Certain pow

lic lands in

said Western land district. And for the land office north of the Red river, a register, and for each of the said three offices a receiver of public monies shall be appointed, who shall give security in the same manner, in the same sums, and whose compensations, 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, in the territory of Mississippi.

leans territo- .

dent.

Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That the ers with res-powers vested in the President of the United pect to pub- States by the eleventh section of the act, eastern dis- entitled "An act supplementary to an act, trict of Or- entitled "An act for ascertaining and adjustry extended ing the titles and claims to land within the to the Presi-territory of Orleans, and the district of Louisiana," passed on the twenty-first day of April, one thousand eight hundred and six, in relation to the public lands, lying in the Western district of the territory of Orleans, and all the other provisions made by the same section, for the sale of said lands, and for obtaining patents for the same, shall be, and the same are hereby, in every respect, extended to the public lands, lying in the Eastern district of the territory of Orleans.

Persons entiled to a preference.

Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, That every person who, either by virtue of a French or Spanish grant recognised by the laws of the United States, or under a claim confirmed by the commissioners appointed for the purpose of ascertaining the rights of persons claiming lands in the territory of Orleans, owns a tract of land bordering on

T

any river, creek, bayou, or water course, in the said territory, and not exceeding in depth forty arpens, French measure, shall be entitled to a preference in becoming the purchaser of any vacant tract of land adjacent to, and back of his own tract, not exceeding forty arpens, French measure, in depth, nor in quantity of land that which is contained in his own tract, at the same price, and on the same terms and conditions, as are, or may be, provided by law for the other public lands in the said territory. And the principal deputy surveyor of each district respectively shall be and he is hereby authorised, under the superintendance of the surveyor of the public lands south of the state of Tennessee, to cause to be surveyed the tracts claimed by virtue of this section; and in all cases where by reason of bends in the river, lake, creek, bayou, or water course, bordering on the tract, and of adjacent claims of a similar nature, each claimant cannot obtain a tract equal in quantity to the adjacent tract already owned by him, to divide the vacant land applicable to that object between the several claimants, in such manner as to him may appear most equitable: Provided however, That the right of Proviso. pre-emption granted by this section shall not extend so far in depth, as to include lands fit for cultivation, bordering on another riyAnd er, creek, bayou or water course. every person entitled to the benefit of this section shall, within three years after the date of this act, deliver to the register of the proper land office, land office, a notice in writing, stating the situation and extent of the tract of land he wishes to purchase, and shall also make the payment and payments for the

When land

same, at the time and times, which are, or may be, prescribed by law for the disposal of the other public lands in the said territory; the time of his delivering the notice aforesaid being considered as the date of the purchase. And if any such person shall fail to deliver such notice within the said period of three years, or to make such payment or payments at the time above mentioned, his right of pre-emption shall cease and become void; and the land may thereafter be purchased by any other person in the same manner, and on the same terms, as are or may be provided by law for the sale of other public lands in the said territory.

Sec. 6. And be it further enacted, That offices estab- the land offices established by virtue of the lished by this third section of this act, shall be opened on

act to be opened.

the first day of January, one thousand eight hundred and twelve, for the sale of all the public lands, with the exception of section No. sixteen, of the Salt springs, and land contiguous thereto, and of the tracts reserved for the support of seminaries of learning as hereinafter provided, which shall have been previously surveyed, and the surveys thereof returned according to law to the registers of the land offices respectively; and on the first day of February, one thousand eight hundred and twelve, for the sale of such of the public lands, which from the nature of the country cannot be surveyed in the ordinary way, and are embraced by the provisions of the second section of this act, as shall have, at least six weeks previous to the said first day of February, one thousand eight hundred and twelve, been advertised for sale by the surveyor of the public lands south of the state of Tennessee, with the ap

probation of the President of the United States. The public sales for the land subdivided into quarter sections in the ordinary way, shall be held for one calendar month, under the superintendance of the register and receiver of each land office respectively, and of either the surveyor of public lands south of Tennessee, or of his principal deputy surveyor in the district, who shall each receive six dollars for each day's attendance on the same; and no tract of land shall be sold at said public sales for a less price, than that which is or may be prescribed by law, for the sale of public lands in the Mississippi territory. And from and after the first day of February, one thousand eight hundred and twelve, any tract which has been thus offered for sale at public sale, and remains unsold, as well as any tract of land embraced by the provisions of the second section of this act, the sale of which is authorised by this section, may be disposed of at private sale by the register of the land office, for the same price which is or may be prescribed by law, for the sale of public lands in the Mississippi territory. All the lands sold by virtue of this section, shall in every other respect be sold on the same terms of payment, and conditions, in the same manner, and under the same regulations as are, or may be, pres"cribed by law, for the sale of public lands in the Mississippi territory: Provided how- Proviso. ever, That in case of an application being made at the same time, for the purchase at private sale of the same tract of land by two or more persons, one of whom did actually inhabit and cultivate such tract of land at the time of passing this act, and still continues to inhabit and cultivate the same at

Proviso.

An addition

to be located

the time of such application, the preference shall be given to the person thus inhabiting and cultivating such tract of land. And provided also, That till after the final decision of Congress thereon, no tract of land shall be offered for sale, the claim to which has been in due time, and according to law, presented to the register of the land office, and filed in his office, for the purpose of being investigated by the commissioners appointed for the purpose of ascertaining the rights of persons claiming lands in the territory of Orleans; or which shall have been located by or for major general La Fayette, according

to law.

Sec. 7. And be it further enacted, That al township in addition to the township already reserved in Orleans for that purpose by law in the western disterritory for trict of the territory of Orleans, and which seminary of learning. shall be located south of Red river, another

Surveyor general to

cause certain

entire township shall be located by the Secretary of the Treasury north of Red river, for the use of a seminary of learing, and also an entire township in the territory of Louisiana, for the support of a seminary of learning within the said territory.

Sec. 8. And be it further enacted, That the surveyor genera! shall cause such of the portions of public lands in the territory of Louisiana, public lands as the President of the United States shall diin territory of Louisiana to rect, to be surveyed and divided in the same be surveyed manner and under the same regulations and limitation as to expenses, as is provided by law in relation to the lands of the United States, north west of the river Ohio and above the mouth of Kentucky river.

and divided.

Sec. 9. And be it further enacted, That for the disposal of the lands of the United States lying in the territory of Louisiana, a