Spain, of the third of September, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-three, by which that part of Louisiana lying east of the island of Orleans was ceded to Spain, under the denomination of West Florida, or which were settled and cultivated by the person having the legal title therein at the date of said treaty, are recognised as valid and complete titles, against any claim on the part of the United States, or right derived from the United States.

under

survey, requette, &c. prior to 20th

confirmed:

plat and certificate

claim not to be

than 1,230 acres to

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That all claims, re- Claims ported as aforesaid, and contained in the several reports of Spanish orders of the said commissioners, founded on any order of survey, re- Dec. 1803, &c. requette, permission to settle, or any written evidence of ported favorably, claim, derived from the Spanish authorities, which ought, in the opinion of the commissioners, to be confirmed, and which, by the said reports, appear to be derived from the Spanish Governments, before the twentieth day of December, one thousand eight hundred and three, and the land claimed to have been cultivated and inhabited on or before that day, shall be confirmed in the same manner as if the title had been completed: Provided, That in all such claims, Proviso; where where the plat and certificate of survey, made prior to the of survey have not fifteenth day of April, one thousand eight hundred and thir- Unfiled, &c. the teen, under the authority of the Spanish Government, in confirmed for more pursuance of such claim, has not been filed with the said one person. commissioners, such claim shall not be confirmed to any one person for more than twelve hundred and eighty acres; and that, for all the other claims to land comprised in the reports G aforesaid, and which ought, in the opinion of the commis- claims. sioners, to be confirmed, the claimant to such lands shall be entitled to a grant therefor as a donation; Provided, That Proviso; not more such grant, as a donation, shall not be made to any one per- one person. son for more than twelve hundred and eighty acres; which confirmation of the said incomplete titles and grants of do- Confirmation of innations, hereby provided to be made, shall amount only to a ly a relinquish relinquishment forever, on the part of the United States, of any claim whatever to the tract of land so confirmed or granted: And provided, also, That no such claim shall be Proviso; no conconfirmed to any person to whom the title to any tract of sons recognised unland shall have been recognised under the preceding provi- visions.

sions.

Grants as dona. tions for other

than 1,280 acres to

complete titles on

ment forever.

firmation to per

der preceding pro

tions, in the case of

settlers, etc. on or

1813, if comprised

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That every person, or Grants, as donahis or her legal representative, whose claim is comprised in claims in right of the lists, or register of claims, reported by the said commis- before 15th April, sioners, and the persons embraced in the list of actual set- in the lists, etc. tlers, or their legal representatives, not having any written evidence of claim reported as aforesaid, shall, where it appears, by the said reports, or by the said lists, that the land claimed or settled on had been actually inhabited or cultivated, by such person or persons in whose right he claims, on or before the fifteenth day of April, one thousand eight hundred and thirteen, be entitled to a grant, for the land so claimed or settled on, as a donation: Provided, That not

one person.

Proviso; not more more than one tract shall be thus granted to any one person, than 640 acres to and the same shall not contain more than six hundred and No grant for lands forty acres; and that no lands shall be thus granted which are claimed or recognised by the preceding sections of this

recognised by preceding sections.

Pre-emption rights

to inhabitants and

12th April, 1814, in

not claimed by

ment within two

act.

SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That every person cultivators on the comprised in the said list of actual settlers, not having any the case of lands written evidence of claim to land in said districts, and who, preceding sections. on the twelfth day of April, one thousand eight hundred and fourteen, shall have inhabited or cultivated a tract of land in either of the said districts, not claimed by virtue of either of the preceding sections of this act, shall be entitled to a preference, on becoming a purchaser, from the United States, of such tract of land, on the same terms and conditions, and at the same price, for which the other public lands are sold Proviso, first instal at private sale: Provided, That the first instalment of the years after open. purchase-money shall be paid to the receiver of public moing the land office neys of the district within which the land lies within two years after the opening of the land office for such district.(1) SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That for the purpose of house, and at Jack adjusting the titles and claims to lands in the district aforesaid, and for the disposal of the lands which may remain the property of the United States therein, a land office shall be established in each of the said districts, to be kept, for the western district, at St. Helena Court-house, and, for the eastA register and re- ern district, at Jackson Court-house; and a register and remoney for each, ceiver of public moneys shall be appointed for each of the said land offices, who shall give security in the same manner and in the same sums, and whose compensation, duties, and authority, shall, in every respect, be the same, in relation to the lands which shall hereafter be disposed of at their respective offices, as are by law provided in relation to the other registers and receivers of public moneys for the sev eral land offices of the United States.

A land office at St.
Helena Court-

son Court-house.

ceiver of public

etc.

