United States Statutes at Large/Volume 4/18th Congress/1st Session/Chapter 184

United States Statutes at Large, Volume 4
United States Congress
Public Acts of the Eighteenth Congress, First Session, Chapter 184
2716208United States Statutes at Large, Volume 4 — Public Acts of the Eighteenth Congress, First Session, Chapter 184United States Congress


May 26, 1824.

Chap. CLXXXIV.An Act supplementary to an act passed on the thirteenth day of June, one thousand eight hundred and twelve, entitled “An act making further provision [provisions] for settling the claims to land in the territory of Missouri.”[1]

Duty of the individual owners or claimants of village and other lots, in certain towns in Missouri and territory of Arkansas, which were confirmed by the act of June 13, 1812, ch. 99.Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That it shall be the duty of the individual owners, or claimants, of town or village lots, out lots, and common field lots, in, adjoining or belonging to, the several towns, or villages, of Portage des Sioux, St. Charles, St. Louis, St. Ferdinand, Villa a Robert, Carondelet, St. Genevieve, New Madrid, New Bourbon, and Little Prairie, in Missouri, and the village of Arkansas, in the territory of Arkansas, whose lots were confirmed by the act of Congress of the thirtieth [thirteenth] of June, one thousand eight hundred and twelve, entitled “An act making further provision for settling the claims to land in the territory of Missouri,” on the ground of inhabitation, cultivation, or possession, prior to the twentieth day of December, one thousand eight hundred and three, to proceed, within eighteen months after the passage of this act, to designate their said lots, by proving, before the recorder of land titles for said state and territory, the fact of such inhabitation, cultivation, or possession, and the boundaries and extent of each claim, so as to enable the surveyor general to distinguish the private from the vacant lots, appertaining to the said towns and villages.

Duty of the surveyor general.Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That, immediately after the expiration of the said term allowed for proving such facts, it shall be the duty of the surveyor general, within whose district such lots lie, to proceed, under the instructions of the commissioner of the general land office, to survey, designate, and set apart to the said towns and villages, respectively, so many of the said vacant town or village lots, out lots, and common field lots, for the support of schools in the said towns and villages, respectively, as the President of the United States shall not, before that time, have reserved for military purposes, and not exceeding one twentieth part of the whole lands included in the general survey of such town, or village, according to the provisions of the second section of the above-mentioned act of Congress; and also, to survey and designate, so soon after the passage of this act as may be, the commons belonging to the said towns and villages, according to their respective claims and confirmations, under the said act of Congress, where the same has not been already done:Proviso. Provided, That lots relinquished to the United States on account of damages done them by the earthquakes, and in lieu of which lands have been located elsewhere, shall neither be so designated or set apart, nor taken into the estimate of the quantity to which any town or village is entitled.

The recorder to issue a certificate of confirmation for each claim confirmed and to receive one dollar therefor.Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That the recorder shall issue a certificate of confirmation for each claim confirmed, and shall receive for the services required of him by this act, the sum of one dollar for each lot so provided to have been inhabited, cultivated, and possessed, to be paid by the respective claimants; and, so soon as the said term shall have expired, he shall furnish the surveyor general with a list of the lots so proved to have been inhabited, cultivated, or possessed, to serve as his guide in distinguishing them from the vacant lots to be set apart as above described, and shall transmit a copy of such list to the commissioner of the general land office.

The provisions of this act and the act aforesaid, to extend to the village of Mine à Burton.Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That the provisions of this act, and of the aforesaid act of the thirtieth [thirteenth] of June, one thousand eight hundred and twelve, be, and the same are hereby extended to the village of Mine à Burton, and the right of filing their claims with the recorder.

Approved, May 26, 1824.