Chapter CCXCIII. granting the Right of Way through the public Lands for the Construction of a Railroad and Telegraph in Florida
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CHAP. CCXCIII.— An Act granting the Right of Way through the public Lands for the Construction of a Railroad and Telegraph in Florida.June 4, 1872. *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,* That the right of way throughRight of way through public lands in Florida, granted to the Great Southern Railway Co. for railroad and telegraph. the public lands be, and the same is hereby, granted to the Great Southern Railway Company, a corporation created under the laws of the State of Florida, its successors and assigns, for the construction of a railroad and telegraph from the Saint Mary’s river, in the State of Florida, to Key West, in said State, together with a branch road from the most eligible point on said road to Tampa Bay and Caloosa Entrance, in said State; and the right, power, and authority are hereby given to said corporation to take, from the public lands adjacent to the line of said road, materials for the construction thereof.
Said way is granted to said railroad to theExtent of grant. extent of one hundred feet in width on each side of the central line of225FORTY-SECOND CONGRESS. Sess. II. Ch. 293–296. 1872. said road where it may pass through the public domain, including grounds for station-buildings, work-shops, depots, machine-shops, switches, side-tracks, turn-tables, and water-stations, to an amount not exceeding twenty acres for each ten miles in length of the main line of said railroad: *Provided,* That within one year from the passage of this act the said companyAcceptance of this act, and map of route to be filed within, &c.Road to be completed in ten years. shall file with the Secretary of the Interior its acceptance of the terms of this act, and a map of the route, exhibiting the line of the road and its branch, as the same has been located, and shall complete said road within ten years of the passage of this act.
It shall be the duty of the said company to permit any other railroad which has been or shall be authorized by the United States, or by the State of Florida, to form runningOther roads may form running connection. connections with its road on fair and equitable terms. In case of disagreement, such terms shall be fixed by the Secretary of the Interior. Sec. 2. That said road shall be a post-route and a military road; andRoad to be a post-route and military road.Rates. Congress at any time, having due regard for the rights of said company, may fix rates of tariff for transportation of troops, materials of war, and mails, and may add to, alter, or amend this act.
Sec. 3. That Congress reserves it to itself the right to alter, amend, orAct may be altered. repeal this act whenever in its judgment the interests of the people may require it. Approved, June 4, 1872.