Mr. HOTCHKISS mtRtv the bill was passed; and also moved to lay that motion on the table. agreed to. SOUTHERN BRANCH UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD. The next business upon The SPEAKER’s table was Senate bill No. 224, granting lands to the State of Kansas to aid in the construction of the southern branch of the Union Pacific rail way and telegraph from Fort Riley to Fort Smith Arkansas; which was read a 1st and cocoa time. The bill was read at length. The 1st section provides that for the purpose of aidin the Union Pacific Railroad company, Boutern branch, a corporation orgauize underthe laws of the State of Kansas, to construct and operate a railroad from Fort Riley, Kansas, or near said military reservation, thence down the val ley of the Neosbo river to the southern line of the State of Kansas, with a view to an extension of the same through a portion of the Indian Territory to Fort Smith, Arkansas, there is hereby ranted to the State of Kansas, for the use an benefit of said railroad company every alternate section of land or parts there of designated by odd numbers, to the extent of ten sections permile on each side of said read; but in case it shall appear thatthe U.S. have, when the line of said road is def initely located, sold any section, or any art thereof, granted as aforesaid, or that the right of precmption or homestead settlement has attached to the same, or that the same has been reserved by the U.S. for any purpose whatever, then it shall be the duty of the SecyInterior to cause to be selected for the terposes aforesaid, from the public lands of the U.S. nearest to the sections abOve specified so much land as shall be equal to the amount of such lands as the U.S. have sold, reserved, or otherwise approprinted, or to which the right of homestead settlement or preemtion has attached as afore said, which lauds, tiius indicated by the direction of the SecyInterior, shall be reserved and held for the State of Kansas for the use of the company by the Secretary for the purpose of the construction and operation of the railroad, as provided by this act; provided, that any and all lands heretofore reserved to the U.S. by any act of Congress, or in any other manner by compe tent authority, for the purpose of aiding in any object of internal improvement or other purpose whatever, be, and the same are hereby, reserved and excepted from the operation of this act, except so ar as it may be found necessary to locate the route of the road through such reserved lands, in which case the right of way, 200 feet in width, is hereby granted, subject to the approval of the POTUS and provided, further, that the lands hereby granted shall not be selected beyond 20 miles from the line of said road. The secoiid section provides that the sections and parts of sections of land which by the aforesaid grant shall remain in the U.S., within ten miles on each side of said road, shall not be sold for less than double the minimum price of public lands when sold, nor shall any of said lands become subject to sale at private entry until the same shall have been 1st offered at public sale to the highest bidder, at or above the minimum price aforesaid; provided, that actual bona fide settlers under the preemption laws of the U.S. may, after due proof of settlement improvement, and occupation, as now provided by law, purchase the same at the price fixed for said lands at the date of such settlement improvement, and occupation; and provide also, that settlers under the provisions of the homestead not, who make their settlement after the passage of this act and (omply with the terms and requirements of said act, shall be entitled, within the said limits of ten miles, to patents for an amount not exceeding 80 acres each. The 3rd section provides that the grant of lands hereby made is upon condition that the company, after the construction of its road, shal keep it in repair and use, and shall at all times be in readiness to transport troops, munitions of war, supplies, and public stores upon its road for the Government, when require to do so by any Dept thereof, the Government at all times havin the preference in the use of the road for all the purposes aforesaid, at fair and reasonable rates of compensation, not exceeding that aid by private individuals, or the average pai for like services on other roads. And the lands hereby ranted, held, and reserved as aforesaid shal inure to the benefit of the company, as follows: when the Governor of the State of Kansas shall certify that any section of ten consecutive miles'of the road is completed in a good, substantial, and workmanlike manner as a 1st class railroad, then the SecyInterior shall issue to the company patents for so many sections of the land within the limits above named, and contermine us with the completed section hereinbefore granted; and when certificates of the Governor aforesaid shall be presented to the Secretary of the completion, as aforesaid, of each successive section of ten consecutive miles of said road, the Secretary shall in like manner issue to the company patents for the land for each of its sections of road as in the 1st instance, until the road shall be completed, provided, that if the road is not completed within ten years from the date of the acceptance of the grant herein before made, the lands remaining unpatented shall revert to the U.S. The 4th section provides that as soon as said company shall fic with the SecyInterior maps of its line, designating the route thereof, it shall be the dut of the See retary to withdraw from the mar et the lands granted by this act, in such manner as may be best calculated to effect the purposes of this act and subserve the public interest. The 5th section provides that the U.S. mails shall be transported on said road, and under the direction of the Post Oliice dept, at such price as Congress may by law provide; provided that until such price is fixe by law the PostMGenl shall have power to fix the compensation. The 6th section provides that the right of way through the ub ic lands be, and the same is hereby, rantedho said Pacific Railroad company, sout new branch, its successors and as signs, for the construction ofu. railroad as proposed; and the right is hereby given to said corporation to take from the publiclands adja cent to the line of said road material for the construction thereof. Said way is granted to said railroad to the extent of 100 feet in width on each side of said road where it may pass through the public domain; also all necessary ground for station buildings, work shops, depots, machine shops, switches, side tracks, turn tables, and water stations. The 7th section provides that the acceptance of the terms, conditions, and impositions of this act by the Pacific Railroad company, southern branch, shall be signified in writing, under the corporate seal of the company, duly executed pursuant to the direction of its board of directors 1st had and obtained, which acceptance shall be made within one year after the passage of this act, and not afterwards, and shall be deposited with the SecyInterior. The 8th section provides that the Pacific Railroad Company, southern branch, its successors and assigns, is hereby authorized and empowered to extend and construct its railroad from the southern boundary of Kansas, south through the Indian Territory along the valle of Grand and Arkansas rivers, to Fort Smith, in the State of Arkansas; and the right of way through said Indian Territory is hereby granted to said company, its successors and assigns, to the extent of 100 feet on each side of said road or roads, and all necessary grounds for stations, buildings, workshops, machine shops, switches, side tracks, turn tables, and water stations. The 9th section provides that the same grants of lands throng said Indian Territory are hereby made as provided in the 1st section of this act, whenever the Indian title shall be extin uished by treaty or otherwise, not to exceed teratio permile anted in the 1st section of this act provided that said lands become a part of the public lands of the U.S. The 10th section provides that the Pacific Railroad Company, southern branch, its successors and assigns, shall have the right to negotiate with, and acquire from, any ndian nation or tribe, authorized by the U.S. to dispose of lands for railroad purposes and from any other nation or tribe of Indians through whose lands said railroad may pass, subject to the approval of the POTUS, or from any company or parties incorporated or authorized for such purposes, by such nation or tube, or which such parties may have acquired under the laws of the U.S. The 11th section provides that any railroad company chartere under any law of the U.S., or of any State which may have been heretofore or shall hereafter be organized and subsidized by any act of the Congress of U.S. may connect, unite, and consolidate with this railroad company after the same shall be located to the valley of the Neosbo or Grand river, upon just. lair, and equitable terms, to be agreed upon between the parties as shall not be against the public interest, or the interest of the U.S.