shall be granted or conveyed to said
States under the provisions of this act
on account of the construction of any
railroad OF part thereof that has been
constructed under the provision of any
other act at the date Of the passage of
this act, and adopted as a part of theline
Of railroad provided for in this act.
Should said States, or either of them, fail
to complete these roads within the time |
prescribed, the lands undisposed Of shall
revert to the United States.
Section six provides that as soon as the
Governor of either Of the States shall
file with the Secretary of the Interior
maps designating the routes of the roads. |
the lands to be appropriated will be with
drawn from market. And section seven 1
precludes the yesting of title of any lands
for this purpose 10 the State of Arkansas
until that State shall be restored in all
respects to its former relations to the
National Government and be represented
in the Congress of the United States.