Mr. GRIMES. I will. The 17th section of the act which was read by the Senfrom Michigan does not in his estimation authorize the POTUS to designate this company now before us to build this road. Let us look at that section. It reads as follows: “That somuchof section 14 of said act asre lates to a branch from Sioux City be and the snmois hereby.amendedsoasto read asfollows: that whenever a linc of railroad shall becompletedthrough the State of Iowa or Minnesota to Sioux Cit. pany. such comnoworganizedor asmayhereafter oorganised under the laws of Iowa. Minnesota, Dakota or Nebraska t.amsathyed POTUS by its or approve for that purpose shall construct and O gram a line of railroad an telegraphfromSioux it.upon the most direct and practicable route to sue a point on and so as to connect with, the Iowa branch of the Union pacific railroad from Omaha or the Union Pacific railroad. assuch company may select and on the same terms and conditions as are provide in this act and the act to which this is an amondnie t. for the construction of the said Union Pacific railroad and tele graph line and branches: and said company shall completethe sameat the ratcof 50 miles peryear: Provided. Ihatsaid Union Pacific Railroad Company shall be, and is hereby.released from the construction of said branch. nd said company constructing and branch shall not be entitled to receivein bonds an amount larger than the said Union Pacific Railroad company would beentitled to receive if it had constructed the brunch under this act and the act to which this isaii amendment; but said companyshall be entitled to receive alternate sectionsof land for ten miles in width on eachsideof the somealong the whole length of said branch: and prom/1rdfurther. That if a City. railroad should not be completedto Sioux across Iowa or Minnesota. Within 18 months from the date of this act. then said company designatedby the President. as aforesaid" The Senator infers that the President had not any right until the expiration of those 18 months to designate a company; but that is not the language of the act; that is not the tense in which this section is drawn. “And providedfurther. That if arailroad should not be completed to Sioux Cit, acrossIowa or Minne sotn. Within cichtcen mont is from the date of this act. then said companydesignatedby the President. as aforesaid.may commence continue and complete the construction of said branch ase ontemplatedby the provisions of this act." In accordance with the construction which the POTUS put upon that law, and which I apprehend cannot be other than the correct construction, he made the following order: Whereas the Sioux City and Pacific Railroad company, a company organized under the laws of Iowa. as requested the POTUS to idnegsignatesaid company“for the purposo of construct and operating a line of railroad and telegraph from Sioux Cit to such oint on and so as to connect With.the own.branc of the Union Pacific railroad from Omaha or the Union Pacific railroad, as Inch company may select:" Therefore be nown.That by the suthoril conferred upon the POTUS by the 17 ths ectionof the act of Conmessapproved July; 2. int 1864e, ntitled “An act to amend an act to aid 1: constructionof a railroad and telcers pll line from the Mi souririver to the Pacific ocunn. do. I. Abraham Lincoln, POTUS do hereby designatethe said Sioux City and Pacific Railroad Companyfor the purposeabovementioned. ABRAHAM LINCOLN. December24.1864. Now, Mr. President, it seemsto methat there is no power in Congress to go beyond that act of the President; that when he had performed his duty in designating the company under the law which should be authorize to build the road there was the end of the matter.