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1857.

No. 11.

[ No. 11. ]

PETITION of Amboy, Lansing and Traverse Bay Railroad Company for a grant of lands.

OFFICE OF AMBOY, LANSING & TRAVERSE BAY R. R. Co.,

Lansing, January 24, 1857.

To the Legislature of the State of Michigan:

The undersigned, in behalf of the Amboy, Lansing and Traverse Bay Railroad Company, respectfully represent that they with others applied to the Congress of the United States at its late session for an act granting lands to aid in the construction of railroads in this State. That since the passage of said act and in the hope of obtaining a portion of the lands granted thereby to aid in the building of the same, they have taken part in the organization of the above named Company under the general railroad law of this State, for the purpose of constructing and equiping a railroad from "Amboy to Hillsdale and Lansing to some point on or near Traverse Bay" in this State.

They are of the opinion that with the aid of the lands granted by Congress on the above route, the said company can and will in good faith build and equip said road within the time prescribed by said act of Congress.

The said Company propose and promise to build and finish that portion of the said road which lies between the Michigan Central Railroad and the Detroit and Milwaukee Railway within two years from the first

day of July next, and to complete the whole of said road within the ten years granted by said act of Congress.

The said Company hereby tender and offer to give good and ample security for the fulfillment of the above engagements to the amount of two hundred thousand dollars in case said lands shall be granted to it for the purpose of aiding in the building of said road. Your petitioners would further represent that it is proposed to make said railroad the northern portion of that great line of railroads which is intended to connect the city of Cincinnati with the Straits of Mackinac, generally denominated the Cincinnati and Mackinac Railroad. That said Company proposes for this purpose to form the proper connection with the Cincinnati and Mackinac Railroad Company, crganized under the laws of the State of Ohio, and in this way secure the construction of a north and south line of railway through our State, which will be a portion of a magnificent north and south railway thoroughfare through the United States.

Your petitioners would further represent that in order to the building of said road by said company, it is absolutely necessary that there be secured to it by the act of the present Legislature, the whole of said grant of lands made by said act of Congress on said route, "from Amboy by Hillsdale and Lansing, to some point on or near Traverse Bay;" that a considerable portion of the distance is an unknown wilderness, which can only be made susceptible of cultivation and improvement, and accessible to the actual settler, by the builiding of said road; that many years must elapse before said region of country can furnish to said road travel and traffic to pay any considerable return for the cost of its construction.

Your petitioners would respectfully recommend that the State officers for the time being, or some of them, or such other persons as your Honorable Body may choose to designate, shall, by the act granting said lands, constitute a Board of Control, with full power to see that said lands so granted shall be faithfully applied to the building of said road, and with power to take charge of and appropriate said lands to build said road, in case said Company shall fail in its obligations.

Your petitioners therefore respectfully pray that an act may be passed granting to the said "Amboy, Lansing and Traverse Bay Railroad Company" the lands lying within fifteen miles of the line of their proposed

route, pursuant to the provisions and subject to the conditions of said act of Congress. And your petitioners will ever pray, &c.

On behalf of said Company,

A. H. BYERLY,

Secretary.

MARVIN HANNAHS,-President.

A. L. WILLIAMS,-Vice President.
A. H. BYERLY,-Secretary.

GEORGE HANNAHS,-Treasurer.

DIRECTORS.

MARVIN HANNAHS,

R.. E. ALDRICH,

CHAS. MOSHER,
HIRAM H. SMITH,

JOS. GALE,
DAN W. GOULD,

WM. W. MURPHY.

H. B. SHANK,

H. L. MILLER,
MORGAN L. GAGE,
ALFRED L. WILLIAMS,
CHAS. SEYMOUR,
JAS. TURNER,

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