The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-03-02
CHAP. CCXLu.


An Act granting Lands to aid in the Construc-
tion ofa Railroad and Telegraph Line from the
Central Pacific Railroad in California, to Port
land, in Oregon.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Re-
representatives. Of the United States of America in
Congress assembled, That the California and
Oregon Railroad Company" organized under
an act of the State of California; TO protect Ger
tain parties in and to rairoad survey, ''to con-
meet Portland, in Oregon, with Marysvile, in Ca
lifornia," approved April sixth, eighteen hun
dred and siXty-thrce, and such company organiz-
ed under the laws of Oregon as the leg stature of
said State shall hereafter designate, be- and they
hereby, authorized and empowered to lay out
locate, construct, finish, and maintain railroad
and telegraph line between the city of Portland
in Oregon, and the Central Pacific Railroad, in
California and Oregon Railroad Company to con-
struct that part of the said railroad and telegraph
within the State of California, beginning at some
point Ito be selected by said company the
Central Pacific Railroad in the Sacramento valley
in the State of California, and running thence
notherly, through the Sacramento and Shasta val
lev to the northern boundary of the State of ca
liiornia; and the said Oregon company TO cor
struct that part of the said railroad and telegraph
line within the State of Oregon, beginning at the
city of Portland i'll Oregon, and running thence
souticrly through the willamette, Umpqua, and
Rogue River valleys to the southern boundary of
Oregon, where the same shall connect with the
part aforesaid to be made by the first named COM
pany: Promded, That the company completing
its respective part OF the said railroad and tclc-
graph from either of the tcrmini herein named to
the line between California and Oregon before
the other company shall have likewise arrived at
the same line, Shall have the right, and the said
company Is hereby authorized, to continue i'll
structing the same beyond the line aforesaid,
with the consent of the State in which the unfn-
ished part may lie, upon the terms mentioned in
this act, until the said parts shall meet and con-
meet, and the whole line of said railroad and te-
legraph shall be completed.
Sec. p And be it further enacted, That there
be, and hereby is, granted to the said companies
tls..tr 4
aiding in the construction of said railroad and te-
lcgraph line, and to secure the safe and speedy
transportation of the mails, troops, munitions of
war, and public stores over the line of said rail
road, every alternate section of public land, not
mineral, designated by odd numbers, to the am
cunt of twenty alternate sections per mile ten on
each sidel of said railroad line; and when any of
said alternate sections or parts of sections shall
be found to have been granted sold, reserved
occupied by homestead settlers prc-empted or
otherwise disposed of, other lands, designated as
aforesaid shall be selected by said companies in
licu thereof under the direction of the Secretary
of the Interior, in alternate sections designated
by odd numbers as aforesaid, nearest to and not
more than ten miles beyond the limits of said
firSt-named alternate sections and as soon as
the said companies, or either of them, shall file
i'll the office of the Secretary of the Interior
map of the survey of said railroad, any por-
tion thereof, not less than Xty continuous miles
from either terminus the Secretary of the Interior
shall withdraw from sale public lands herein
granted each side of said railroad so far as To-
The lands herein granted shall be applied to the
building of said road within the States respect
lively, wherein they are situated. And the sec
tions and parts of sections of land which shall re-
main in the United States within the limits of
the aforesaid grant shall not be sold for less than
double the minimum price of public lands when
sold Provided, That bona fide and actual set
tiers under the presumption laws of the United
States may, after due proof of settlement, i'm
provemcnt, and occupation, now provided by
law, purchase the same at the price fixed for said
lands at the date of such settlement, improve
ment, and occupation: And provided, also That
settlers under the provisions of the homestead
act, who comply with the terms and require
ments of said act. shall be entitled, within the
limits of said grant, to patents for an amount not
exceeding eighty acres of the land so reserved by
the United Stotes, any thing in this act to con-
trary notwithstanding.
Sec 3. And be it further enacted, That the
right Of way through the public lands be- and the
same is hereby, granted to said companies for the
construction of said railroad and telegraph line
and the right, power, and authority are hereby
given to said companies to take from the public
lands adjacent to the line of said road, EARTH
stone, timber, water, and other materials for the
construction thereof Said right of way is grant
ed to said railroad to the extent of one hundred
feet i'll width on each side of said railroad where
it pass over the pubic lands, including all neces
sary grounds tor stations, buildings, workshops,
depots, machne-shops, switches, side tracts
turntables, water stations, or any other struc-
lures required i'll the construction and operating
of said road
TO BE CONTINUED.