Sivut kuvina
PDF
ePub

813

delivered to

Commission

ers duties and powers under

counties, to them respectively assigned, in the same manner as the register might do; and also, to transmit to the register the said notices and evidences, or such transcripts of abstracts of the same, as the said register, or the commissioners may direct; and generally to do and perform all such acts, in relation to such claims, as the said register may direct. Persons having Evidences of claims to land may deliver the notices and evidences claims may be of the same, at their option, either to the register of the register or the proper land office, or to his deputy, for the coun- his deputy. ty in which such land lies; and each of the said de- Fees. puties shall be entitled to receive the recording fees allowed to the register, by the act to which this act is a supplement, and in addition thereto, (or a compensation of five hundred dollars in full for all his services,) at the rate of one dollar for every claim filed with him, to be paid out of the monies appropriated for carrying into effect the act to which this act is a supplement. Sec. 5. The commissioners appointed for the purpose of ascertaining the rights of persons claiming lands in the territory of Orleans, shall, in their respective this act. districts, have the same powers, and perform the same duties, in relation to the claims thus filed, before the first day of January next, as if notice of the same had been given before the first day of March last, and as was provided by the act to which this act is a supple. ment, in relation to the claims therein described. Transcripts of the decisions of the said commissioners, and reports of the claims filed in conformity with the provisions of this act, shall be made and transmitted, as was provided by the act to which this act is a supplement, in relation to the claims therein described. It shall likewise be the duty of the said commissioners, to inquire into the nature and extent of the claims which may arise from a right or supposed right to a double or additional concession on the back of grants or concessions heretofore made, or from grants or concessions heretofore made to minors, and not embraced by the provisions of this act, or from grants or concessions made by the Spanish government, subsequent to the first day of April, one thousand eight hundred, for lands which were actually settled and inhabited on the twentieth day of December, one thousand eight hundred and three; and to make a

Compensations of the commissioners and regis

fers.

Proviso.

Proviso.

special report thereon to the secretary of the treasury; which report shall be, by him, laid before Congress at their next ensuing session. And the lands which may be embraced by such report, shall not be otherwise disposed of, until a decision of Congress shall have been had thereupon.

Sec. 6. Each of the registers aforesaid, shall, in addition to his other emoluments, receive a compensation of five hundred dollars for the services to be performed under this act, prior to the first day of January next; and each of the commissioners aforesaid, shall receive at the rate of six dollars a day for every day's actual attendance on the duties of his office, subsequent to the first day of January next: Provided, That the whole amount of compensation thus allowed, shall not, for any commissioner, exceed two thousand dollars: And provided also, That the President of the United States may, if he shall think proper, reduce, after the first day of January next, the number of commissioners, on either or both boards, to one or two persons; and in case of such reduction, the commissioner or commissioners constituting the board, shall have the same powers which are vested by this act, or by the act to which this act is a supplement, in the board established by the act to which Compensa this act is a supplement. The clerk of each of the boards shall be entitled to receive at the rate of fifteen hundred dollars a year; the translators at the rate of six hundred dollars a year, and the agents employ. ed by the secretary of the treasury, at the rate of fif teen hundred dollars a year, from the first day of Jan. uary next, to the time when each board shall respectively be dissolved: Provided, That no more than one year's compensation be thus allowed to each of the said clerks, translators and agents: And provided also, That the secretary of the treasury may discontinue either one or both of said agents, whenever he shall think it proper.

tion of the clerks.

Proviso.

Sec. 7. The commissioners appointed for the purCommissionpose of ascertaining the rights of persons claiming ers may lands in the territories of Orleans and Louisiana, are change the places of their hereby authorised, if they shall think it necessary, for the purpose of obtaining oral evidence, either in support of, or in opposition to claims, which evidence

sessions.

could not be given at the usual place of their sittings, without oppression to the parties or witnesses, to remove their sittings, or to send, for that purpose, one or more members of the board, to such other place or places, within their respective districts, as they may think necessary: And each of the commissioners going for that purpose, to such other place or places, shall, in addition to his compensation, receive at the rate of six dollars for every twenty miles, going to and returning from such place or places: Provided, That no Proviso. commissioner shall receive in the whole on that account, more than for the distance from the usual place of the sittings of the board to the extreme settlements within his respective district.

forms

pre

Sec. 8. Each of the boards aforesaid, shall prepare Boards to and cause to be prepared, the reports and transcripts, prepare rewhich by law they are directed to make to the secre- ports, &c. -tary of the treasury, in conformity with such forms according to as he may prescribe; and they shall also, in their se- scribed by veral proceedings and decisions, conform to such in- secretary structions, as the said secretary may, with the bation of the President of the United States, transmit ry.

to them in relation thereto.

appro

of the treasu

1807.

