*See chapter 31. Proviso as to occu. pation of the lands within five years. possessed by Pian * three, who afterwards removed without the limits of the said Territory, are, notwithstanding, entitled to the donation of four hundred acres of land made by the resolve of Congress of the twenty-ninth of August, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-eight; and the Governor of the said Territory, upon application to him for that purpose, is hereby directed to cause the same to be laid out for such heads of families, or their heirs; and shall also cause to be laid off and confirmed to such persons the several tracts of land which they may have possessed, and which, before the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty-three, may have been allotted to them according to the laws and usages of the Government under which they had respectively settled: Provided, nevertheless, That if such persons, or their heirs, do not return and occupy the said lands within five years, such lands shall be considered as forfeited to the United States. Lands formerly SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That one hundred keshaws given to and fifty acres of land, heretofore in possession of the Pianthe actual posses- keshaw Indians, and now under actual improvement, and sors. Confirmation of ti tle to lands under constituting a part of the village of Vincennes, be given to the persons who are severally in possession of the said land. SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That where lands have certain grants, to been actually improved and cultivated, at Vincennes or in proved them, &c. the Illinois country, under a supposed grant of the same, by any commandant or court claiming authority to make such grant, the Governor of the said Territory be, and he hereby is, empowered to confirm to the persons who made such improvements, their heirs or assigns, the lands supposed to have been granted as aforesaid, or such parts thereof as he, in his discretion, may judge reasonable, not exceeding to any one person four hundred acres.† +See chapter 84, post. Appropriation of commons for the Prairie du Pont. SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That a tract of land, inhabitants of Vin- containing about five thousand four hundred acres, which, cennes, Cobos, and for many years, has been fenced and used by the inhabitants of Vincennes as a common, also a tract of land including the villages of Cohos and Prairie du Pont, and heretofore used by the inhabitants of the said village as a common, be, and the same are hereby, appropriated to the use of the inhabitants of Vincennes and of the said village, respectively, to be used by them as a common, until otherwise disposed of by law. 100 acres of land to each militiaman has not obtained a donation. SEC. 6. And be it further enacted, That the Governor of of Aug. 1790, who the said Territory be authorized to make a grant of land, not exceeding one hundred acres, to each person who hath not obtained any donation of land from the United States, and who, on the first day of August, one thousand seven hundred and ninety, was enrolled in the militia at Vincennes or in the Illinois country, and has done militia duty; the said land to be laid out at the expense of the grantees, and in such form and place as the said Governor shall direct: Kaskaskias. Provided, nevertheless, That no claim, founded upon pur- Proviso as to a tract chase or otherwise, shall be admitted within a tract of land appropriated to the heretofore occupied by the Kaskaskia nation of Indians, and including their village, which is hereby appropriated to the use of the said Indians.* *See chapter 27. P. Gibault, and a Beouvais. SEC. 7. And be it further enacted, That two lots of land, Grant of two lots to heretofore in the occupation of the priests at Cahokia, and tract to St. Jam situated near that village, be, and the same is hereby, granted in fee to P. Gibault; and that a tract of land at Kaskaskia, formerly occupied by the Jesuits, be laid off and confirmed to St. Jam Beouvais, who claims the same in virtue of a purchase thereof. be laid out accord SEC. 8. And be it further enacted, That so much of the act of Congress of the twenty-eighth of August, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-eight, as refers to the loca- +Ante, chapter 30. tions of certain tracts of land directed to be run out and re- Donation lands to served for donations to the ancient settlers in the Illinois ing to act of Congress of 20th June, country, be, and the same is hereby, repealed; and the Gov- 1788. See ante, ernor of the said Territory is directed to lay out the agreeably to the act of Congress of the twentieth of June, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-eight. Approved, March 3, 1791. [See Part II, Nos. 200, 616, 617, 654.] same, chapter 27. CHAP. 35.