That portion of the grant between Grand Haven and Owasso was conferred by the State upon the Detroit and Milwaukee Railroad Company, and the portion between Owasso and Port Huron upon the Port Huron and Milwaukee Company.

The Detroit and Milwaukee road was definitely located in 1858, and the Port Huron and Milwaukee in 1857.

The grants were subsequently declared forfeited to the State, and were conferred on the

PORT HURON AND LAKE MICHIGAN RAILROAD COMPANY.

The time for completing the road expired June 3, 1866.

On April 13, 1874, the governor of Michigan certified to the comple tion of 60 continuous miles of the Port Huron and Lake Michigan Railroad. This certificate, however, did not show the time of completion or the location of the portion completed.

I find, however, from certain papers on file, that the portion so completed lies between Lapeer and Port Huron. The road has evidently been fully completed from Grand Haven to Port Huron, although no evidence of such completion, except as to the 60 miles above mentioned, is on file in this office.

There have been certified for the Detroit and Milwaukee 30,998.75 acres, and for the Port Huron and Milwaukee 6,468.68 acres, being prac tically all the vacant lands in the limits of the grants.

By joint resolution of March 3, 1879, the reversionary interest of the United States in the lands certified for said roads was released to the State of Michigan.

JACKSON, LANSING AND SAGINAW, AND NORTHERN CENTRAL MICHIGAN, FORMERLY AMBOY, LANSING AND TRAVERSE BAY.

This grant was to aid in the construction of a road from Amboy, by Hillsdale and Lansing, to some point on or near Traverse Bay, by act of June 3, 1856. The odd sections for six sections in width on each side of the road, were granted, with indemnity from the alternate sections within 15 miles of the line of the road, for any lands lost in the granted limits.

The State conferred the grant upon the Amboy, Lansing and Traverse Bay Railroad Company.

The road was definitely located from Amboy to a point on Little Traverse Bay, in the year 1858.

That portion of the grant which lies north of Michigan avenue, Lansing, was subsequently transferred to the Jackson, Lansing and Saginaw Railroad Company, and the portion south of that point to the Northern Central Michigan Railroad Company.

The act of June 3, 1856, required the entire road to be completed within 10 years. By the act of July 3, 1866, the time for completing the road was extended seven years from June 3, 1866, or until June 3, 1873.

The Amboy, Lansing and Traverse Bay Company had, prior to September 17, 1863, completed 28 miles of its road, extending from Lansing to Owasso.

November 1, 1873, the governor of Michigan certified to the comple tion of the Northern Central Michigan Railroad from Lansing southward to Jonesville, a distance of 60 miles. The certificate does not show whether the said 60 miles were completed prior to June 3, 1873, or not.

Between Jonesville and Amboy, a distance of about 20 miles, the road has not been built.

The Jackson, Lansing and Saginaw Company had completed its road from Owasso to a point in section 20, township 29 north, range 3 west, Otsego County, Michigan, a distance of 160.10 miles, prior to the expiration of the grant.

June 6, 1876, the governor certified to the completion of an additional section of 9.95 miles, and on January 17, 1882, the completion of 63% miles terminating at Mackinaw City, was certified to.

The road as constructed is some 50 miles longer than the line as definitely located. This is accounted for by the fact that the company, as authorized by the act of March 3, 1871, changed the northern terminus of its road from Traverse Bay to Mackinaw City, on the Straits of Mackinaw.

It was provided in this act that only the lands embraced within the limits of the grant as the same was originally located under the act of June 3, 1856, should be applicable to aid in building the road.

In the adjustment of this grant, it has been treated as a whole and the lands certified to the State accordingly. The odd sections within the limits of this grant are withdrawn.

MARQUETTE AND ONTONAGON.

The original grant for this road was by act of June 3, 1856, and was to aid in the construction of a railroad from Marquette to Ontonagon. The lands granted were the alternate odd-numbered sections for six sections in width on each side of the road, with indemnity from the alternate sections within fifteen miles of the line of the road. The road was definitely located from Marquette to Ontonagon in 1859.

By the act of March 3, 1865, the grant was increased to ten sections per mile, to be selected from the alternate odd-numbered sections within twenty miles of the line of the road.

The act of June 3, 1856, required the completion of the road within ten years. By act of June 18, 1864, the time was extended five years beyond the time fixed for the completion by the original act, and by joint resolution of May 20, 1868, the time was further extended until December 31, 1872.

The various other acts relating to this road and the effect of the same will be found in the accompanying tabular statement.

