9TH. THE RAILROAD GRANT.

The first grant of lands made to the State of Iowa to aid in the construction of railroads in said State, was, by act of Congress, approved May 15, 1856. This grant was to aid in the construction of four railroads across the State, from the Mississippi river on the east, to the Missouri river on the west of said State, as follows: "from Burlington, on the Mississippi river, to a point on the Missouri river near the mouth of Platte river; from the city of Davenport, via Iowa City and Fort Des Moines, to Council Bluffs; from Lyons City, northwesterly to a point of intersection with the main line of the Iowa Central Air Line railroad, near Maquoketa, thence on said main line, running as near as practicable to the forty-second parallel, across said State to the Missouri river; from the city of Dubuque, to a point on the Missouri river, near Sioux City, with a branch from the mouth of the Tete des Morts, to the nearest point on said road." The lands granted were "every alternate section of land, designated by odd numbers, for six sections in width on each side of said roads." The act provided that for any of said odd sections or parts thereof that had been sold, or to which the right of pre-emption had attached prior to the time when the lines or routes of said roads were definitely fixed, the State would be permitted to select in lieu thereof, other lands in odd sections, within a limit of fifteen miles on either side of said roads, subject to the approval of the Secretary of the Interior. All lands that had been reserved by any act of Congress, or in any other manner by competent authority, were reserved from the operations of the act, except, that the right of way through them was granted subject to the approval of the President of the United States. The price of the even numbered sections on both sides of said roads, within six miles thereof, was raised to double the minimum, or $2.50 per acre.

The several roads receiving the benefit of this grant, were to be, and remain public highways for the use of the United States, free from toll or charge for the transportation of property or troops thereof.

The United States mail to be transported over said roads under direction of the Postoffice Department, at such price as Congress should, by law direct; that until such price was fixed by law, the PostmasterGeneral should determine it.