The Daily telegraph., 1886-06-05
THE ", s. & T. RAILROAD LAND
CrE GRANT. f

the ACT fOllOWl0g, (Passeu ~ 'o'o)
OF the existence of which we were not
aware until 30 advised, and the pro-
visions Of which change entirely, in
one aoise, the aspect in which the
w., s. 4 r. land grant has been
viewed. It will be seen that the grant
from the General Government was
made direct to the State, and not to
the railroad, and that the ", s. & I.
Company was not party thereto,
but received it's grant from the State
direct. The lands thus granted and
unearned, 1t will be further seen, were
declared forfeited 10 the Act which
follows. Not being able to find the
Act of Congress making the original
grant, and not knowing its conditions,
we are unprepared to say,-the State
having declared the lands forfeited
in whom, the State or the United
States, the title now rests; cut 1t is
clearly not in the railroad, and ought
not to be, or to have been at any time
since its failure to earn the lands cons
ditionally granted. We will reeur to
this subject again soon, simply ap2en-
ding the Act for the present:
No 39.l AN ACT
Donating certain lands to the Red river
and Mississippi Railroad Company and
declaring the forfeiture of said lands by
the vicksburg Shreveport and Texas
Railroad Company.
titled San Act making grant Of lands to
the State Of Louisiana to aid in the con-
struction of railroads in said State"
approved June 3, 1856 certain lands were
donated to said State for the purpose OF
aiding in the construction ofa railroad from
the Texas line, in the State of Louisiana,
west of the town of Greenwood, via Green
wood, Shreveport and Monroe, to point
on the Mississippi river opposite Vicks-
burg; and
WHEREAS, By an Act of tho General
Assembly ofthe State Of Louisiana, ap-
proved March IL, 1867, and entitled "An
Act to accept in part OF the grant and carry
into execution the trust conferred upon the
State of Louisiana by Act of Congress
making grant Of lands to aid in the con-
struction Of railroads in said State" appro-
we'd June 8, 1856. said lands were granted to
the vicksburg, Shreveport and Texas rail-
road, at that time body corporate, exis-
ting under the laws of the State of Louisi-
ana, upon certain terms and conditions,
among which were the following, viz:
That said lands should be earned by said
company only as the said railroad was
actually constructed in sections of twenty
miles, and that if said railroad should not
be completed within ten years from the
date of said Act, then the claim OF said
company to the unearned lands should be
forfeited, and
WHEREAS, The said Vicksbu,y Shreue-
port and Ieras railroad Company has mot
complied soith the terms and conditions Of the
grant of said land to said company By the
State Of Louisiana and has not completed the
said railroad t0ithin the time limited as atore-
said, and hos therefore forfeited all claims to
the said lands. except as to such as have
been legally earned and disposed Of by
said company in compliance with the terms
and conditions OF said grant, therefore,
SECTION /. Be ii enacted By the Senate and
House of Representatives of the State of
louisiana in General assembly convened,
That the claim of the said Vicksburg
Shreveport and Texas Railroad Company
to 30 much Of the lands referred to in the
foregoing preamble as have not been
legally earned and disposed OF by said COM
pany, according to the terms and condi-
tions of said grant, be and the same are
hereby declared forfeited, and the said Act
Louisiana, approved March II, 1857, and