United States Statutes at Large/Volume 3/14th Congress/1st Session/Chapter 162
Chap. CLXII.—An Act concerning the pre-emption rights given in the purchase of lands to certain settlers in the state of Louisiana, and in the territory of Missouri and Illinois.
Pre-emption right secured.Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That any person, and the legal representatives of any person entitled to a preference in becoming a purchaser, from the United States, of a tract of land, at private sale in the state of Louisiana, and in the territories of Missouri and Illinois, according to the provisions of the act, entitled “An act giving the right of pre-emption, in the purchase of lands, to certain settlers in the Illinois territory,”Act of Feb. 5, 1813, ch. 20.
Act of April 12, 1814, ch. 52. passed February fifth, one thousand eight hundred and thirteen, and the fifth section of the “Act for the final adjustment of land titles in the state of Louisiana, and territory of Missouri,” passed April twelfth, one thousand eight hundred and fourteen, who is settled on a fraction of a section of fractional quarter section containing less than one hundred and sixty acres, shall have privilege of purchasing one or more adjoining fractional quarter sections, or the adjoining quarter section, including their improvements, or the fraction improved by them, at their option; and the provisions of the said recited acts are hereby made applicable to them, so far as they are consistent with the provisions of this act.
How the claims of several persons settlers upon land are to be adjusted.Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That in cases where two or more persons entitled to the right of pre-emption, shall be settled upon one quarter or fractional quarter section of land, each person shall be authorized to purchase one or more quarter sections, or fractional quarter sections, of the section or fractional section of land upon which they are so settled; and the section or fractional section upon which such persons are settled shall be equally divided between them, in such manner as the register and receiver, within whose district the land lies, shall determine and direct, so as to secure, as far as may be practicable, to every such person their improvements respectively, and where the improvement of such person shall be upon two or more quarter sections, such person shall be entitled to purchase the quarter sections upon which his improvements shall be.
Approved, April 29, 1816.