The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1878-03-06
LAWS OF THE
STATEOF MISSISSIPPI
lPUBLIsHED by AUTHORITY.

AN ACT to encourage and facilitate the
building Of the Ship Island, Ripley and
Kentucky Railroad.
WHEREAS, The great need Of the State is
direct communication with its sea board, and
the building up and establishments sea board
towns and commerce, its custom house and
merchant marine. The development Of the
great natural harbor Of Ship Island and direct
railroad connection in and through the State
to other States; and,
WHEREAS. This need has been long and
urgently felt by the people, and the present
appearing fitting opportunity to encourage
this great work with assurance of success /;
therefore,
of the State OF Mississippi, That the Ship
Island, Ripley and Kentucky Railroad Com
pany, a corporation originally chartered as
the ''Ri pley Railroad Company by Act of
the Legislature Of the State Of Mississippi,
and having for its object the Construction,
equipment and operation Of line Of railway
at or near Mississippi City, in this
State, to the town of Middleton, in the
State Of Tennessee, connecting with the Mem
phis and Charleston Railroad and direct to
St. Louis by the present projected narrow
gauge road, is hereby authorized and empOw-
cred through ITS Ofncers and agents, to select,
locate and enter any lands belonging to the
State af Mississippi, known as vacant lands,
or lands donated by the United States Gov
eminent, or swamp and overhowed lands
Provided. That nothing herein shall be
construed to cover lands heretofore purchased
from the State by bona fde purchasers, or any
lands embraced in any Of the Levee Districts,
or any lands held by the State forfeited
for the non payment of taxes, except as here
in provided; And provided further That said
ship Island, Ripley and Kentucky Railroad
Company shall have the power to locate the
southern terminus of said road at Mississippi
City,or such other point as may he deemed most
eligible and advantageous TO said company, to
be determined by the surveys Of said road
and the action of the Board of Directors.
Re
lands shall be selected and located and de-
scribcd by proper subdivisions within six
months from the date OF the approval of this
Act, and such location and selection
of said lands shall be filed i'll the office
of the Secretary Of State and also that of the
Swamp Land Commissioner, and shall not
thereafter be subject to entry or purchase
otherwise than provided by this Act; Pro
vided, however That should said railroad con-
pany fail to continue the construction of said
railroad at any time before completion, for
n period of one year. then the Governor shall
by proclamation place any of said lands so
selected or located, to which patents have not
been issued, as provided by this Act in mar
ket, and they shall not thereafter be reserved
and withheld from other purchasers.
SEC. 8. Be- it further enacted That said
Ship Island, Ripley and Kentucky Railroad
Company may become possessed Of and hold
the fee simple title to the said lands upon the
following conditions, viz: When said rail-
road company shall have completed and made
ready to operate five miles of said railroad,
then said company, upon payment into the
Treasury of the State, of two cents per
acre shall be entitled to receive a patent
to a proportion of said lands so selected
and designated not to exceed four sections to
the mile. The Auditor shall, upon certifi-
cate of the Governor that five miles of said
road have been completed, issue his receipt
warrants in favor Of said Company for the
amount due by said company and upon pre-
sentation of the Treasurer receipt TO the Sec
rotary Of State he shall issue patents to said
company for the number of sections of land to
which they shall have been entitled and for
which they have paid and in like manner as
each five miles of said railroad is constructed
and made ready to operate, shall said receipt
warrant nd patent be issued upon application
of said company until, such selected and locat-
ed lands shall have been patented to said com
pany; Provided, That said lands 50 sold shall
not be mortgaged in any way incumbered
by said railroad company or its Directory
without the consent of two-thirds of said Di-
Tectory.
SEC. 4. Be it further enacted, That any lands
lying within distance of ten miles on either
side of the line of said railroad which have
been forfeited to the State for taxes due any
unpaid thereon, said railroad company NAV
fixed, upon satisfactory evidence of title to
said company conveyed by the original owner
or owners of the same and upon presentation
of such title to said company, the Auditor of
Public Accounts is hereby authorized toscon-
vey to said company said LANDS so decided to
them as In other cases of lands sales or re-
1emption.
SEC s. Be it further enacted. That to further
aid the construction of said railroad the au-
thorities of said company shall have the ri ght
to contract with the Lessees of the MISSISSIPPI
pi State Penitentiary for as many hands as
can be advantageously employed upon said
road. And said Lessees shall furnish such
hands subject to the restrictions provided by |
law for taking cOnvicts sentenced for certain |
terms from the walls of the Penitentiary upon
application, and upon such terms as may be |
agreed upon between them and said COM
pany; Provided. That this requirement Of said |
Lessees shall be with their consent. Such |
consent and agreement with said company
shall be made in writing and accepted by the |
Governor and filed in the office of the Secre- |
tary of State with this Act, and shall thereaf- |
ter be held as {. contract between said Lessees |
the State and said Railroad Company.
SEC. 6. Be it furt er enacted, That the con- |
tract for lands herein made, and authorized to |
be purchased, shall not apply TO The portion |
of said railroad already constructed and |
granted and sold to said Railroad Company |
to aid its further construction, and said |
Company shall in the future construction |
of said Railroad begin work on each end of |
said Road and the construction of the same
from the sea shore, the Gulf of Mexico, |
shall be pushed forward rapidly as posi- |
blei Provided, That the survey, location and
construction of said Road shall be commenced |
within six months, and said Railroad shall be |
and in operation within ten years |
from the passage of this Act; Provided, That |
in any manner effect any lands known the |
Chckasaw School Lands.
SEC. /. Be it further enacted, that all Acts |
or parts of Acts in conflict with this Act be, |
and the same is hereby, repealed, and this Act
take effect and be in force from and after its
APPROVED, February %, 1873.
Act for the benefit of Common Schools in the
City of Holly Springs, approved February
7, 1878.
SECTION l. Be it enacted by the Legislature
of the State of Mississippi, That the Trustees |
of the Holly Springs Female Institute, or a |
majority of them, into whose hands the moneys |
are provided to be paid under the Act TO |
which this Act is supplemental, shall, as indi- |
Yiduals, enter into bond in the amount re-
ceived. conditioned that they Will faithfully |
expend the same, toward the erection of a |
school house, according to the meaning and |
intent of the Act to which this Act is supple |
And said Trustees shall finally ex- |
hibit to the Board of Supervisors statement |
Or account, showing the manner in which said |
moneys have been expended.
Sec. ,. Be it further enacted that the Trus-
fees of the Holly Springs Female Institute |
and their successors in office, hereby !
made the Trustees of the Common School or |
schools to be carried on in the building to be |
ereetep as aforesaid, and they shall have /
power to grade said school or schools, and Sc
lect the~eacher or teachers thereof upon sat
isfactory evidence of competency as such, and |
the Superintendent of Education of said /
county shall give his certificate of appoint
ment to the teacher or teachers so selected,
provided they hold obtain his certificate of |
qualification. and place them in charge of said
Common School or schools.
SEC. 8. Be it further enacted, That the |
Board of Supervisors shall require the
Sheriff of said county TO report to them at
earlya day as practicable, the amount of
money directed by section of the Act to
which this Act is supplemental TO be paid to
he Trustees of the Holly Springs Female In
stitute, and upon order of said Board the
County Treasurer shall pay over the same to
said Trustees.
SEC 4. Be il further enacted That should
The SUN OF money herein directed to be |
paid to the Trustees of the Holly Springs