St. Landry democrat., 1884-03-01
N. o. p. LAND GRANT.
INTERIOR OF sr. LANDYr, feb. 1884.

nE tH5 washington argus OF Jul
2fst, 1888, appeared an article on th
ssabject of the forfeiture of what j
KnOWn as the Back Bone land grant, i
which article several authorities wer
cited, supporting the proposition tha
the granting power had the right to re
woke the grant. This article was sign
ed by Settler No. 3, and for one Of tn
many settlers residing on the granted
lands, fully agree with Settler No. 2
and ifyOu permit me space in your col
umns, I wish to further discuss the au
ehorIty Of the granting power to revoke
the grant, more especially, as the Police
jury of St. Landry Parish recommend.
ed lis forfeiture, and Congress has pro
pnsed it.
1st. We find No. 110 of the Louisiana
Legislature approved April 30, 1877, de-
claring forfeited all corporate existence
of the New Orleans, Baton Rouge and
Vicksburg Railroad Co., and all acts
amendatory thereof or relating thereto,
and were repealed and annulled April
80, 1877.
I'd. We find in December 1881, the
board of Directors of the aforesaid Ba-
ton Rouge Railroad CO., a resolution of
said Board, transferring all of it's rights,
titles and interest in the land granted
to it, by Act Congress, March Sd, 1871,
to the New Orleans Pacific Railroad Co,
which resolution the stockholders Of
said Baton Rouge Railroad Co., approy-
ed df December, 1881.
That is to say, the Baton Rouge and
Vicksburg Railroad Co., sold whatever
rights it had, years and months af-
ter it had no corporate existence, as per
Act No. 110of the Legislature Of La,
approved April 80, 1877.
Sd. We find the original line of tie
Baton Rouge and Vicksburg r. R., diff
located by official map of the
Gen. Land Office, crossing the Atehafa-
faya river about one mile south of tile
northeast corner of #. 5, 5. R. 7 E.,
which the Pacific Railroad crosses at
on the northeast corner of
e. 4 s. r. = E., making difference of
at least six miles from the original lOca-
tion of the n. O., B. r., and v. R. R.
This itself would give good cause for
non compliance of the conditions-be-
sides d glance at the official map will
clearly show deviation from its oriai-
nal line mostly the whole length of the
Pacific railroad as now built, in deed it
says as it is a well known fact, that the
Pacific railroad as now built, was for
ma1ly organized under a different char
ser aud corporation as early, probably
ID 1857, if we mistake not, and mostly
graded from the parish of Point Coupee
through st. Landry parish, until the
ate Civil War caused its operations to
tease.
4th. We find the Louisiana Legisla-
ure by Act
aid to the New Orleans Pacific
BY an appropriation Of $4,000,
OO .fUaE we also find governor
Yetoing said appropriation
ID for the rea-
ons that said road was built through a
ich and thickiy inhabited section OF +
ountry, and that said Pacific Co., would
q amply paid without any subsidies
rom the State, more especially that the !
'acifc railroad followed a graded rail- {
bad bed mostly completed for several j
niles miles in length. z
These views, Governor s
re in accord Congressional legislation t
d that subject, thatis to say grants of 7
ublic lands to railroads we're made to
evelop interior Territories or unsettled g
ountries, and not sto aid speculative 1
1t is computed by good
athority that Congress has in the past !
J years granted to railroad Companies, Y
bout one hundred and fifty million 0
cres Of public lands to aid the con c
;ruction Of railroads, and all of the p
sriier grants, were to States and Ter t
tories, and authorized the grantee to r
ispose Of the lands for the purpose OF e
ding in the construction of the pro- G
psed roads, q specified portion of the 7
lad was required to be first built or i
instructed. When d corresponding Il
Drtion Of the granted lands might be 2
isposed of, for the benefit Of the road, G
nd from time to time as certain por- n
ons Of the roads were constructed, GER Y
In quantities Of the granted lands, O
;e.I,t .1,r q e,ei eold FOR fha henafif of q,