Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 11.djvu/39

THIR.TY·FOURTH CONGRESS. Sess. I. Ch. 42. 1856. 19 section of land designated by odd numbers, for six sections in width on each side of said road. But in case it shall appear that the United States · _ have, when the line or route of said road is definitely fixed, sold any sec- f $*2** *?_;*°“ tions, or any parts thereof, granted as aforesaid, or that the right of pre- gmpgdsop sA1d_ emption has attached to the same, then it shall be lawful for any agent or agents, to be appointed by the governor of said State, to select, subject to the approval of the Secretary of the Interior, from the lands of the United States, nearest to the tier of sections above specified, so much in alternate sections, or parts of sections, as shall be equal to such lands as the United States have sold, or otherwise appropriated, or to which the right of preemption has attached as aforesaid; which lands (thus selected in lieu of those sold, and to which preemption rights have attached as aforesaid, together with the sections and parts of sections designated by odd numbers as aforesaid, and appropriated as aforesaid,) shall be held by the State of Louisiana for the use and purpose aforesaid: Provided, That the lands to be so located shall in no case be further than fifteen miles from the line of said roads and selected for and on account of said roads: Provided further, That the lands hereby granted shall be exclusively applied in the construction of said roads, and shall be disposed of Lmi. l10W only as the work progresses, and the same shall be applied to no other ”pPh°d` purpose whatsoever: And provided further, That any and all lands heretofore reserved to the United States by any act of Congress, or in any a IA?) ;‘;';r*;°a other manner by competent authority, for the purpose of aiding in any Qggsyexcept as object of internal improvement, or for any other purpose whatsoever, be, to right of way. and the same are hereby, reserved to the United States from the operation of this act, except so far as it may be found necessary to locate the route of said railroads through such reserved lands, in which case the right of way only shall be granted, subject to the approval of the President of the United States. Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That the sections, and parts of sec- Price cfs1w_ tions, of land which, by such grant, shall remain to the United States, nate Sections within six miles on each side of said roads, shall not be sold for less than doubleddouble the minimum price of the public lands when sold; nor shall any of said lands become subject to private entry until the same have been first offered at public sale at the increased price. Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That the said lands hereby granted _ to the said State, shall be subject to the disposal of the legislature thereof, Ob·l°°t °f gran" for the purposes aforesaid, and no other; and the said railroads shall be Railroads to and remain a public high way for the use of the government of the United l1:9%P¤bl;_° States, free from toll or other charge, upon the transportation of any gf,,;:;,;; property or troops of the United States. Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That the lands hereby granted to said State, shall be disposed of only in manner following; that is to say, _ Lands, how that a quantity of land not exceeding one hundred and twenty sections, d‘SP°S°d‘ and included within a continuous length of twenty miles of said roads, may be sold; and when the governor of said State shall certify to the Secretary of the Interior that any twenty continuous miles of said roads are completed, then another like quantity of land hereby granted may be so sold ; and so, from time to time, until said roads are completed; and if said roads are not completed within ten years, no further sale shall be made, and the lands unsold shall revert to the United States. Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, That the United States mail shall _ be transported over said roads under the direction of the Post-Office ofTx;;?,;P°"“*‘°“ Department, at such price as Congress may, by law, direct: Provided, ` That until such price is fixed by law, the Postmaster-General shall have the power to determine the same. Approved, June 3, 1856.