Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1867-12-14
THE RAILROAD LANDS.

( One Of tbs conditions upon which the
government granted a certain quantity OF
land to the state Of Iowa for railroad pur-
poses, was that the roads TO which the lands
we're spportioned should be completed with
in ten years. The grant waesm ade ins 1856.
and consequently tbs time conditioned in
the original act expired sometime in May
1866; but, a short time previous 10 the latter
date, Congress passed an act extending the
time two years longer This extension Of
time enabled ,be Iowa Air Line road. under
the energetic management Of tho North
western company, iato whose hands it passed
under lease, to complete the road, and &C.
cure patents for all the lands to which it
was entitled under the app'r tionment The
additional time win probably alec be long
enough for the Mississippi 4 Missouri CON-
psny to complete it, road, and como into
possession Of its lands. But the days IF
grace are too brief for The Glow moving
Dubuque l. Sioux Cry road, and when the
time (under The present lsw) comes for il to
render up its stewardship, i. will be found
with nearly POO miles OF the original $50 ye,
TO complete and entitled to but one third
Of tho nilii"o ard a half acres .orieinall,
assigned as is share Of the land grant.
Now the way the matters Stands IL, il u
new act Of congress is MOI passed prior t"
Asy next granting new lease Of time, tte
lands will rover, 10 the government, and the
D. l. 3. &. R., run into the ground where
it now 10. There is little doub', however,
but that congress will give a new less. Of
time, but under such conditions as will pre-
ven. any more backing and filing" on
tho par, Of The sswpsny.
T6tLis end, Mr.. Hubbard, of this district,
has introduced u bill into congress, provid-
ing for the extension Of time until the LIST OF
January 1871. in which to complete the
land grant roads Of this state From a
private source We learn that some of ,h,
ptovhions Of the bill, referring to the b. i
s. c. R. r., are as follows:
The road must be completed and oars
running 70 Fo't Dodge by the lst Of Janue.
~, 1869 and that the, eater at least City
miles Of road 10 be bull. annually, and th.
road completed to Sioux C.ty by the l.: o:
January. ISL. tis further provided in th.
bill that the road must Do built through til.
lands selected by the company, and that i,
must cross the Little Sioux river at q poll,
not further south than the south line OF
Cherokee county. Another important fea-
tu,e Of the bill. il, that it grants to actual
settlers the privilege Of entering, under the
homestead Or pre- empsion laws, any O! the
reserved railroad lads, and providing for
the issuing to the railroad company Of 10.
demnty SCRIPT for al lands thus taken.
This is Il very im; orta..t AID y sc ,rovio, on,
for should :hu bill become law, it would
open to settlement some Of The 6resl lands
in the State, which fer urwards of ten years
have been withheld for The benefit of an Of.
fvte corporation. But we lave LILLE hope
that this provision Of the bill willy ever be-
came law. 1t will meet the determined
opposition Of The railroad Interests, and in
all probability be stricksn from thu bill.
From the information which We have re-
ceived, We belive the bill is good one, and
should /. become !: law will give general
satisfaction to the people along the ine Of
the Dubuque 4 Sioux City road.