[ No. 17. ] PETITION of 363 citizens of Allegan County, praying the Legislature to confer upon the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad Company, a portion of Public Lands, granted to aid in the construction of certain Railroads in the State of Michigan. To the Honorable Legislature of the State of Michigan: The undersigned petitioners, citizens of the county of Allegan, would respectfully represent, that the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad Company is a regularly organized corporation, composed by the consolidation of two several organizations, one under the general railroad law of the State of Michigan, the other under a similar law of the State of Indiana; and that the line of said railroad extends from the city of Fort Wayne, Indiana, to Grand Rapids, Michigan, a distance of 135 miles-48 in Indianna and 87 in Michigan. That said railroad company has a good and valid subscription of $450,000 to its capital stock, the greater amount of which is subscribed by citizens of this State; that the work of said railroad is now progressing; that the office of said company is located in this State, and the officers of said company are citizens of this State. We would further represent, that during the last year, the officers and shareholders of said railroad company petitioned Congress for a grant of public lands, to er able said company to extend the road to Mackinac, and that upon the presentation of said petition Congress did make a liberal grant of public lands to the State, which was designed for the extension of said Grand Rap ids and Indiana Railroad to or near Traverse Bay. And your petitioners respectfully ask the Honorable Legislature to confer said lands under proper guard and restrictions, upon said Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad Company. Byron Ballou, Wm. C. Brundage, Michael Made, Willard Higgins, L. B. Carter, T. V. Childs, Robert Conner, Seymor Richmond, George Wainer, Oesamus Eaton, E. Phetteplao, C. H. Harris, Isaiah Baird, Elijah Crane, Abram Hoah, Wm Hare, J. F. Clapp, Ira Chichester, Hiram H. Rouse, Ranisler Evits, Ozzo Whitcomb, M. W. Sheppard, L. M. Wilson, James Rose, Jos. Prior, Hormon Prior, Andrew Chase, Stephen B. Hare, John D. Baird, Jr., Joseph H. Chapman, Robert Watson, Jas. Schoolcraft, W. S. Miner, N. K. Lonsbury, Israel Johnson, John Stratton, Wm Lovett, Chancy Scott, Joshua Potter, Worthington Howe, W. Kent, James Kent, R. Brooks, Richard Hewett, Eber Sherwood, Jeremiah Drew, Moses Norris, W. Skinner, Farmer Seebel, Ezekiel S. Brewer, John Ripley, H. Clark, J. Brundage, David F. Ayrs, Oliver Atkins, John Savage, Miron Everett, A. McKitt, A. D. Squires, Joseph Drew, Jason Potter, Lorenzo D. Nichols R. B. Whitemore, J. W. Briggs, S. V. Bowrie, Lester Baird, James W. Brown, Thomas Barnaby, John Collie, George Osborn, Alonzo Curtiss, F. J. Stancliff, Tracy Turner, N. Vancosen, R. P. Williams, Patrick Murray, Edward Lawrence, Nelson Carrier, Tuke Osborn, A. E. Leffingwell, H. H. Wakefield, Levi Harris, R. S. Kent, Kobert Linn, James Finck, James McCrary, George Corbett, N. Chase, Orange Davis, James Duncan, Simeon Duncan, W. Drake, Zenos Higgins, W. G. Allen, Rufus Allen, J. E. Matthews, Joshua Hill, Felson Crittenden, E. M. Allen, L. B. Gong, Benjamin Chadbourn, Lily Mansfield, |