United States Statutes at Large/Volume 2/9th Congress/2nd Session/Chapter 49

2469028United States Statutes at Large, Volume 2 — Public Acts of the Ninth Congress, 2nd Session, XLIXUnited States Congress


March 3, 1807.

Chap. XLIX.An Act making provision for the disposal of the public lands, situated between the United States military tract and the Connecticut reserve, and for other purposes.

Land of the U. States to be disposed of.
Offices established.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That for the disposal of the lands of the United States, situated between the United States military tract and the Connecticut reserve, a land-office shall be established, which shall be kept at such place as the President of the United States may direct: and that for the disposal of the lands of the United States, lying on the Ohio river, between the Cincinnati and Vincennes districts, a land-office shall be established at Jeffersonville: and for each of the said offices a register and receiver of public monies shall be appointed, who shall give security in the same manner, in the same sums, and whose compensation, emoluments, 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 provided by law, in relation to the registers and 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.

When to be sold.
Reservations, &c.
Act of Feb. 29, 1808, ch. 26.
Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That all the lands of the United States, in the said districts, shall, with the exception of the section number sixteen, and with the exception also of thirteen sections, including the lower town of the Delaware tribe of Indians, and their improvements, which said thirteen sections shall be designated by the Secretary of the Treasury, and shall be reserved for the use of the said tribe and their descendants, so long as they continue to reside thereon, and cultivate the same, be offered for sale to the highest bidder, under the direction of the register of the land-office, and of the receiver of public monies, at the places, respectively, where the land-offices are kept, and on such day or days as shall, by proclamation of the President of the United States, be designated for that purpose:The sales to remain open for six weeks. the sales shall remain open at each place for six weeks, and no longer: the lands shall not be sold for less than two dollars an acre, and shall in every other respect, be sold in tracts of the same size, and on the same terms and conditions, as have been, or may be by law provided for lands sold north of the river Ohio,1800, ch. 55. and above the mouth of the Kentucky river. All the lands of the United States, in the said districts, with the exceptions above mentioned,Lands not to be sold for less than two dollars per acre. remaining unsold at the close of the public sales, may be disposed of at private sale, by the register of the respective land-offices, in the same manner, under the same regulations, for the same price, and on the same terms and conditions, as are or may be provided by law for the sale of the lands of the United States north of the river Ohio, and above the mouth of the Kentucky river. And patents shall be obtained for all lands sold in said districts, in the same manner and on the same terms as are provided by law, for other public lands in the1809, ch. 55. state of Ohio and the Indiana territory.

Compensation of superintendents of sales.Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That the several superintendents of public sales, directed by this act, shall receive six dollars a day for each day’s attendance on the said sales.

Registers and receivers may be appointed in the recess of the Senate.Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That the President of the United States, in the recess of Congress, shall have full power to appoint and commission the registers and receivers of public monies of the land-offices established by this act, and their commissions shall continue in force until the end of the session of Congress next ensuing such appointment.

Lead mines to be reserved for the future disposal of Congress, &c.Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, That the several lead mines in the Indiana territory, together with as many sections contiguous to each as shall be deemed necessary by the President of the United States, shall be reserved for the future disposal of the United States; and any grant which may hereafter be made for a tract of land containing a lead mine, which had been discovered previous to the purchase of such tract from the United States, shall be considered fraudulent and null:President authorized to lease lead mines. and the President of the United States shall be, and is hereby authorized to lease any lead mine which has been or may hereafter be discovered in the Indiana territory, for a term not exceeding five years.

George Ash to have the right of pre-emption.Sec. 6. And be it further enacted, That George Ash shall have the right of pre-emption to six hundred and forty acres of land including his improvement on the river Ohio, below the former Indian boundary line; the boundaries of the tract shall be designated by the register of the land-office, and the said land shall be granted to him at the same price, and on payment being made in the same manner as for other public land sold at private sale, the respective instalments of the purchase money shall become due at the same time with the payments on the first public lands sold in that district.

Approved, March 3, 1807.