the order required by law. It is one of those cases where a little common sense is worth a great deal of learning. The intention of the Legislature is very clear to my mind, and I have but one rule of action to pursue. The company is not entitled to any certificate until it has completed "20 centinnous miles. of said road," beginning at Madison; and I shall give none, nor will I execute any deeds, even if the government should issue patents of the lands to the State, any faster than the road is completed. Under the construction I give to the law, it be comes my duty to pursue this course, and I shall not hesitate to do it. My views have been known to the company for nearly six months, and the progress of the work, lapse of time, and reflection have confirmed the correctness of my position.

I have deemed it my duty to speak plainly on this subject in order to prevent any misapprehension. As plainly I now give you the assurance, notwithstanding the time that has passed, and the little that has been done by the company toward fulfilling its contract with the State, that just as fast as it builds the road from Madison and Columbus to Portage City and beyond that, for every twenty miles complete and in running order, I will give the company certificates, and execute deeds as fast as the company is entitled to the lands. I will throw no embarrassment in the way of the company, but will aid it by every means in my power, whenever and wherever I can with propriety interfere.

I have never had any disposition to injure or embarrass the La Crosse Company, either in building the Milwaukee and La Crosse road, or the Land Grant road. The people of Wisconsin, with scarcely an exception, earnestly desire the prosperity of these great enterprises. There is no disposition, and has been none, seriously entertained, to divest the company of the grant; and there will not be, if good faith is manifested by the company itself. The Legislature of this State has done nothing and will do nothing, to affect these enterprises. The action of the Legislature, and the disposition of the people on these subjects, have been entirely misunderstood. We do not want the Land Grant Act repealed. We have had experience enough in our past legislation on the subject. We want the present board of directors to do what the old board ought to have done, to-wit: act in good faith; protect the interests of stockholders; labor with diligence, prudence and economy, to build the roads, and protect the farmers, whose interests are involved, and fullfil the contract made with the State, under the Land Grant Act, instead of engaging in scemes of plunder. Our faith that the present board will endeavor to act for the best interests of the company, and that the enterprise may yet be redeemed from the effects.

of gross and inexcusable mismanagement and breaches of trust, is increasing, and the Legislature, at its next session, will give all reasonable extension of time to the company, if in the meantime the company will furnish evidence by its works, of honesty of purpose and good faith towards the stockholders and towards the State.

Yours, &c.,

ALEX. W. RANDALL.

Commissioner of General Land Office to Gov. Randall.

GENERAL LAND OFFICE,
July 25, 1858.

SIR: Referring to your communication of the 4th February last, requesting suspension of action by this office in the matter of the railroad grant to Wisconsin, on the route of the La Crosse and Milwaukee Railroad, and my reply thereto of the 19th of that month, I enclose herewith a copy of a letter, dated the 21st instant, from N. P. Stanton, Esq., regarding this matter, and urging that early action may be taken by the department in the premises.

As the case is now called up, the purpose of this is to request that you will immediately make known to this office the objections which you hold to our proceeding with the adjustment of the grant; and to afford time for doing so, the matter will be delayed until the 15th proximo. Should you not be heard from before that time, we will feel at liberty to act upon the showing before us in the matter.

THOS. A. HENDRICKS, Com'r.

His Excel. A. W. RANDALL, Governor of Wis.,

[Enclosed in the above.]

Madison, Wisconsin.

N. P. Stanton to Commissioner of General Land Office.

OFFICE OF THE LACROSSE AND MILWAUKEE R. R. Co.,
ALBANY, N. Y., July 21, 1858.

Hon. THOS. A. HENDRICKS, Land Commissioner,

DEAR SIR In accordance with the provisions of an act of Congress, entitled "an act granting public lands to the State of Wisconsin aid in the construction of railroads in said State," approved June 3, 1856; and also of an act of the Legislature State of Wisconsin, entitled "an act to grant certain lands

to the LaCrosse and Milwaukee Railroad Company, &c.," approved Oct 11, 1856, the above named company claim title to 307,200 acres of land.

The language of sections four, of each of said acts, is so plain and explicit that it would seem no argument was necesary to show to your department the justice of our claim, and were it not that the present Governor of the State of Wisconsin has placed on file in your department his written objections to our receiving the same, we should not undertake to argue the question-it, however, appears now to be necessary.

Both sections before referred to, say that whenever twenty continuous miles of said roads are completed so as to admit of the running of regular trains on the same, the Governor shall certify the same to the "Secretary of the Interior," then the title to 240 sections of said land shall vest in the La Crosse and Milwaukee Railroad Company; and when a second continuous twenty miles of said road shall have been completed, so as to admit of the running of regular trains on the same, the Governor shall certify as before, and thereupon a further quantity of 120 sections of said land shall vest in said company; and so from time to time, until said railroads are completed; "and it shall be the duty of the Governor so to certify to the Secretary of the Interior," whenever any such twenty miles are coupleted.

