are included within the boundaries fixed by the treaty lately held with the Indian tribes of the Wabash; and one at Kaskaskia, for so much of the lands included within the boundaries fixed by the treaty of the thirteenth of August, one thousand eight hundred and three, with the Kaskaskia tribe of Indians, as is not claimed by any other Indian tribe:Register and receiver of public monies appointed for each of them. Duties and emoluments of these officers. and for each of the said offices a register and a receiver of public monies shall be appointed, who shall give security in the same manner, in the same sums, and whose compensation, emoluments and duties, and authority, shall, in every respect, be the same in relation to the lands which shall be disposed of at their offices, as are or may be by law provided, in relation to the registers and the receivers of public monies in the several offices established for the disposal of the lands of the United States north of the river Ohio, and above the mouth of Kentucky river.
Persons claiming lands described in the preceding sections, under grants from the French, British or United States governments to deliver to the registers of the land-offices of the districts in which the lands are situated, statements of the extent of their claims.
Which shall be recorded.
Fees demandable for the same.
Neglect to deliver notice.Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That every person claiming lands within any of the three tracts of land described in the preceding section, by virtue of any legal grant made by the French government, prior to the treaty of Paris, of the tenth of February, one thousand seven hundred and sixty-three, or of any legal grant made by the British government, subsequent to the said treaty, and prior to the treaty of peace between the United States and Great Britain, of the third of September, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-three, or of any resolution, or act of Congress, subsequent to the said treaty of peace, shall, on or before the first day of January, one thousand eight hundred and five, deliver to the register of the land-office, within whose district the land may lie, a notice in writing, stating the nature and extent of his claims, together with a plot of the tract or tracts claimed, and may also, on or before that day, deliver to the said register, for the purpose of being recorded, every grant, order of survey, deed, conveyance, or other written evidence of his claim; and the same shall be recorded by the said register, in books to be kept for that purpose, on receiving from the parties at the rate of twelve and a half cents, for every hundred words contained in such written evidence of their claim; and if such person shall neglect to deliver such notice, in writing, of his claim, or to cause to be recorded such written evidence of the same, all his right, so far as the same is derived from any resolution or act of Congress, shall become void, and for every be barred.
The registers to be commissioners in their respective districts.
Oath of office.Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That the register, and receiver of public monies, of the three above mentioned land-offices, shall, for the lands respectively lying within their districts, be commissioners for the purpose of examining the claims of persons claiming lands by virtue of the preceding sections. Each of the said commissioners shall, previous to entering on the duties of his appointment, respectively, take and subscribe the following oath or affirmation, before some person qualified to administer the same: “I, do solemnly swear, (or affirm,) that I will impartially exercise and discharge the duties imposed upon me, as commissioner for examining the claims to land, by an act of Congress, intituled An act making provision for the disposal of the public lands in the Indiana territory, and for other purposes.”
The commissioners to meet in the several districts and to decide upon claims: invested with power to compel the attendance of witnesses to examine them:
To report their proceedings to Congress.
The board to have power to appoint clerks.
Duty of clerks.
Books and papers, upon the dissolution of the board, to be lodged in the offices of the registers of the land-offices.
Clerks to prepare transcripts of the decisions of the boards.
Commissioners to make report to the Secretary of the Treasury of the claims rejected by them, with the substance of the evidence adduced in their support.
Secretary of the Treasury to report these with the transcripts of claims admitted to Congress.
Compensation to the commissioners and clerks.
Official oath of the clerks.
All the lands with certain exceptions, to be sold, on what terms and where.
Salt springs.It shall be the duty of the said commissioners to meet at the places where the said land-offices are by this act established, respectively, on or before the first day of January, one thousand eight hundred and five; and each board shall, in their respective districts, have power to hear in a summary manner all matters respecting such claims; also to compel the attendance of witnesses, to administer oaths, and examine witnesses, and such other testimony as may be adduced, and to decide thereon according to justice and equity, which decision shall be laid before Congress in the manner herein after directed, and be subject to their decision thereon. The said boards, respectively, shall have power to appoint a clerk, whose duty it shall be to enter in a book to be kept for