-An act for carrying into effect a contract between the United Obsolete. tract of land to For duly conveying to the State of Pennsylvania a certain Conveyance of a tract of land, the right to the government and jurisdiction Pennsylvania, &c. whereof was relinquished to the said State by a resolution of Congress of the fourth day of September, in the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty-eight, and whereof the right of soil has been sold, by virtue of a previous resolution of Congress, of the sixth day of June, in the said year: issue on fulfilment SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Repre- Letters patent to sentatives of the United States of America in Congress as- of terms stipulated. sembled, That the President of the United States be authorized, on fulfilment of the terms stipulated on the part of the State of Pennsylvania, to issue letters patent, in the name and under the seal of the United States, granting and conveying to the said State, forever, the said tract of land, as the same was ascertained by a survey made in pursuance of the resolution of Congress of the sixth day of June, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-eight. Approved, January 3, 1792. *See further with CHAP. 36.-An act for ascertaining the bounds of a tract of land purchased respect to lands of by John Cleves Symmes.* John C. Symmes; act 5th May, 1792. Chapter 38, post. 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 the contract made he hereby is, authorized, at the request of John Cleves of Treasury and Symmes, or his agent or agents, to alter the contract made John C. Symmes, between the late Board, of Treasury and the said John thorized to alter between the Board &c. Cleves Symmes for the sale of a tract of land of one million of acres, in such manner that the said tract may extend from the mouth of the Great Miami to the mouth of the Little Miami, and be bounded by the river Ohio on the south, by the Great Miami on the west, by the Little Miami on the east, and by a parallel of latitude on the north, extending from the Great Miami to the Little Miami, so as to comprehend the proposed quantity of one million of acres : Not defect Provided, That the northern limits of the said tract shall not interfere with the boundary line established by the treaty of Fort Harmar, between the United States and the Indian Reservat'n of lands nations: And provided, also, That the President reserve to the United States such lands at and near Fort Washington as he may think necessary for the accommodation of a garrison at that fort. with Indian bound. ary, &c. near Fort Washington, &c. Approved, April 12, 1792. [See Part II, No. 35.] &c. †See chapter 21. tract of land, the CHAP. 37.-An act authorizing the grant and conveyance of certain lands to the Ohio Company of associates. SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress asA certain contract sembled, That a certain contract expressed in an indenture confirmed, so far, executed on the twenty-seventh day of October, in the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty-seven, between the then Board of Treasury for the United States of America of the one part, and Manasseh Cutler and Winthrop Sargent, as agents for the directors of the Ohio Company of associates, of the other part, so far as the same respects the Description of the following-described tract of land-that is to say: "Beginning at a station where the western boundary line of the seventh range of townships, laid out by the authority of the United States in Congress assembled, intersects the river Ohio; thence extending along that river, southwesterly, to a place where the western boundary line of the fifteenth range of townships, when laid out agreeably to the land ordinance passed the twentieth day of May, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-five, would touch the said river; thence running northerly, on the said western bounds of the said fifteenth range of townships, till a line drawn due east to the western boundary line of the said seventh range of contract concerning which is confirmed. townships will comprehend, with the other lines of this tract, seven hundred and fifty thousand acres of land, besides the several lots and parcels of land in the said contract reserved or appropriated to particular purposes; thence running east to the western boundary line of the said seventh range of townships; and thence along the said line to the place of beginning"-be, and the same is hereby, confirmed: And that the President of the United States be, and he hereby is, authorized and empowered to issue letters patent, in the name and under the seal of the United States, thereby granting and conveying to Rufus Putnam, Manasseh Cutler, Robert Oliver, and Griffin Green, and to their heirs and assigns, in fee simple, the said described tract of land, with the reservations in the said indenture expressed, in trust for the persons composing the said Ohio Company of associates, according to their several rights and interests, and for their heirs and assigns, as tenants in common. The President to one other tract to grant and convey Rufus Putnam, &c. SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the President be, and he hereby is, further authorized and empowered, by letters patent as aforesaid, to grant and convey to the said Rufus Putnam, Manasseh Cutler, Robert Oliver, and Griffin Green, and to their heirs and assigns, in trust for the uses. above expressed, one other tract of two hundred and fourteen thousand two hundred and eighty-five acres of land: Provided, That the said Rufus Putnam, Manasseh Cutler, Proviso as to the Robert Oliver, and Griffin Green, or either of them, shall delivery, by the deliver to the Secretary of the Treasury, within six months, rants issued for arwarrants which issued for army bounty rights sufficient for &c. that purpose, according to the provision of a resolve of Congress of the twenty-third day of July, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-seven.