Upon the completion of the first twenty miles, Gov. Bashford did certify to the Secretary of the Interior such fact; and also upon the completion of the second twenty continuous miles; but previous to the completion of the third twenty miles, as aforesaid, Gov. Bashford's official term expired, and the present incumbent, Gov. Randall, was elected. I am informed that soon after taking possession of the gubernatorial seat, he filed in your office his caveat.

The result of this proceeding on the part of Gov. Randall is proving disastrous in the extreme to the interest of the owners of our road, and, unless relief is granted, may cause us to lose tee road entirely.

The course of Gov. Randall is inexplicable; in the many personal interviews I have had with him during the past few months, he has furnished me with, I may say, no reason for it; and I now ask of your department to take such action in the premises as you may deem right and just.

A few questions arise in my mind:

1st. Were not Gov. Bashford's certificates given in strict accordance with the provisions of the act?

d. From the time said certificates were received by the Secretary of the Interior, do not you consider that the title to 360 sections, or 230,400 acres of land, vests in our company?

3d. Do you deem it necessary for the general government to give a formal patent to the State of Wisconsin for these lands; or may not the act of Congress itself be considered an instrument of conveyance whenever the company, by complying with its provisions, shall be entitled to the lands under and by virtue of it?

4th, Will your department, or the Secretary of the Interior, recognize satisfactory evidence of the completion of the third twenty continuous miles of said road, so that the title to the lands claimed by us, by such completion, shall vest in our company; or are we still to be deprived of our lands on account of the continued refusal of Gov. Randall to grant his certificate?

Your immediate attention to this matter would be gratefully recognized, as each day's delay, in our present embarrassed condition, proves more and more fatal to our prospects.

Very respectfully,

Your ob't servant,

N. P. STANTON,

Pres't La C. & Mil. Railroad Co.

Certificate of Chief Engineer of La Crosse & Mil. Railroad Company.

(Filed in Executive office, Aug. 3d, 1858.)

LA CROSSE & MILWAUKEE RAILROAD COMPANY,
CHIEF ENGINEER'S OFFICE,

MILWAUKEE, Aug. 2d, 1858.

To the Hon. A. W. RANDALL, Governor of the State of Wisconsin:

SIR: I hereby certify that twenty continuous miles of the Railroad which the La Crosse and Milwaukee Railroad Company, is authorized and required to construct, by the pro visions of an act of the Legislature of the State of Wisconsin, approved October 11th, 1856, entitled "an act to grant certain lands to the La Crosse and Milwaukee Railroad Company, and to execute the trust created by an act of Congress, entitled "an act granting public lands to the State of Wisconsin, to aid in the construction of railroads in said State," approved June 3d, 1856, extending from a point in the line of said road four and forty one-hundredths miles east of the depot at New Lisbon, in the county of Juneau, to a point in the line of said road, twenty miles north-easterly from said first mentioned point, have been completed so as to admit of running regular trains on the

same, and regular trains are now being run daily on that portion of the road of said company above described, making in all sixty continuous miles of said Land Grant road, so called so completed, and actually in use for the passage of regular trains of cars.

E. W., WOODWARD, Chief Engineer.

Ezekiel W. Woodward being duly sworn on oath, says, that he is the Chief Engineer of the La Crosse and Milwaukee Rail

road Company, and that the facts stated in the above certificate by him subscribed, are true of his own knowledge.

EZEKIEL W. WOODWARD.

Subscribed and sworn to before me this 2d day of August

E. MARINER, Notary Public, Mil..Co.

Edwin H. Goodrich, being duly sworn, on oath says, that he is the Manager of the La Crosse and Milwaukee Railroad, and that the facts stated in the above .certificate of E. W, Woodward, Chief Engineer, are true of his own knowledge.

EDWIN H. GOODRICH. Subscribed and sworn to before me this 2d day of August,

1858.

E. MARINER, Notary Public, Mil. Co.

Governor Randall to the Commissioner of General Land

Hon. Tнos. A. HENDRICKS,

Office.

EXECUTIVE OFFICE, MADISON, Wis., Aug. 3, 1858.

Commissioner of General Land Office.

SIR-Your letter of July 23d, enclosing the copy of a communication from N. P. Stanton, Esq., President of the La Crosse and Milwaukee Railroad Co., is received. In my letter of the 4th February to your department, I did not give at length the reasous of my request that further action be suspended by the land department, until further information from the Executive department of this State.

I have given them frequently since that time, to Mr. Stan