Papers Of Abraham Lincoln

BE IT ENACTED by the Senate and House of Representa-

tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

1 THATthere be, and hereby is, granted to the State

2 of Illinois, for the purpose of aiding said

3 States in completing the railroad from

4 Chicago, on Lake Michigan, to the upper

5 Mississippi, on the most eligible route,

6 a quantity of land equal to one half

7 of six sections in width on each side

8 of said railroad; to be selected in

9 alternate sections or part of sections

10 by an agent or agents to be appointed

11 by the Governor of said State, subject to

12 the approval of the Secretary of the

13 Treasury; ^[^and if any of the sections or

14 parts of sections within the limits afore=

15 said have been heretofore sold, or other=

16 wise disposed of or encumbered, so that

17 they cannot be so applied, a quantity

18 of land, equal to that so sold or other=

19 wise disposed of or unencumbered,

20 shall be selected by said agent, under

21 the direction of the Secretary of the

22 Treasury, from the public lands within

23 twenty miles of the route of said rail=

24 road, on either side thereof.^]^

1 Sec. 2. And be it further enacted,

2 That for the purpose of aiding in the

3 completion of the central railroad in

4 said State, to extend from Cairo to Chicago

<Page 2>

5 ^(^with a branch ^[^to Alton via Springfield^]^ and

6 also for the northern cross railroad exten=

7 ding from the Mississippi via Springfield

8 to the Indiana line in the direction

9 of Covington^)^ on the most eligible route,

10 there is hereby granted to said State

11 an equal quantity of land on each side

12 of said railroads and to be selected as

13 is provided in the first section of this

14 act; and if any of the said sections or parts of sections,

15 within the limits aforesaid, have been

16 sold, or otherwise disposed of or en=

17 cumbered, so that they cannot be so

18 applied, a quantity of land equal to

19 that so sold, or otherwise disposed of

20 or encumbered, shall be selected by

21 said agent, under the direction afore=

22 said, from the public lands within

23 twenty miles of the line of the said rail=

24 road, on either side thereof; and the

25 sections of lands which, by such grant

26 to the State of Illinois, shall remain

27 to the United States, shall not be sold

28 for less than double the minimum price

29 of the public lands when sold.


2 That the said lands hereby granted

3 to the said State shall be subject

4 to the disposal of the Legislature

5 thereof for the purposes aforesaid,

<Page 3>

6 and no other; and the said railroads and

7 each of them, shall be and remain a public

8 highway for the use of the government of

9 the United States, free from toll or other

10 charge upon cars or carriages the said

11 government may place thereon, and

12 upon the transportation of any property

13 or troops of the United States.


2 That if the said railroads shall not

3 be completed within fifteen years, the

4 said State of Illinois shall be bound

5 to pay to the United States the amount

6 which may be received upon the sale

7 of any part of said lands by said State,

8 the title to the purchasers under said

9 State remaining valid.


2 That, before it shall be competent

3 for the State of Illinois to dispose of

4 any of the lands to be selected as

5 aforesaid, a plat or plats of the

6 courses, distances, and points of ter=

7 mination of said railroads shall

8 be furnished by the said State to the

9 Commissioner of the General Land

10 Office.


2 that the State of Illinois be, and is

3 hereby, authorized to survey and mark,

<Page 4>

4 through the public lands of the United

5 States, the routes of said railroads, and

6 that twenty five feet of the said lands

7 on both sides of each of said railroads,

8 in addition to one hundred feet, the width

9 of each respectively, be reserved from sale

10 on the part of the United States, and the

11 use thereof forever vested in the said

12 State, for the purpose aforesaid, and

13 none other.

1 Sec. 7 And be it further enacted,

2 That no lands reserved for schools,

3 or for military or other purposes, nor

4 mineral lands, nor any to which the

5 right of pre-emption has attached, shall

6 be selected by said State under this

7 act.

1 Sec. 8 And be it further enacted,

2 That the United States mails shall

3 be carried on said road under the

4 regulation of the Post Office Department

5 at a reasonable price paid on other Railroads,

6 and in case of disagreement between the

7 State and the Department as to the price,

8 then the matted in dispute shall be referred

9 to the United States District Judge for said State.

