Papers Of Abraham Lincoln

THIRTIETH CONGRESS—FIRST SESSION.
H. R. 75.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
January 12, 1848.
Read twice, and referred to the Committee on Public Lands.
Mr. Bingham, on leave, introduced the following bill:
A BILL
To apply certain alternate sections of the public domain toward
the completion of the Clinton and Kalamazoo canal, in the
State of Michigan.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Represen-
tatives of the United States of America in Congress as-
sembled, That there be, and hereby is, granted to the State
of Michigan, for the purpose of aiding said State to com-
plete the construction of the Clinton and Kalamazoo canal,
a quantity of land equal to one-half of five sections in width
on each side of said canal between Rochester, in the coun-
ty of Oakland, in said State, and the Grand Rapids of
Grand River, of Lake Michigan, in the county of Kent, or
at any other point of termination the legislature of the
said State of Michigan may designate, to be determined
upon within two years from the passage of this act; re-
serving each alternate section of the land unsold to the

<Page 2>

14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38 United States, to be selected by an agent or agents to be
appointed by the Governor of said State, but subject to the
approval of the Secretary of the Treasury—and the lands
so reserved to the United States, shall not be sold or con-
veyed for less than two dollars and fifty cents per acre; and
as some of the sections, or parts of the sections, within the
limits aforesaid, have been heretofore sold or otherwise dis-
posed of, so that they cannot be so applied, it is further
enacted, That a quantity of land equal to that sold or oth-
erwise disposed of, shall be selected by said agent or agents
under the direction of the Secretary of the Treasury, from
any public lands not otherwise appropriated or disposed of
or encumbered, or herein reserved, near the site of the
said canal or either side thereof. The lands hereby grant-
ed to the said State of Michigan, to be subject to the dis-
posal of the legislature thereof, for the purposes aforesaid,
and no other: Provided, That, when the lands selected and
reserved as aforesaid, are not within five miles of the line
of the said canal, those reserved for the United States shall
not be held for sale at more than one dollar and twenty-five
cents per acre: And provided, also, That said canal when
completed, shall be, and forever remain, a public highway
for the use of the United States, free from any toll or any
charge whatever for any property of the United States, or
for persons in their service passing though the same: And

<Page 3>

39
40
41
42
43
44 Provided, further, That the said Clinton and Kalamazoo
canal, shall be completed within twenty years, or the said
State shall be bound to pay to the United States, the
amount of the price of the land previously sold by said
State for the purpose aforesaid—the titles of the purchasers
under the said State remaining valid.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Represen- tatives of the United States of America in Congress as- sembled, That there be, and hereby is, granted to the State of Michigan, for the purpose of aiding said State to com- plete the construction of the Clinton and Kalamazoo canal, a quantity of land equal to one-half of five sections in width on each side of said canal between Rochester, in the coun- ty of Oakland, in said State, and the Grand Rapids of Grand River, of Lake Michigan, in the county of Kent, or at any other point of termination the legislature of the said State of Michigan may designate, to be determined upon within two years from the passage of this act; re- serving each alternate section of the land unsold to the
<Page 2>
14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38	United States, to be selected by an agent or agents to be appointed by the Governor of said State, but subject to the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury—and the lands so reserved to the United States, shall not be sold or con- veyed for less than two dollars and fifty cents per acre; and as some of the sections, or parts of the sections, within the limits aforesaid, have been heretofore sold or otherwise dis- posed of, so that they cannot be so applied, it is further enacted, That a quantity of land equal to that sold or oth- erwise disposed of, shall be selected by said agent or agents under the direction of the Secretary of the Treasury, from any public lands not otherwise appropriated or disposed of or encumbered, or herein reserved, near the site of the said canal or either side thereof. The lands hereby grant- ed to the said State of Michigan, to be subject to the dis- posal of the legislature thereof, for the purposes aforesaid, and no other: Provided, That, when the lands selected and reserved as aforesaid, are not within five miles of the line of the said canal, those reserved for the United States shall not be held for sale at more than one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre: And provided, also, That said canal when completed, shall be, and forever remain, a public highway for the use of the United States, free from any toll or any charge whatever for any property of the United States, or for persons in their service passing though the same: And
<Page 3>
39 40 41 42 43 44	Provided, further, That the said Clinton and Kalamazoo canal, shall be completed within twenty years, or the said State shall be bound to pay to the United States, the amount of the price of the land previously sold by said State for the purpose aforesaid—the titles of the purchasers under the said State remaining valid.