The Forrest City times., 1897-06-18
THE SMITH BILL.
Full Text OF the MEASURE as Amen led and
Passed b the General Assembly.

sembly:
can act to grant certain state lands
to the Springfield, Little Rock and
Gulf Railway Company, and to con-
firm title TO forfeited lands"
Be it enacted by the general assem-
bly, of the state of Arkansas:
Section /. That there is hereby
granted to the Springfield, Little Rock
and Gulf Railway Company,a corpora
ton organized under the laws Of the
state of Arkansas, upon the conditions
hereinafter provided in this act, one
thousand 1000 acres of state land per
mile for each mile of the main line of
said railway and its branches that
may be hereafter constructed, to be Sc
lected from the state forfeited lands,
and swamp and overlooked lands, in
the manner hereinafter provided.
Section 2. The lands hereby grant
ed shall bel United to counties lying
within the limit of fifty go miles on
each side of the lines of road to be
constructed. If the majority of the
territory of any county lies within fifty
600 miles of any such line of road.
then the lands lying in that county
territory of any county lies within
fifty 900 miles of either side of the
lines of road to be constructed, then
the lands Of any township or fraction
al part of township within such
county, any portion of which lies
within fifty (50) miles of such line Of
road, shall he taken. The said railway
company shall file list of said lands
with the commissioner of state lands,
and such lands shall not be disposed
of otherwise than in accordance with
the terms of this act. But lands that
have been designated by the state ge-
ologist as coal lands or valuable lands
for zinc, lead or copper, shall not pass
to the said railway company under
this grant. The commissioner of state
lands shall determine from the reports
of the state geologist what lands are
coal lands and valuable lands for lead.
zinc and copper, and shall be deter
mined from the final surveys Of the
lines of road when constructed, the lands
that shall pass under this grant Said
railway company shall furnish to the
commissioner of state lands and file
with him copies of the final surveys Of
the lines Of road constructed, before
applying for conveyances to the lands.
If the lands lying within the said linn
its do not amount to one thousand
Q,W0) acres per mile of roads to be
constructed, then future forfeitures of
lands within said limits shall pass to
said railway company until ii has re-
ceived one thousand 1000 acres of
such lands per mile, and no more IL
more than one thousand Il ,000) acres
per mile of said lands be within said
limits, then only one thousand acres
per mile shall be taken, an equal dis
lance on each side of the reads to be
constructed.
Section g. The said railway com
pany shall begin permanent construc-
ton of its railroads within six months
from date of the passage of this act,
and shall in one year from the passage
of this act complete and equip said
railroad from the city of Little Rock
TO the city of Dardanelle. The said
railway shall be a standard gauge rail
way, and shall be completed and
equipped from Little Rock to the Mis-
souri, state line in northerly direction
from the city of Dardanelle. and west
to the line of the Indian TerriNry and
to the city of Hot Springs within two
years and One-half from the passa ge
of this act, and shall be completed and
equipped from Little Rock south to the
Louisiana state line within three "a
years from the passage of this act. and
upon the completion and equipment of
said railroads to the Missouri state line
and to the line of the Indian Territory
and to Hot Springs, the commissioner
Of state lands shall convey to the said
railway company the lands on each
side of the said roads so constructed
and equipped within the said limits,
and shall not convey said lands until
said lines of railroad are completed
and equipped to each of said points:
and If there be not one thousand
$1,000 acres Of land per mile within
said limits, then the commissioner of
state lands shall from future forfeited
lands within said limit convey the
balance of said one thousand Il .0Om
acres per mile, and upon the compile
ton and equipment of said railroad
from the city of Little Rock to the Lou
isiana state line, then the commissioner
of state lands shall convey to the said
railway company the lands upon each
side of this line of road within said
limits to the amount of one thousand
Q,0O0) acres per mile.
But should there be less than one
thousand G,000 acres per mile. then
said commissioner of state lands shall
convey from future forfeitures of
lands within said limits the balance
TO make up the amount of one thous-
and 1000 acres per mile. Such fu-
ture forfeitureS to be taken evenly as
near as practicable on each side of
said railroads. And the said railroad
company shall receive one thousand
0,O00) acres of said state lands for
each mile of any branch or branches
of road it may construct as feeders to
its main lines, provided such branches
shall be at least twenty miles in
length, and provided further that
such branch or branches be completed
and equipped ready for operation with
in five % years from the passage of
this act Such lands to be Sc
lected at any time after the
commencement of the construction Of