4th proposition.-4 sections of land

ernment.

Congress, the expenses to be incurred in making of a road or roads, canal or canals, leading to the said State.

Fourth. That four entire sections of land be, and the same for a seat of Gov are hereby, granted to the said State, for the purpose of fixing their seat of Government thereon; which said sections shall, under the direction of the Legislature of said State, be located, as near as may be, in one body, at any time, in such townships and ranges as the Legislature aforesaid may select, on any of the public lands of the United States: Provided, before public sale That such locations shall be made prior to the public sale of the lands of the United States surrounding such location.

Proviso; location

of surrounding

lands.

5th proposition.

36 sections of land

learning.

Proviso; the five

that lands sold by

Fifth. That thirty-six sections, or one entire township, for a seminary of which shall be designated by the President of the United States, together with the other lands heretofore reserved for that purpose, shall be reserved for the use of a seminary of learning, and vested in the Legislature of said State, to be appropriated solely to the use of such seminary by the said Legislature: Provided, That the five foregoing propositions toregoing proposi herein offered are on the condition that the convention of tions, on condition the said State shall provide, by an ordinance irrevocable the United States without the consent of the United States, that every and each be exempt from laxes for five y'rs; tract of land sold by the United States, from and after the first day of January next, shall remain exempt from any tax laid by order or under the authority of the State, whether for State, county, or township, or any other purpose whatever, for the term of five years from and after the day of sale: And, further, That the bounty lands granted, or hereafter to be granted, for military services during the late war, shall, while they continue to be held by the patentees or their heirs, remain exempt, as aforesaid, from taxation for the term of three years from and after the date of the patents, respectively.

and bounty lands for three years.

Approved, March 6, 1820.

[See Part II, Nos. 13, 611.]

thorized to appoint

CHAP. 238.-An act to authorize the President of the United States to appoint a receiver of the public moneys and register of the land office for the district of Lawrence county, in the Arkansas Territory.

SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress asThe President au- sembled, That the President of the United States be, and a receiver and re he is hereby, authorized to appoint a receiver of the public rence county. moneys and register of the land office for the district of Lawrence county, in the Arkansas Territory.

gister for Law

Persons having SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That every person hav

claim to pre-emp

it known to the re

tion, &c., to make ing a claim to a right of pre-emption within the said district gister six weeks shall make known his claim and location, according to the before issuing pat provisions of the laws now in force, to the register, at least six weeks before the time, to be designated by the President

ents to of the late army.

of the United States, for issuing patents to the soldiers of the late army entitled to bounty land in said district.

Approved, March 17, 1820.

[See Part II, Nos. 64, 286, 293.]

CHAP. 239.-And act further to suspend, for a limited time, the sale or forfeiture of lands for failure in completing the payment thereon.

SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the operation of the sixth condition of the fifth Forfeiture of lands for non-payment section of the act entitled "An act to amend the act entitled suspended until 31st March, 1821. An act providing for the sale of the lands of the United States northwest of the Ohio, and above the mouth of Kentucky river,'"* be, and the same is hereby, suspended un- Chapter 54. til the thirty-first day of March, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-one, in favor of the purchasers of public lands at any of the land offices of the United States: Provided, That the benefit of this act shall not be extended to any one limited to purchas purchaser for a greater quantity than six hundred and forty

acres.

Approved, March 30, 1820.

[See Part II, No. 13.]

Proviso; benefit

ers within 640

acres.

CHAP. 240.-An act making further provision for the sale of the public lands.† +See act of 20

March, 1821, chap.

253.

lands in half-quar

entire, half, quar.

sections.

SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That, from and after the first day of July next, all Public sales of the public lands of the United States, the sale of which is or ter sections, after may be authorized by law, shall, when offered at public sale 1st July, 1820. to the highest bidder, be offered in half-quarter sections; and, when offered at private sale, may be purchased, at the At private sale in option of the purchaser, either in entire sections, half sec- ter, or half-quarter tions, quarter sections, or half-quarter sections; and in every Division of quarter case of the division of a quarter section, the line for the divi- sections— sion thereof shall run north and south, and the corners and contents of half-quarter sections which may thereafter be sold shall be ascertained in the manner and on the principles directed and prescribed by the second section of an act entitled "An act concerning the mode of surveying the public lands of the United States," passed on the eleventh Chapter 72. day of February, eighteen hundred and five; and fractional And fractional sec sections, containing one hundred and sixty acres or upwards, shall, in like manner, as nearly as practicable, be subdivided into half-quarter sections, under such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury;

tions.

less than acres

Fractional sections but fractional sections containing less than one hundred and to be sold entire. sixty acres shall not be divided, but shall be sold entire : Proviso; as to town Provided, That this section shall not be construed to alter any special provision made by law for the sale of land in town lots. (1)

lots.