The road was constructed from a point on the Bay de Noquet and Marquette Railroad, about 20 miles west of Marquette to L'Anse, a distance of 52 miles, prior to December 31, 1872.

From L'Anse to Ontonagon the road has not been constructed. The odd sections within the 20-mile limits of this grant are still withdrawn for the benefit of the road.

ONTONAGON AND STATE LINE, NOW ONTONAGON AND BRULE RIVER RAILROAD.

The grant for this road was by the act of June 3, 1856, and was for a railroad from Ontonagon to the Wisconsin State line. The grant was of the alternate odd-numbered sections for 6 sections in width on each side of the road, with indemnity to be selected from the alternate sections within 15 miles on each side of the road. The grant was conferred by the State upon the Ontonagon and State Line Railroad Company.

A grant of lands was also made to the State of Michigan by the act

June 3, 1856, to aid in the construction of a road from Marquette to the Wisconsin State line. This grant was conferred by the State upon the Marquette and State Line Railroad Company.

The Ontonagon and State Line and the Marquette and State Line Railroad Companies were subsequently consolidated with the Chicago, Saint Paul and Fond du Lac Railroad Company under the name of the latter.

The rights and franchises of this company were sold under a mortgage sale in 1859, and a new company known as the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad Company was formed by the purchasers.

On April 24, 1862, the board of control of the State of Michigan conferred the grant of lands which had been made for. the road from Marquette to the State line upon the Peninsula Railroad Company. This transfer was subsequently confirmed by the State legislature. On October 21, 1864, the Peninsula Railroad Company was consolidated with the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad Company under the latter name. Under the articles of consolidation all the rights, franchises, and property of the Peninsula Railroad Company became vested in the consolidated company. The road from Ontonagon to the Wisconsin line was definitely located in the year 1857. On April 10, 1860, the vacant lands outside of the 6-mile limits of the grant, were directed to be restored to market on June 18, 1860. On December 12, 1861, there were certified of the lands in the 6-mile limits: For the Ontonagon and State Line Railroad, 142,430.23 acres; for the Ontonagon and State Line, and the Marquette and State Line Railroads, 41,649.25 acres; for the Ontonagon and State Line, and the Marquette and Ontonagon Railroads, 68,659.71

acres.

By joint resolution of July 5, 1862 (12 Stat., 620), it was provided that the words "Wisconsin State line" in the act of June 3, 1856, should be construed to authorize the location of the line of road provided for in said act from Marquette to the Wisconsin State line, upon any eligible route from Marquette to the Wisconsin State line, near the mouth of the Menomonee River, touching at favorable points on Green Bay.

The State was further authorized to surrender to the United States all the lands which had been theretofore certified for the benefit of said railroad, and to receive in lieu thereof a like quantity of lands to be selected upon the line as relocated.

Under this resolution the road from Marquette to the Wisconsin State line was relocated, and on May 1, 1868, the governor of Michigan relinquished to the United States the lands which had been certified for the benefit of the Marquette and State Line Railroad Company, for the joint benefit of the Marquette and State Line and the Ontonagon and State Line Railroad Companies, and also for the joint benefit of the Ontonagon and State Line and the Marquette and Ontonagon Railroad Companies, the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad Company having previously released to the State its interest in said lands.

By letter, dated July 13, 1868, addressed to the soliciter of the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad Company, the then Commissioner of this office requested the company and the State to relinquish to the United States the 142,430.23 acres which had been certified for the benefit of the Ontonagon and State Line Railroad Company. On June 17, 1870, the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad Company relinquished to the State of Michigan its interest in said lands, and on August 14, 1870, the gov ernor of said State, acting under the written opinion of the attorneygeneral of the State, relinquished the same to the United States.

The restoration of said lands was ordered by this office, and notice

thereof was given by the district land officers at Marquette, Mich., June 27, 1873, to take effect August 6, 1873.

In a letter, dated July 10, 1873, addressed to the Secretary of the Interior, the then governor of Michigan claimed that as Congress had never annulled the grant, or the legislature of Michigan authorized the surrender of said lands, their surrender was made without authority of law, and that the lands rightfully belonged to the State of Michigan. The order for their restoration was thereupon, on July 30, 1873, suspended, and has never been carried into effect.

The time for completing the said road from Ontonagon to the Wisconsin State line expired June 3, 1866. No portion thereof was completed within that time.

On September 17, 1880, the board of control of the State of Michigan, ignoring the release to the United States, declared the grant to the Ontonagon and State Line Railroad Company forfeited to the State, and conferred the same upon the Ontonagon and Brule River Railroad Com

pany.

