Mr. DONNEL Y. This bill has been thoroughly inspected by the ComPubLands whose business it is to look into the details of such measures. I am not surprised that gentlemen coming from small and rock bound States like Vermont can scarcely a preciate the condition of our western States. c State of Minnesota 'for instance, is twice the size of the State of flew York, and it contains, according to the U.S. Annual Record for 1864, 90, 776,000 acres of public lands. In those great expanses.of plain and i level country, railroads are as important as populatiop. And we should not be guided by any narrow or illiberal spirit in this species of legislation. By the homestead law we have already relinquished all intention on the part of the government to derive revenue from the public lands of the U.S. We have offered them to the whole world upon condition of settlement alone. It is then to us simply a question of the administration of this great public donation so set apart for the good of mankind. And I say, speaking here as a western man, and responsible to my constituents for what I say, that railroads are as important to that country as population. I have seen the map to which the Gentfrom Vermont [Mr. MORBILL] refers. But he does not an crstand, as western men do, the character of that map. He must recollect that that map not only represents the actual direct grant to the railroads, which is ordinarily limited within ten miles on each side of the line of the road, but that there is also represented on that map the 2ndary or contingent rant, extending 20 miles on each side of8 the road, from which deficiencies are to be made up. As I said here the other day, I do not believe that the State of Minnesota has received for railroad purposes one 6th of the public lands in that State; I doubt if it has received one 4th. But, sir, this reasoning, while it is proper that it should be presented to the House in answer to the arment of the Gentfrom Vermont, [Mr. oaniLL] does not apply to this particular case, because this bill does not give a single foot of public land in addition to what has been alrea y granted. It is merely a shifting westward of the bounds. lines of the grant, a matter of accommodation to the company, which may thus be enabled to construct their important railroad in as direct and short a line as possible without any detriment to their land grant. If there are no other inquiries to be raised, I will call the previous question.