No credit on sales of public lands af. ter July 1, 1820.

on day of purchase.

vate sale to pro

the money before

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That credit shall not be allowed for the purchase-money on the sale of any of the public lands which shall be sold after the first day of July next, but every purchaser of land sold at public sale thereComplete paym't after shall, on the day of purchase, make complete payment therefor; and the purchaser at private sale shall produce to Purchasers at pri: the register of the land office a receipt from the Treasurer duce a receipt for of the United States, or from the receiver of public moneys of the district, for the amount of the purchase-money on any tract, before he shall enter the same at the land office; and The highest bidder if any person, being the highest bidder at public sale for a at public sale failing to pay, the tract of land, shall fail to make payment therefor on the day offered, and the on which the same was purchased, the tract shall be again dered incapable of offered at public sale on the next day of sale, and such person shall not be capable of becoming the purchaser of that or any other tract offered at such public sales.

entry.

tract to be again

failing bidder ren

purchasing at such sales.

Price of lands one dollar and twenty

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That, from and after five cents per acre the first day of July next, the price at which the public lands after July 1, 1820. shall be offered for sale shall be one dollar and twenty-five Highest bidder cents an acre; and at every public sale, the highest bidder, paying, the pur who shall make payment as aforesaid, shall be the purchaser ; No sales for less but no lands shall be sold, either at public or private sale, for a less price than one dollar and twenty-five cents an public sale, and acre; and all the public lands which shall have been offered unsold, subject to at public sale before the first day of July next, and which $125 per acre. shall then remain unsold, as well as the lands that shall

than 81 25 per acre.

Lands offered at

private sale at

lands, and sections

thereafter be offered at public sale according to law, and remain unsold at the close of such public sale, shall be subject to be sold at private sale, by entry at the land office, at one dollar and twenty-five cents an acre, to be paid at the Except reverted time of making such entry as aforesaid; with the exception, reserved in Ohio however, of the lands which may have reverted to the United States for failure in payment, and of the heretofore reserved sections, for the future disposal of Congress, in the States of Ohio and Indiana, which shall be offered at public sale as hereinafter directed.

and Indiana.

Lands reverted, c. to be offered at vate sale.

SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That no lands which public before pri have reverted or which shall hereafter revert and become forfeited to the United States, for failure in any manner to make payment, shall, after the first day of July next, be subject to entry at private sale, nor until the same shall have Sale of lands re- been first offered to the highest bidder at public sale; and the 1st July, 1820, all such lands which shall have reverted before the said first day of July next, and which shall then belong to the United States, together with the sections and parts of sections

verted, &c. before

and reserved sections.

(1) See Part II, No. 11.

fixed by proclama

verting, &c., after

Proclamation of

heretofore reserved for the future disposal of Congress, which shall, at the time aforesaid, remain unsold, shall be offered at public sale to the highest bidder, who shall make payment therefor, in half-quarter sections, at the land office for the respective districts, on such day or days as shall, by Days of sale to be proclamation of the President of the United States, be des- tion. ignated for that purpose; and all lands which shall revert Sale of lands reand become forfeited for failure of payment, after the said 1st July, 1820. first day of July next, shall be offered in like manner at public sale, at such time or times as the President shall, by marsale. his proclamation, designate for the purpose: Provided, That Proviso; no public no such lands shall be sold, at any public sales hereby au- $125 per acre, thorized, for a less price than one dollar and twenty-five cash. cents an acre, nor on any other terms than that of cash payment; and all the lands offered at such public sales, and All lands unsold at public may be enwhich shall remain unsold at the close thereof, shall be sub- tered at private ject to entry at private sale, in the same manner and at the same price with the other lands sold at private sale at the respective lands offices. (1)

sales for less than

sale.

two weeks.

SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That the several public Public sales for sales authorized by this act shall, respectively, be kept open for two weeks, and no longer; and the registers of the land 85 per day to the office and the receivers of public moneys shall each, respect- ceivers. ively, be entitled to five dollars for each day's attendance thereon.

SEC. 6. And be it further enacted, That, in every case hereafter, where two or more persons shall apply for the purchase, at private sale, of the same tract, at the same time, the register shall determine the preference by forthwith offering the tract to the highest bidder.

Approved, April 24, 1820.

(1) See Part II, No. 26.

[See Part II, Nos. 13, 18, 34, 70, 81, 84, 85, 122, 133, 187, 235, 254, 255, 258, 259, 261, 262, 263, 264, 265, 266, 268, 273, 284, 290, 291, 292, 295, 297, 298, 299, 300, 301, 310, 312, 313, 319, 320, 321, 322, 324, 325, 330, 339, 312, 344, 345, 350, 354, 357, 361, 376, 381, 383, 384, 398, 399, 404, 418, 442, 446, 455, 470, 472, 486, 492, 497, 506, 529, 535, 725, 796, 807, 841, 845, 865, 867, 871, 887, 905, 912, 922, 928, 971, 972.]

registers and re

of different appli cations at private the highest bidder.

Preference, in case

sale, to be given to

CHAP. 241.—An act confirming the proceedings of the inhabitants of the vil lage of Cahokia, in the State of Illinois, in laying out a town on the commons of said village.

inhabitants of Ca

SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the proceedings of the inhabitants of the vil- Proceedings of the lage of Cahokia, in the State of Illinois, by their agents, hokia, in laying Jesse B. Thomas, John Hay, John Hays, Nicholas Jarrot, ontimis city and Francis Turcotte, in laying out a town called Illinois lots, confirmed. city, on one of the tracts of land confirmed to them as a common, by an act of Congress passed on the twentieth February,

distributing

Jesse B. Thomas, and others, author

ple.

one thousand eight hundred and twelve, and the distribution made by the said agents of the lots amongst the inhabitants of said village of Cahokia, be, and the same are hereby, confirmed.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the said Jesse B. ized to convey the Thomas, John Hay, John Hays, Nicholas Jarrot, and Francis deed, in fee sim Turcotte, or any three of them, be, and they are hereby, authorized to convey by deed, in fee simple, the lots that have heretofore been distributed, as aforesaid, to those persons, or their legal representatives, to whom distribution, as aforesaid, was made.

Approved, May 1, 1820.

CHAP. 242.-An act to establish additional land offices in the States of Alabama and Illinois.

SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assem· bled, That, for the sale of the unappropriated public lands in the State of Alabama, the following districts shall be formed, District and land and land offices therefor established: All the public lands, office at Tuscaloo as aforesaid, bounded, on the north, by the line which separates townships numbered fourteen and fifteen, in the district of Huntsville; on the south, by the line which separates townships twenty-two and twenty-three, in the district of Cahawba and the district east of Pearl river; and on the east and west, by the lines of the State of Alabama; shall form a district, for which a land office shall be established District and land at Tuscaloosa. And all the public lands, as aforesaid, bounded, on the south, by the southern boundary of the State of Alabama; on the west, by the line separating ranges four and five, east of the basis meridian, to the line separating townships five and six north, in the district of Cahawba; thence, east, with said line, to the line separating ranges twenty and twenty-one; thence, north, with said line, to the line separating townships eleven and twelve; thence, east, with said line, to the eastern boundary of the State of Alabama, and bounded, on the east, by the eastern boundary of said State; shall form a district, for which a land office shall be established at Conecuh Court-house.

office at Conecuh Court-house.

Part of Shawneetown district to form a

land district.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That so much of the separate public lands, heretofore included in the Shawneetown land district, as lies east of the third principal meridian, north of the base line, and west of the range line between ranges numbered eight and nine, east of the said third principal meridian, shall constitute a separate land district; and, for Land office at Van- the sale of the public lands therein, there shall be a land office established at Vandalia, the seat of Government for the State of Illinois.

dalia

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That so much of the