United States Statutes at Large/Volume 3/16th Congress/1st Session/Chapter 87
Chap. LXXXVII.—An Act supplementary to the several acts for the adjustment of land claims in the state of Louisiana.
Act of March 3, 1819, ch. 99.
Claims for lands in the eastern district of Louisiana, confirmed.Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the claims for land within the eastern district of the state of Louisiana, described by the register and receiver of the said district, in their report to the commissioner of the general land office, bearing date the twentieth day of November, one thousand eight hundred and sixteen, and recommended in the said report for confirmation, be, and the same are hereby, confirmed against any claim on the part of the United States.
Persons claiming lands west of the Mississippi, founded upon Spanish grants, &c.
Notices, &c. to be recorded.Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That any person or persons, claiming lands within that part of Louisiana lying west of the river Mississippi, including the island of New Orleans, founded upon any Spanish grant, concession, or order of survey, and whose claims have not heretofore been filed in the proper office, may, from and after the first day of July next, and until the thirty-first day of December thereafter, deliver notices, in writing, and the written evidences, of their claims, to the register of the land district within which such lands may be situate, within the said state, and the said notices and evidences, so delivered, within the time limited by this act, shall, by the said registers, be recorded, in books to be kept for that purpose; for which serviceTwenty-five cents for every hundred words recorded.
Persons neglecting forfeit their rights, &c. a compensation shall be received, from such claimants at the rate of twenty-five cents for every hundred words. And the rights of such persons as shall neglect so doing, within the time limited by this act, shall, so far as they are derived from, or founded on, any act of Congress, ever after be barred, and become void, and the evidences of their claims never after admitted as evidence in any court of the United States, against any grant derived from the United States.
Registers to report to the Secretary of the Treasury.Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That the said registers shall on the first day of January next, make, to the Secretary of the Treasury, a report of all the claims filed in their respective offices, in pursuance of the provisions of this act, together with the substance of the evidence in support thereof, with their opinion of the credit to which such evidence is entitled.
Persons claiming lands under Spanish grants, &c.
Evidence to be recorded.Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That every person or persons, claiming lands within that part of Louisiana described in the preceding section, founded upon any Spanish grant, concession, or order of survey, who had filed their notices of claims in the proper office, according to former laws, and whose claims have not been confirmed, may, at any time before the thirty-first day of December next, deliver additional written evidence, or other testimony, in support of their claims, the notice of which had been filed as aforesaid, to the said registers; and the evidence, so delivered, or offered, shall be recorded in books to be kept for that purpose; for which service a compensation shall be received, from such claimants, at the rate of twenty-five cents for every hundred words. And the rights of such persons as shallRights of persons neglecting, barred, &c. neglect so doing within the time limited by this act, shall, so far as they are derived from, or founded on, any act of Congress, ever after be barred, and become void, and the evidences of their claims never after admitted as evidence in any court of the United States, against any grant derived from the United States.
Registers, on the 1st of Jan., 1821, to report claims in which additional evidence has been filed, &c.Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, That the said registers shall, on the first day of January next, make, to the Secretary of the Treasury, a report of the claims in which additional evidences shall have been filed in their respective offices, together with the substance of the evidence so filed, with their opinion of the credit to which such evidence is entitled, and such other information as the examination of such cases, under any former law, may have placed in their power or possession.
Secretary of the Treasury to examine, and report to Congress.
Proviso.Sec. 6. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of the Secretary of the Treasury, as soon as the reports of the said registers shall be received, to proceed to the examination of the claims aforesaid, and to report to the two houses of Congress a list of the cases, which, in his opinion, ought to be confirmed, together with the reasons upon which his opinion may be founded: Provided, nevertheless, That no claim shall be so recommended for confirmation, which contains more than the quantity contained in a league square.
The 5th section of the act of 3d March, 1811, ch. 46, revived and continued until 11th May, 1822.Sec. 7. And be it further enacted, That the fifth section of the act of the third day of March, eighteen hundred and eleven, entitled “An act providing for the final adjustment of claims to lands, and for the sale of public lands, in the territories of Orleans and Louisiana, and to repeal the act passed for the same purpose, and approved February sixteenth, one thousand eight hundred and eleven,” be, and the same is hereby revived and continued, for the term of two years, from and after the passing of this act.
Additional compensation to the registers, in full, &c.Sec. 8. And be it further enacted, That the said registers, in addition to the compensation herein prescribed, shall receive, in full for the services required of them, respectively, by this act, the sum of six hundred dollars, which shall be paid out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated.
Approved, May 11, 1820.