* grantees, of war my bounty rights, *See chapter 21. grant, &c. a far grant's becoming SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That the President be, The President to and he hereby is, further authorized and empowered, by ther tract of 100,000 letters patent as aforesaid, to grant and convey to the said acres, &c. Rufus Putnam, Manasseh Cutler, Robert Oliver, and Griffin Green, and to their heirs and assigns, in fee simple, in trust for the uses above expressed, a farther quantity of one hundred thousand acres of land: Provided always, neverthe- Proviso as to the less, That the said grant of one hundred thousand acres oid, in case the shall be made on the express condition of becoming void, company do not for such part thereof as the said company shall not have, &c. to actual setwithin five years from the passing of this act, conveyed in fee simple, as a bounty, and free of expense, in tracts of one hundred acres, to each male person not less than eighteen years of age, being an actual settler at the time of such conveyance. make conveyance, tlers. grants within the SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That the said quanti- Location of the ties of two hundred and fourteen thousand two hundred and tract of 1,500,000 eighty-five acres, and of one hundred thousand acres, shall acres, &c. be located within the limits of the tract of one million five hundred thousand acres of land, described in the indenture aforesaid, and adjoining to the tract of land described in the first section of this act, and in such form as the President, in the letters patent, shall prescribe for that purpose. Approved, April 21, 1792. *See ante, chap.36. CHAP. 38.-An act authorizing the grant and conveyance of certain lands to 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 he patents for the por hereby is, authorized and empowered to issue letters patent, tions of land paid in the name and under the seal of the United States, thereby thorized to grant for, &c. for schools; sect. granting and conveying to John Cleves Symmes and his associates, and to their heirs and assigns, in fee simple, such number of acres of land as the payments already made by +Viz: sect. No. 16 the said John Cleves Symmes, his agents or associates, under No. 29 for religious their contract of the fifteenth day of October, one thousand tions Nos. 8, 11, seven hundred and eighty-eight, will pay for, estimating the ture disposal of lands at two thirds of a dollar per acre, and making the reschapter 21. ervations specified in the said contract.† purposes; and sec and 26, for the fu Congress. See The President au thorized to convey SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the President be, another tract, &c. and he hereby is, further authorized and empowered, by letters patent as aforesaid, to grant and convey to the said John Cleves Symmes and his associates, and to their heirs and assigns, in fee simple, one other tract of one hundred and six thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven acres, with the reservations as aforesaid: Provided, That the said John Cleves Symmes, or his agents or associates, or any of them, shall deliver to the Secretary of the Treasury, within six months, warrant swhich issued for army bounty rights(1) sufficient for that purpose, according to the provision of the resolves of See chaps. 21, 22. Congress of the twenty-third of July‡ and second of October, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-seven; but in case so many warrants should not be delivered, then the letters patent last aforesaid to be given for such number of acres as shall be in proportion to the warrants so delivered. The President au SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That the President be, to John Cleves and he is hereby, authorized and empowered, by letters township, in trust, patent as aforesaid, to grant and convey unto the said John for establishing an Cleves Symmes and his associates, their heirs and assigns, in Symmes, &c. a academy, &c. trust, for the purpose of establishing an academy and other public schools and seminaries of learning, one complete township, conformably to an order of Congress of the second of October, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-seven, made in consequence of the application of the said John See the act of 3d Cleves Symmes for the purchase of the tract aforesaid.§ March, 1803, sects. 4 and 5, chapter 60, post. (1) This tract (as well as that granted to the Ohio Company, and payable in military warrants) was paid for with a deduction of one third for bad lands, that is to say the purchasers obtained one acre and a half of land for every acre in military warrants which they delivered; a privilege enjoyed by no other person entitled to military bounties.-Note of the Editor of the Land Laws. |