The action of the board of control was confirmed by the legislature of the State on June 7, 1881.

On February 24, 1882, the governor of Michigan certified to the completion of 20 continuous miles of the Ontonagon and Brule River Railroad, commencing at Ontonagon and running thence southwestwardly by the way of Rockland to a point in section 10, township 50 north, range 38 west.

The question as to whether the title to the relinquished lands along the line of this road is now in the State of Michigan or in the United States, has not been fully determined.

RAILROADS IN IOWA.

SIOUX CITY AND SAINT PAUL.

The grant for this road was to the State of Iowa by act of May 12, 1864, to aid in the construction of a railroad from Sioux City, in said State, to the south line of the State of Minnesota at such point as the State might select between the Big Sioux and the West Fork of the Des Moines River, and was of every alternate section of land, designated by odd numbers, for ten sections in width on each side of said road, with a provision for indemnity for lands lost within the granted limits to be taken within 10 additional miles.

The fourth section of the act provided that if the road was not completed within ten years from the date of the acceptance of the grant, the lands should revert to the State, for the purpose of securing the completion of the road, and if the State should not complete the road within five years from the expiration of the ten years aforesaid, then the lands should revert to the United States.

The State accepted the grant April 3, 1866, and conferred it upon the Sioux City and Saint Paul Company, and the company accepted the grant September 20, 1866.

The road was located definitely in 1867, and the line as located was $3 miles 52 rods in length.

On February 4, 1873, the governor certified to the construction of 564 miles of the road, extending from the Minnesota State line to Lemars, Iowa. No road has been constructed beyond Lemars.

The area of the grant upon a basis of 82 miles of road as given in a H. Ex. 144-2

former report of this office was 524,800 acres. The area for 56 miles of road is 360,000 acres.

There have been patented to the State for this company 407,910.21 acres, but it is understood some 85,000 acres have been withheld from the company.

This office is now in correspondence with the governor of Iowa, in pursuance of instructions from you, looking to the reinvestment of the United States with title to the lands patented to said State in excess of the quantity earned by the railroad company.

RAILROADS IN WISCONSIN.

WEST WISCONSIN, FORMERLY LA CROSSE AND MILWAUKEE, AND TOMAH AND SAINT CROIX RAILROADS, KNOWN SINCE AUGUST 8, 1878, AS CHICAGO, SAINT PAUL AND

MINNEAPOLIS RAILWAY.

By act of June 3, 1856, a grant was made to Wisconsin to aid in the construction of a railroad from Madison or Columbus, by way of Portage City, to Saint Croix River or Lake, between townships 25 and 31, of every alternate section of land for six sections in width on each side thereof. Madison was selected as the initial point, and the road was definitely located therefrom. By act of May 5, 1864, the grant was increased to ten sections per mile between the town of Tomah and Saint Croix Lake or River, with the usual provision for indemnity, and the time for the completion of the whole road was extended five years from that date.

By joint resolution of July 13, 1868, the time for the completion of the road from Tomah to Lake Saint Croix was extended three years, or until May 5, 1872. The road from Portage to Tomah was certified by the governor as completed January 25, 1869, and from Tomah to Lake Saint Croix April 16, 1872.

That portion of the road between Madison and Portage (39 miles) should have been completed May 5, 1869. The governor on December 16, 1874, certified to its completion in January, 1871. The estimated area of the grant is 1,305,600 acres. The State has received 842,866 acres; of this amount 40,049.11 acres were certified for the Wisconsin Railroad Farm Mortgage Land Company, under the act of July 27, 1868 (which is amendatory of the act of June 3, 1856), but is properly chargeable against the grant.

There has been no restoration of the lands withdrawn under the act of May 5, 1864.

SAINT CROIX AND LAKE SUPERIOR RAILROAD AND BRANCH TO BAYFIELD, AFTERWARDS THE NORTH WISCONSIN, AND NOW KNOWN AS CHICAGO, SAINT PAUL, MINNEAPOLIS AND OMAHA.

By act of June 3, 1856, there was, among others, a grant made to Wisconsin to aid in the construction of a railroad from a point on Saint Croix River or Lake to the west end of Lake Superior and to Bayfield, to be completed within ten years. By act of May 5, 1864, a new grant was made by which the old was increased from six to ten sections per mile, the time for the completion of the road extended five years from its date, and the State authorized to select a point on the main line for a junction with the Bayfield branch. The usual provision was made for indemnity. No road was constructed under the original grant. The legislature of Wisconsin, by an act approved March 4, 1874, conferred the grant for the road from Lake Saint Croix to Bayfield upon the North Wisconsin Rail