Claimants allowed

till 1st July, 1820,

SEC. 6. And be it further enacted, That every person or to deliver notices, persons, claiming lands in either of the said districts, whose evidences, etc. to claims have not heretofore been filed with the commissioner Jackson and St. of the land office of the district wherein the lands lie, shall

the registers at

Helena Court

houses.

be allowed until the first day of July, one thousand eight hundred and twenty, to deliver notices, in writing, and the evidences of their claims, in the said districts, respectively, to the register of the land office at Jackson Court-house and Notices, to deliv at St. Helena Court-house; and the notices and evidences so ered in time, to be recorded. delivered, within the time limited by this act, shall be recorded in the same manner, and on the payment of the same fees, as if the same had been delivered before the commissioners closed their said registers.

Persons who had filed notices with

SEC. 7. And be it further enacted, That every person or the commissioner persons who had filed his or their notice of claims to land, of the land office, within either of the said districts, with the commissioner of

&c. whose claims

have not been re

commended, &c.

allowed till 1st Ju

(1) See Part II, Nos. 15, 42, 56, 57, 58, 60, 64, 72, 77, 88, 93.

written evidence,

ny,

the land office, according to the former laws, but have not ly, 1820, to deliver exhibited sufficient testimony in support of the same, and and other testimo whose claim has not been recommended for confirmation, &c. shall be allowed until the first day of July, one thousand eight hundred and twenty, to deliver written evidence, or other testimony, in support of his or their claim, the notice of which had been filed as aforesaid, to the register of the land office at St. Helena, for lands lying in the district west of Pearl river, and to the register of the land office at Jackson Court-house, for the lands lying in the district east of Pearl river; and the evidence of claims, the notice whereof Evid'nce delivered had been filed, as aforesaid, for lands lying in the said dis-me, to be retrict, delivered, within the time limited by this section, to the said registers, shall be recorded by them, respectively, in the same manner as was directed by former acts, on receiving the same fees allowed by said acts for recording evidence of claims to lands in the same districts.

receivers at Jack

Court-houses to

perform

sioners for the dis.

of Pearl river w'd

SEC. 8. And be it further enacted, That the register and The registers and receiver of public moneys of the said respective land offices, son and St. Helena at Jackson Court-house and at St. Helena Court-house, shall have the same have the same powers, and perform the same duties, in every the same duties, respect, in relation to the claims that may be filed in virtue &c. as the commisof the sixth section of this act, and in relation to the claims tricts east and west the notices of which had been filed under former acts, as well as to the additional evidence which shall be adduced in support thereof, agreeably to the seventh section of this act, as the commissioners for the districts east and west of Pearl river would have had, or should have performed, if such notices had been filed, and such evidence adduced, before the said commissioners closed their registers.

have had, &c.

each of the land

the Commissioner

SEC. 9. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the The register of duty of the register of each of the said land offices, respect offices to report to ively, to make to the Commissioner of the General Land of the Gen'l Land Office a report of all the claims filed with the register afore- Office. said, with the substance of the evidence in support thereof; and of the claims formerly filed, in support of which additional evidence shall have been received, with the substance of such evidence; and also their opinion, and such remarks respecting the claim as they may think proper to make; which The Commissioner report, together with a list of the claims which, in the opinion before Con. of the register and receiver, ought to be confirmed, and also gress. a list of actual settlers prior to the passage of this act, noting the time of their respective settlements, shall be laid by the Commissioner of the General Land Office before Congress, at their next session, for their determination thereon.

to lay the report,

ceivers may ap

SEC. 10. And be it further enacted, That the said 1egisters Registers and reand receivers shall, respectively, have power to appoint a point clerks. clerk, who shall be a person capable of translating the French and Spanish languages, and who shall perform the duty of translator, when required by said registers and receivers ; 4,500 dolls. a year and each of the said registers and receivers shall be allow- receiver. ed, as a compensation for their services in relation to the said

to each register and

1

1,000 dolls. per an num to each clerk.

Proviso; not more than 18 months' compensation.

Surveyor of the lands south of Ten

Rate of fees.

surveyor.

claims, at the rate of fifteen hundred dollars a year; and each of the clerks at the rate of one thousand dollars a year: Provided, That not more than eighteen months' compensation be thus allowed to the register, receiver, and clerk, for the district east of Pearl river; nor more than eighteen months' compensation be allowed to the register, receiver, and clerk, of the district west of Pearl river.