Sec. 1. So much of the first section of the act, en- IX. 81. titled "An act for ascertaining and adjusting the 3d March, titles and claims to land within the territory of Or- Part of the leans and the district of Louisiana," as provides that first section no incomplete title shall be confirmed, unless the per- of a former son in whose name the warrant or order of act repealed, been granted, was at the time of its date, either the complete tisurvey had respecting inhead of a family, or above the age of twenty-one years, tles. is hereby repealed.

Sec. 2. Any person or persons, and the legal repre- Residents in sentative of any person or persons, who on the twen- Orleans or tieth day of December, one thousand eight hundred confirmed in Louisiana, and three, had for ten consecutive years prior to that their titles day, been in possession of a tract of land not claimed if in possesby any other person, and not exceeding two thousand acres, and who were on that day resident in the ter- prior to 20th

* Viz: Act of 26th March, 1801..

sion ten successive years

Dec. 1803.

[ocr errors]

Proviso.

ritory of Orleans or Louisiana, and had still posses. sion of such tract of land, shali be confirmed in their titles to such tract of land: Provided, That no claim Lead mines to a lead mine or salt spring, shall be confirmed mere. ly by virtue of this section: And provided also, That no more land shall be granted by virtue of this section, than is actually claimed by the party, nor more than is contained within the acknowledged and ascertained boundaries of the tract claimed.

and salt springs excepted.

Claim of New Orleans to commons, confirmed. Proviso.

Proviso.

Scc. 3. The claim of the corporation of the city of New Orleans, to the commons adjacent to the said city, and within six hundred yards from the fortifica tions of the same, are hereby recognized and confirm ed: Provided, That the said corporation shall, with in six months after passing this act, relinquish and release any claim they may have to such commons beyond the distance of six hundred yards aforesaid: Provided also, That the corporation shall reserve for the purpose, and corvey gratuitously for the public Reservation benefit, to the company authorised by the legislature for a canal. of the territory of Orleans, as much of the said com. mons as shall be necessary to continue the canal of Carondelet, from the present bason to the Mississip pi, and shall not dispose of, for the purpose of building thereon, any lot within sixty feet of the space reserved for a canal, which shall forever remain open as a public highway: And provided also, That nothing herein contained, shall be construed to affect or impair the rights of any individual or individuals to the said commons, which are derived from any grant of the French or Spanish governments.

Proviso.

Claims to be decided according to the usages and customs

Sec. 4. The commissioners appointed, or to be appointed, for the purpose of ascertaining the rights of persons claiming land in the territories of Orleans and Louisiana, shall have full powers to decide acof the French cording to the laws and established usages and cusand Spanish toms of the French and Spanish governments, upon governments, all claims to lands within their respective districts,

in certain

cases.

where the claim is made by any person or persons, or the legal representative of any person or persons, who were on the twentieth of December, one thousand eight hundred and three, inhabitants of Louisiana, and for a tract not exceeding the quantity of acres contained in a league square, and which does

not include either a lead mine or salt spring; which decision of the commissioners, when in favor of the claimant, shall be final against the United States, any act of Congress to the contrary notwithstanding.

notices of

1808.

Sec. 5. The time fixed by the act abovementioned, and by the acts supplementary to the same, for deli Time fixed vering to the proper register or recorder, notices in for delivering writing and the written evidences of claims to land, claims, exis hereby extended, for the territories of Orleans and tended to Louisiana, till the first day of July, one thousand 1st July, eight hundred and eight, and persons delivering such notices and evidences shall be entitled to the same benefit as if the same had been delivered within the time limited by the former acts; but the rights of such Persons barpersons as shall neglect so doing within the time limit. red who ne glect giving ed by this act, shall, so far as they are derived from, notices, &c. or founded on, any act of Congress, ever after be barred and become void, and the evidences of their claims never after admitted as evidence in any court of law or equity whatever.

Sec. 6. The commissioners, appointed or to be ap- of final deciTranscripts pointed for the purpose of ascertaining the rights of sions to be persons claiming lands in the territories of Orleans transmitted and Louisiana, shall respectively transmit to the se- to surveyorgeneral and cretary of the treasury, and to the surveyor general, secretary of or officer acting as surveyor-general, transcripts of the the treasury. final decisions, made in favor of claimants, by virtue of this act, and they shall deliver to the party a certificate, stating the circumstances of the case, and that he is entitled to a patent for the tract of land therein designated, which certificate shall be filed with the proper register or recorder, within twelve months after date. And the register or recorder shall thereupon (a plat of the tract of land therein designated, being previous Patents to is: ly filed with him, or transmitted to him, by the offi- sue upon cer acting as surveyor-general, in the manner herein transmitted after provided) issue a certificate in favor of the party, to the secre which certificate being transmitted to the secretary of tary of the the treasury, shall entitle the party to a patent, to be issued in like manner, as is provided by law for the issuing of patents for public lands, lying in other territories of the United States.

Sec. 7. The tracts of land, thus granted by the

certificates

treasury.

« EdellinenJatka »