Chapter CCXXVIII. making a Grant of Land to the State of Minnesota to aid in the Improvement of the Navigation of the Mississippi River
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Chap. CCXXVIII.— An Act making a Grant of Land to the State of Minnesota to aid in the Improvement of the Navigation of the Mississippi River.July 23, 1868. *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,* ThatLand grant to Minnesota to build a lock and dam, to aid the navigation of the Mississippi River.Lands, how to be selected;not to be from certain lands; there be, and hereby is, granted to the State of Minnesota, for the purpose of aiding said State in constructing and completing a lock and dam at Meeker’s island, (so called,) in the Mississippi River, in said State, and thereby facilitating the navigation of the Mississippi River between the falls of St.
Anthony and the mouth of the Minnesota River, two hundred thousand acres of public lands, to be selected in alternate odd-numbered sections by an agent to be appointed by the governor of said State, subject to the approval of the Secretary of the Interior: *Provided,* That said lands shall be selected from the public lands lying within the limits of the. said State of Minnesota, and that not more than one section thereof shall be selected in any one township: *Provided further,* That said selections shall not be made from any lands containing mines of gold, silver, cinnabar, or copper, nor from any lands to which rights of Pre-emption or homestead have attached.
Sec. 2. *And be it further enacted,* Thathow to be disposed of.Lock and dam to be a public highway. said lands so granted shall be subject to the disposal of the legislature of said State for the purposes mentioned in the first section of this act, and no other; and the said lock and dam shall be and remain forever a public highway, free from any toll or charge of any kind whatever; and the said legislature shall have power to pass all needful rules and regulations that may be necessary to fully carry out the purposes of this act.
Sec. 3. *And be it further enacted,* ThatWork, how to be performed.Lands to revert to the United States, if, &c. the work shall be done under the direction of the engineer department of the United States, according to the plan and estimate submitted by Major-General Warren, and that if said lock and dam are not constructed within two years from and after the date of the acceptance and disposition of this grant by the legislature of the said State, the lands hereby granted shall revert to the United States.
Sec. 4. *And be it further enacted,* ThatLands, when to be open to actual settlers, and on what terms. at any time after the selection of the said lands, and subsequent to the completion of said lock and dam, the lauds hereby granted shall be open for settlement by actual settlers upon paying to the State of Minnesota a price not exceeding one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre for the same, which shall be paid by the State to the company who may construct said lock and dam.
Sec. 5. *And be it further enacted,* ThatIf sufficient appropriation is made to complete the dam, lands to revert.Proviso. if at any time prior to the completion of the said lock and dam the government of the United States shall make an appropriation in money sufficient to construct said lock and dam, then the grant of lands herein made shall revert to the United States: *Provided,* That this act shall have no effect on lands already granted for railroad purposes. Approved, July 23, 1868.