SEC. 11. And be it further enacted, That the surveyor for nessee to appoint a the lands south of the State of Tennessee shall, with the principal deputy, with a salary of consent and approbation of the President of the United States, 500 dolls. and fees. appoint a principal deputy surveyor for the lands within the said districts, who shall receive an annual salary of five hundred dollars, and, in addition thereto, the following fees, that is to say for examining and recording the surveys executed by any of the deputies, at the rate of twenty-five cents for every mile of the boundary line of such survey; and for a certified copy of any plat of a survey in the office, twentyDuty of the deputy five cents; and whose duty it shall be to survey, or cause to be surveyed by his other deputies, the lands the claims to which are confirmed, and that are directed to be granted as donations, where the same have not been already surveyed, and the lands which may be claimed by right of preemtion, whenever directed by the register and receiver, and to execute such other surveys as may be necessary for the ascertainment of the lands the title or claim to which is embraced in the report of the commissioners aforesaid. And the said principal deputy surveyor shall make out particular plats of the surveys directed by this act, which he shall return to the register of the proper district; and, also, a general and connected plat, which he shall return to the surveyor of the lands south of the State of Tennessee; and the exExpense of survey pense of surveying shall be paid by the United States: Prothe United States. vided, The same shall not exceed, in the whole, four dollars Proviso; not to ex- a mile, for every mile which shall be actually surveyed and marked.

ing to be paid by

ceed $4 a mile.

Books of former commissioners to

ceiver empowered

&c.

each claimant entitled, &c.

SEC. 12. And be it further enacted, That the books of the be lodged with the former commissioners, in which the claims and evidence of registers, &c. claims are recorded, shall be lodged with the registers of the Register and re land office for the respective districts; and the register and to examine claims, receiver of public moneys, in each respective district, shall have power to examine the claims recognised, confirmed, or provided to be granted, by the provisions of this act, as also A certificate to claims to the right of pre-emption; and they shall make out to each claimant entitled, in their opinion, thereto, a certificate, according to the nature of the case, under such instructions as they may receive from the Commissioner of the General Land Office; and on presentation at the General Land Office of such certificate for a confirmed claim, or for a The certificate donation, according to the provisions of this act, and where obtained, a patent it shall appear, to the satisfaction of the Commissioner of the General Land Office, that the certificate has been fairly obtained, according to the true intent and meaning of this act,

having been fairly

to issue.

then and in that case a patent shall be granted, in like manner as for other lands of the United States.

ters and receivers

SEC. 13. And be it further enacted, That the President The President may appoint the regis shall have power to appoint the register and receiver of public moneys for the said districts in the recess of the Senate, who shall be nominated to them at their next meeting.

Approved, March 3, 1819.

[See Part II, Nos. 19, 29, 296, 398, 665, 666, 667, 669, 670, 671, 672, 673, 674, 676, 687, 697, 699, 700, 702, 706, 707, 714, 716, 718, 721, 726, 727, 790, 815, 816, 819, 822, 824, 825, 826, 627, 829, 831, 839, 840, 843, 844, 846, 848, 849, 852, 853, 854, 858, 859, 860, 861, 862, 866, 869, 874, 877, 879, 880, 881, 882, 883, 885, 886, 887, 889, 890, 893, 898, 903, 904, 913, 914, 915, 918, 921, 923, 924, 929, 940, 949, 952, 953, 954, 955, 1,016.]

in the recess, &c.

CHAP. 237.—An act to authorize the people of the Missouri Territory to form a constitution and State Government, and for the admission of such State into the Union, on an equal footing with the original States, and to prohibit slavery in certain Territories.

The other sections irrelevant.

ed to the conven

SEC. 6. And be it further enacted, That the following prop- Propositions offerositions be, and the same are hereby, offered to the con- tion for acceptance vention of the said Territory of Missouri, when formed, for or rejection. their free acceptance or rejection, which, if accepted by the convention, shall be obligatory upon the United States:

Section No. 16 for

First. That section numbered sixteen, in every township, I proposition. and, when such section has been sold or otherwise disposed schools. of, other lands equivalent thereto, and as contiguous as may be, shall be granted to the State, for the use of the inhabitants of such township, for the use of schools.

Salt springs, and

the use of the

Second. That all salt springs, not exceeding twelve in 2d proposition. number, with six sections of land adjoining to each, shall be lands adjacent, for granted to the said State, for the use of said State, the same to State. be selected by the Legislature of the said State, on or before the first day of January, in the year one thousand eight hundred and twenty-five; and the same, when so selected, to be used under such terms, conditions, and regulations, as the Legislature of said State shall direct: Provided, That no salt Proviso; salt spring, the right whereof now is, or hereafter shall be, con- to individuals, &c. firmed or adjudged to any individual or individuals, shall, by this section, be granted to said State: And provided, Proviso; salt also, That the Legislature shall never sell or lease the same, leased for mure at any one time, for a longer period than ten years, without the consent of Congress.

springs confirmed

than ten years.

5

proceeds of sales

of

per centum nett land for public

roads and canals.

Third. That five per cent. of the nett proceeds of the sale 3d proposition.— of lands lying within the said Territory or State, and which shall be sold by Congress, from and after the first day of January next, after deducting all expenses incident to the same, shall be reserved for making public roads and canals, of which three fifths shall be applied to those objects within the State, under the direction of the Legislature thereof; and the other two fifths in defraying, under the direction of