[ certification ]
05/03/1848
Passed the Senate
May 3. 1848
Attest
Asbury Dickins.
Secretary

<Page 5>

<Page 6>

[ docketing ]
Public Lands

[ docketing ]
S_95
An act granting to the State of Illinois the right of way and a donation of public lands for making a railroad connecting the Upper and Lower Mississippi with the chain of northern Lakes at Chicago.^Rejected^

[ certification ]
08/12/1848
In the House of Representatives U. S.
August 12^th 1848
Resolved That this bill do not pass
Attest,
Tho. J Campbell
Clerk

[ docketing ]
HR Pub. Lands

[ docketing ]
Aug 12 Laid on the table
mv to reconsd law

[ docketing ]
No Papers

	BE IT ENACTED by the Senate and House of Representa-
	tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
1	THATthere be, and hereby is, granted to the State
2	of Illinois, for the purpose of aiding said
3	States in completing the railroad from
4	Chicago, on Lake Michigan, to the upper
5	Mississippi, on the most eligible route,
6	a quantity of land equal to one half
7	of six sections in width on each side
8	of said railroad; to be selected in
9	alternate sections or part of sections
10	by an agent or agents to be appointed
11	by the Governor of said State, subject to
12	the approval of the Secretary of the
13	Treasury; ^[^and if any of the sections or
14	parts of sections within the limits afore=
15	said have been heretofore sold, or other=
16	wise disposed of or encumbered, so that
17	they cannot be so applied, a quantity
18	of land, equal to that so sold or other=
19	wise disposed of or unencumbered,
20	shall be selected by said agent, under
21	the direction of the Secretary of the
22	Treasury, from the public lands within
23	twenty miles of the route of said rail=
24	road, on either side thereof.^]^
1	Sec. 2. And be it further enacted,
2	That for the purpose of aiding in the
3	completion of the central railroad in
4	said State, to extend from Cairo to Chicago

5	^(^with a branch ^[^to Alton via Springfield^]^ and
6	also for the northern cross railroad exten=
7	ding from the Mississippi via Springfield
8	to the Indiana line in the direction
9	of Covington^)^ on the most eligible route,
10	there is hereby granted to said State
11	an equal quantity of land on each side
12	of said railroads and to be selected as
13	is provided in the first section of this
14	act; and if any of the said sections or parts of sections,
15	within the limits aforesaid, have been
16	sold, or otherwise disposed of or en=
17	cumbered, so that they cannot be so
18	applied, a quantity of land equal to
19	that so sold, or otherwise disposed of
20	or encumbered, shall be selected by
21	said agent, under the direction afore=
22	said, from the public lands within
23	twenty miles of the line of the said rail=
24	road, on either side thereof; and the
25	sections of lands which, by such grant
26	to the State of Illinois, shall remain
27	to the United States, shall not be sold
28	for less than double the minimum price
29	of the public lands when sold.
1	Sec. 3. And be it further enacted,
2	That the said lands hereby granted
3	to the said State shall be subject
4	to the disposal of the Legislature
5	thereof for the purposes aforesaid,

6	and no other; and the said railroads and
7	each of them, shall be and remain a public
8	highway for the use of the government of
9	the United States, free from toll or other
10	charge upon cars or carriages the said
11	government may place thereon, and
12	upon the transportation of any property
13	or troops of the United States.
1	Sec. 4. And be it further enacted,
2	That if the said railroads shall not
3	be completed within fifteen years, the
4	said State of Illinois shall be bound
5	to pay to the United States the amount
6	which may be received upon the sale
7	of any part of said lands by said State,
8	the title to the purchasers under said
9	State remaining valid.
1	Sec. 5. And be it further enacted,
2	That, before it shall be competent
3	for the State of Illinois to dispose of
4	any of the lands to be selected as
5	aforesaid, a plat or plats of the
6	courses, distances, and points of ter=
7	mination of said railroads shall
8	be furnished by the said State to the
9	Commissioner of the General Land
10	Office.
1	Sec. 6. And be it further enacted,
2	that the State of Illinois be, and is
3	hereby, authorized to survey and mark,

4	through the public lands of the United
5	States, the routes of said railroads, and
6	that twenty five feet of the said lands
7	on both sides of each of said railroads,
8	in addition to one hundred feet, the width
9	of each respectively, be reserved from sale
10	on the part of the United States, and the
11	use thereof forever vested in the said
12	State, for the purpose aforesaid, and
13	none other.
1	Sec. 7 And be it further enacted,
2	That no lands reserved for schools,
3	or for military or other purposes, nor
4	mineral lands, nor any to which the
5	right of pre-emption has attached, shall
6	be selected by said State under this
7	act.
1	Sec. 8 And be it further enacted,
2	That the United States mails shall
3	be carried on said road under the
4	regulation of the Post Office Department
5	at a reasonable price paid on other Railroads,
6	and in case of disagreement between the
7	State and the Department as to the price,
8	then the matted in dispute shall be referred
9	to the United States District Judge for said State.