New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-08-18

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that may be hereafter constructed, to inter
sect said Texas Pacific railroad, shall hav.
right to connect with that line; that n,
discrimination as regards charges for freigh
or passengers, or in any other matter, shM
be made by said Texas Pacific Railroad
Company against any of the SAID
connecting roads; but that the same
charges per mile as to passengers, and pei
ton per mile as to freight, passing from the
said Texas Pacific railroad over any of said
connecting roads, or passing from any Of
said connecting roads over any part of said
Texas Pacific railroad, shall be made by
said company as they make for freight and
passengers over their own road; Provided,
also, That said connecting roads shall reci-
| procate said right of connection and equal
| ity of charges with said Texas Pacific rail
road; And provided further, That the rates
charged for carrying passengers and freight,
| per mile. shall not exceed the prices which
| may be fixed by Congress for carrying pas
| sengers and freight on the Union Pacific
and Central Pacific railroads.
SEC. TO- That said road shall be construct
| ed of iron or steel rails manufactured from
American ore, except such as may have
heretofore been contracted for by any rail-
| road company which may be purchased or
| consolidated with by the company hereby
| incorporated, as provided by this act.
| SEC. II. That the said Texas Pacific Rail-
| road Company shall commence the construc-
| ton of its road simultaneously at San Diego,
| III the State of California, and from point
at or near Marshall, Texas, as hereinbefore
described, and so prosecute the same as to
have at least fifty consecutive miles OF
railroad from each of said points com
plete and in running ORDER within two
years after the passage OF this act;
and to so continue to construct each year
thereafter sufficient number OF miles to
secure the completion of the whole line
from the aforesaid point on the eastern
boundary of the State OF Texas TO the bay
of San Diego in the State of California. as
aforesaid. within ten years after the passage
of this act; and upon failure to so complete
it, Congress may adopt such measures as it
may deem necessary and proper to secure
Its speedy completion.
SEC. Is That the President of the United
States, upon the completion of the first Sec
ton of twenty miles, shall appoint one com
missioner, whose duty it shall be to examine
the various sections of twenty miles as they
shall be completed, and report thereon to
him in writing; and if, from such report,
he be satisfied that said company has fully
completed each section OF its road, as in this
act provided, he shall direct the Secretary
of the Interior to issue patents to said COM
pany for the lands it is entitled to under
this act, as fast as each section of said road
is completed.
SEC. I9. That the Texas Pacific
Railroad Company shall be- and it
is hereby, declared to be a military
and post road; and for the purpose of
insuring the carrying the mails, troops, mu-
niti0ns of war, supplies and stores OF the
United States, no act of the company nor
any law of any State or Territory shall i'm
pede, delay or prevent the said company
from performing its obligations to the
United States in that regard; provided, that
said road shall be subject to the use of the
United States for postal, military and all
other governmental services at fair and rea-
sonable rates of compensation, not to exceed
the price paid bypriyate parties for the same
kind of service, and the government shall
at all times have the preference in the use
of the same for the purpose aforesaid.
SEC. 20. That it shall not be lawful for
any of the directors, either in their indi-
vldual capacity, or as members of an incor-
porated or Joint stock company, to make
any contracts or agreements with the said
Texas Pacific Railroad Company for the
construction. equipment or running of its
road. or to have any interest therein; and
all such contracts or agreements are hereby
declared null and void, and all money or
property received under such contracts or
agreements may be recovered back for the
benefit of the company by any stakeholder.
SEC. q. That any railroad company whose
route lies across the route of the Texas
Pacific railroad may cross the same, and for
the purpose of crossing shall have the right
to acquire at the double minimum price all
lands, whether of the United States or
granted by this act, which shall be needed
for right of way two hundred feet wide
through said lands, and for depots, stations,
side-tracks, and other needful purposes, not
exceeding for such purposes forty acres at
any one station.
SEC. D. That the New Orleans, Baron
Rouge and Vicksburg Railroad Company.
chartered by the State of Louisiana, shall
have the right to connect by the most eligi-
bic route to be selected by said company
with the said Texas Pacific railroad at its
eastern terminus, and shall have the right
of way through the public land to the same
extent granted hereby to the said Texas
Pacific Railroad Company; and in aid of its
construction from New Orleans to Baton
Rouge, thence by the way of Alexandria, in
said State, to connect with the said Texas
Pacific Railroad Company at its eastern
terminus, there is hereby granted to said |
company, its successors and assigns, the |
same number of alternate sections of public |
lands per mile, in the State of Louisiana, as
are by this act granted in the State of Cali |
fornia, TO said Texas Pacific Railroad |
Company; and said lands shall be with |
drawn from market, selected, and patents |
issued therefor, and opened for settlement |
and re-emption, upon the same terms and |
in the same manner and time as is provided |
for and required from said Texas Pacific |
Railroad Company, within said State of |
California; Provided, That said company |
shall complete the whole of said road within /
five years from the passage of this act.
SEC. %. That for the purpose of connect
ing the Texas Pacific railroad with the city
of San Francisco, the Southern Pacific Rail
road Company of California is hereby au-
thorized Subject to the laws of California;
to construct line of railroad from point |
at or near Tehachapa Pass, by way of Los
Angeles to the Texas Pacific railroad at or
near the Colorado river, with the same
rights, grants and privileges, and subject
to the same limitations, restrictions, and
conditions as were granted to said Southern
Pacific Railroad Company of California, by
the act of July twenty eighteen
hundred and sixty-six: Provided, however
That this section shall in no way affect or
impair the rights, present or prospective OF
the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad Company
Dr. any other railroad company.
Approved March 3, 1871.
GENERAL NATURE-NO. 81
AN ACT confirming the title to certain
lands
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of
of the United States of
America in Congress assembled, That the