Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 30.djvu/1417

FIFTY-FIFTH CONGRESS. SEss. III. Cns. 459, 460. 1899. 1379 CHAP. 459.-An Act To quiet land titles in the District of Columbia. March 3. 1899- Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That in all cases when the title Di¤*=¤‘i¤*9f C·>l¤¤¤l·i=- or claim of any person out of possession of any real estate in the Dis- u¤h`Zi»f$$t$gFm°£0::;L? trict of Columbia shall be barred by adverse possession, and the title ”*°“· thereto has vested in the party in possession or the party under whom he claims, the party holding a title which has vested by adverse possession may iile a bill in equity, in the supreme court of the District of Columbia, to have his title thereto perfected; and it shall be sufficient for him *`°“**°“·°*°· to state in his petition that he holds the title to such real estate and that the same has vested in him, or those under whom he claims, by adverse possession. And in such action it shall not be necessary to make any person a party defendant, except such persons as may appear to have a claim or title adverse to that of the plaintiff. And upon the Decree trial of such cause proof of the facts showing a title in the plaintiif by adverse possession shall entitle him to a decree of the court declaring his title by adverse possession, and a copy of such decree may be entered of record in the office of the recorder of deeds for said District. And in §,_¤rg¤<=1·; of r§¤¤¤¤•· any such action service of process may be had, as provided in sections ·zss,1sé,pi..éeE3Ii‘787' seven hundred and eighty-seven, seven hundred and eighty-eight, and seven hundred and eighty-nine of the Revised Statutes, relating to the District of Columbia. And if in any case`an adverse claimant shall be ,I?¤¤*l¤t of ¤·iv¤r¤¤ dead, then the heirs, devisees, or alienees of such person, or those claim- ° °"”°” ` ing by, through, or under him, if known, shall be made defendants as adverse claimants, and if they be unknown to the plaintiih then he shall allege in his petition, under oath, that there are, or he verily believes that there are, persons interested in the subject-matter of the petition as heirs or devisees of the deceased, or as claiming by, through, or under him or them, whose names he can not insert therein because they are unknown to him, and shall describe the interest of such person and how derived, so far as his knowledge extends, and service of process on such unknown persons shall be had by designating them in the published notice as the unknown heirs, devisees, or alienees of the last known owner or claimant of the title; and when such service shall be had a decree shall be rendered the same as though personal service had been had: Provided, The rights of infants, or others under legal dis- ,*§;°£*g·*£vm_m 0, ability shall be saved for a period of two years after the removal of their rights of inputs. disabilities: Provided, however, That the entire period during which — ‘""° °f °"”°· such rights shall be preserved shall not exceed twenty-two years from the time such rights accrued either in said claimant or in the person or persons under whom he claims. Approved, March 3, 1899. CHAP. 460.-An Act To amend section forty-seven hundred and sixty-six of the March 3, 1899. Revised Statutes of the United States. D`? Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That section forty-seven hun- Egypegg egg? 3; dred and seventy-six, Title nftyseven, of the Revised Statutes of the ynsioner amaugyins United States be, and the same is hereby, amended by adding thereto ¤;•fgfjg*_;__, ,66P_92, the following additional provisions and provisos, to wit: Provided mended. ’ ' jltrther, That in case a resident pensioner of the United States shall for a period of over six months desert his lawful wife, she being a woman of good moral character and in necessitous circumstances, or, if he have no lawful wife, shall desert his legitimate minor child or children under sixteen years of age, or his permanently helpless and dependent child, the Commissioner of Pensions is hereby directed, upon being satisfied by competent evidence of such desertion, to cause one-half of the pension due or to become due said pensioner during the continuance of such desertion to be paid to the wife, or in case