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AN ACT, making a grant of lands to the State of Michigan, in alternate sections, to aid in the construction of railroads in said State.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, that there be, and is hereby, granted to the State of Michigan, to aid in the construction of railroads from Little Bay de Noquet to Marquette, and thence to Ontonagon, and from the two last named places to the Wisconsin State line; also from Amboy, by Hillsdale and Lansing, and from Grand Rapids to some point on or near Traverse bay; also from Grand Haven and Pere Maquette to Flint, and thence to Port Huron, every alternate section of land designated by odd numbers, for six sections in width on each side of each of said roads. But in case it shall appear that the United States have, when the lines or routes of said roads are definitely fixed, sold any sections, or any parts thereof, granted as aforesaid, or that the right of pre-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 tiers of sections above specified, so much land 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 rights of pre-emption have attached as aforesaid; which lands (thus selected in lieu of those sold, and to which pre-emption 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 Michigan for the use and purpose aforesaid: Provided, That the land to be so located shall in no case be further than fifteen miles from the lines of said roads, and selected for and on account of each of said roads: Provided further, That the lands hereby granted shall be exclusively applied in the construction of that road for and on account of which such lands are hereby granted, and shall be disposed of only as the work progresses, and the same shall be applied to no other purpose whatsoever: And provided further, That any and all lands heretofore reserved to the United States by any act of Congress or in any other manner by competent authority, for the purpose of aiding in any object of internal

hereby, reserved to the United States from the operation of this act, except so far as it may be found necessary to locate the routes 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 sections of land which, by such grant, shall remain to the United States within six miles on each side of the roads, shall not be sold for less than double 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 for the purposes aforesaid, and no other; and the said railroads shall be and remain public highways for the use of the government of the United States, free from toll or other charge upon the transportation of any 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 by said State only in manner following: that is to say, that a quantity of land, not exceeding one hundred and twenty sections, for each of said roads, and included within a continuous length of twenty miles of each 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 any of said roads is completed, then another quantity of land hereby granted, not to exceed one hundred and twenty sections for each of said roads having twenty continuous miles completed as aforesaid, and included within a continuous length of twenty miles of each of such roads, may be sold; and so from time to time, until said roads are completed; and if any of 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 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.

1857.

No. 2.

[No. 2.]

PETITION of C. A. Trowbridge and 345 others, asking for the passage of a law authorizing the business of Banking.

To the Legislature of the State of Michigan:

The undersigned, citizens of the State of Michigan, respectfully petition your honorable body to enact a general law, at your present session, to authorize the business of banking, believing the present necessities of the business interests of the State require a well guarded and safe law: C. A. Trowbridge, McKenna & Radcliff, James Jureer,

Wm. Phelps & Co.,
Willard Parker,
Jacobs & Gardner,
A. J. Goodrich,
Palmer & Fisher,
L. Beecher & Co.,
J. W. Freeman,
Henry M. Whittelsey,
Doty & Abbott,
F. Buhl & Co.,
Moore, Foote & Co.,
J. P. Whittemore,

R. Higham,

Stevens & Zug,
H. C. Hunt,
Samuel Phelps,
Peter Huyser,
E. Laible,

H. J. Hinchman,

O. S. Streeter,
J. J. Mumfich,

J. C. Brady,
F. W. Backus,
N. P. Stuart,
C. W. Chapel,
J. Bacon,

Jos. T. Corillum,

H. P. Sanger,
O. F. Cargill,

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