the Secretary of the Treasury, by the commissioners from the districts east and west of Pearl river, appointed under the authority of an act, entitled "An act for ascertaining the titles and claims to lands in that part of Louisiana which lies east of the river Mississippi and island of New Orleans," which are contained in the several reports of the commissioners, and which are, in the opinion of the commissioners, valid, agreeably to the laws, usages, and customs, of the said government, be, and the same are hereby, recognised as valid and complete titles against any claim on the part of the United States, or right derived from the United States: And that all claims founded on British grants, contained in the said reports, which have been sold and conveyed, according to the provisions of the treaty of peace, between Great Britain and Spain, of the third of September, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-three, by which that part of Louisiana, lying east of the island of Orleans, was ceded to Spain, under the denomination of West Florida, or which were settled and cultivated by the person having the legal title therein, at the date of said treaty, are recognised as valid and complete titles, against any claim on the part of the United States, or right derived from the United States. SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That all claims reported as aforesaid, and contained in the several reports of the said commissioners, founded on any order of survey, requette, permission to settle, or any written evidence of claim, derived from the Spanish authorities, which ought, in the opinion of the commissioners, to be confirmed, and which by the said reports appear to be derived from the Spanish government, An act supplementary to the several acts for the adjustment of land claims in the state of Louisiana, Feb. 28, 1823, ch. 15. An act to revive and continue in force the seventh section of an act, entitled "An act supplementary to the several acts for the adjustment of land claims in the state of Louisiana," approved the 11th May, 1820, and for other purposes, Feb. 28, 1823, ch. 18. An act to provide for the examination of titles to land in that part of the state of Louisiana, situate between the river Hondo and the Sabine river, March 3, 1823, ch. 30. An act supplementary to the several acts providing for ascertaining and adjusting the titles and claims to land in the St. Helena, and Jackson Courthouse districts, May 26, 1824, ch. 175. An act supplementary to an act providing for the examination of titles to land in that part of the state of Louisiana, situated between the Rio Hondo and the Sabine rivers, May 26, 1824, ch. 182. An act confirming certain claims to lands in the western district of Louisiana, Feb. 5, 1825, ch. 7. An act to confirm the supplementary report of the commissioners of the western district of Louisiana, March 31, 1826, ch. 18. An act to confirm certain claims to lands in the district of Opelousas in Louisiana, May 16, 1826, ch. 62. An act granting the right of preference in the purchase of certain lands to certain settlers, in St. Helena land district, in the state of Louisiana, March 19, 1828, ch. 19. An act to confirm the claims to lands in the district between Rio Hondo and Sabine rivers, founded on habitation and cultivation, May 24, 1828, ch. 92. An act to authorize the registers of the several land offices in Louisiana to receive entries of land in certain cases, and give to the purchasers thereof, certificates for the same, May 5, 1830, ch. 86. An act for the final adjustment of claims to lands in the south-eastern land district, of the state of Louisiana, July 4, 1832, ch. 166. An act in reference to pre-emption rights in the south-eastern district of Louisiana, June 28, 1834, ch. 125. An act for the final adjustment of claims to land in the state of Louisiana, February 6, 1835, ch. 17. An act supplementary to the act of the fourth of July, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-two, entitled "An act for the final adjustment to claims of lands in the south-eastern district of Louisiana," March 3, 1835, ch. 46. An act confirming claims to lands in the state of Louisiana, July 4, 1836, ch. 358. An act to authorize the inhabitants of the state of Louisiana to enter the back lands, June 15, 1832, ch. 140. An act supplementary to the act, entitled "An act to authorize the inhabitants of the state of Louisiana to enter the back lands," Feb. 24, 1835, ch. 24. An act for the relief of the inhabitants of Terre aux Bœufs, June 25, 1832, ch. 149. An act to confirm certain entries of lands, in the state of Louisiana, and to authorize the issuing of patents for the same, April 14, 1842, ch. 21. An act confirming certain land claims in Louisiana, July 6, 1842, ch. 50. An act relating to lands sold in the Greensburgh, late St. Helena land district, in the state of Louisiana, and authorizing the resurvey of certain lands in that district, August 29, 1842, ch. 258. An act to provide for the adjustment of land claims within the states of Missouri, Arkansas, and Louisiana, and in those parts of the states of Mississippi and Alabama south of the thirty-first degree of north latitude, and between the Mississippi and the Perdido rivers, June 17, 1844, ch. 95. 2 Y VOL. III.-67 vourably, confirmed. Proviso. Grants as donations, for other claims. before the twentieth day of December, one thousand eight hundred and three, and the land claimed to have been cultivated and inhabited, on or before that day, shall be confirmed in the same manner as if the title had been completed: Provided, That in all such claims, where the plat and certificate of survey, made prior to the fifteenth day of April, one thousand eight hundred and thirteen, under the authority of the Spanish government, in pursuance of such claim, has not been filed with the said commissioners, such claim shall not be confirmed to any one person for more than twelve hundred and eighty acres; and that for all the other claims to land comprised in the reports aforesaid, and which ought, in the opinion of the commissioners, to be confirmed; the claimant to such lands shall be entitled to a grant therefor as a donation: Provided, That such grant, as a donation, shall not be made to any one person for more than twelve hundred and eighty acres; which confirmation of the said of incomplete incomplete titles and grants of donations, hereby provided to be made, shall amount only to a relinquishment forever, on the part of the United States, of any claim whatever to the tract of land so confirmed or granted: And provided, also, That no such claim shall be confirmed to any person to whom the title to any tract of land shall have been recognised under the preceding provisions. Proviso. Confirmation titles only a relinquishment forever of the title of the United States. Proviso. Grants, as donations, in the case of claims in right of settlers, &c. on or before 15th April, 1813, if comprised in the lists, &c. Proviso. No grant for Jands recognised by preceding sections. Pre-emption rights to inhabi tants and cultivators on the 12th April, 1814, lands not claimed by preceding in the case of sections. Proviso. A land office at St. Helena Courthouse, and at Jackson Courthouse. A register and receiver of public moneys for cach, &c. Claimants allowed till 1st SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That every person, or his or her legal representative, whose claim is comprised in the lists, or register of claims, reported by the said commissioners, and the persons embraced in the list of actual settlers, or their legal representatives, not having any written evidence of claim reported as aforesaid, shall, where it appears, by the said reports, or by the said lists, that the land claimed or settled on had been actually inhabited or cultivated, by such person or persons in whose right he claims, on or before the fifteenth day of April, one thousand eight hundred and thirteen, be entitled to a grant for the land so claimed, or settled on, as a donation: Provided, That not more than one tract shall be thus granted to any one person, and the same shall not contain more than six hundred and forty acres; and that no lands shall be thus granted which are claimed or recognised by the preceding sections of this act. SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That every person comprised in the said list of actual settlers, not having any written evidence of claim to land in said districts, and who, on the twelfth day of April, one thousand eight hundred and fourteen, shall have inhabited or cultivated a tract of land in either of the said districts, not claimed by virtue of either of the preceding sections of this act, shall be entitled to a preference, on becoming a purchaser, from the United States, of such tract of land, on the same terms and conditions, and at the same price for which the other public lands are sold at private sale: Provided, That the first instalment of the purchase money shall be paid to the receiver of public moneys of the district within which the land lies, within two years after the opening of the land office for such district. SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That for the purpose of adjusting the titles and claims to lands in the districts aforesaid, and for the disposal of the lands which may remain the property of the United States therein, a land office shall be established, in each of the said districts, to be kept, for the western district, at St. Helena Courthouse, and for the eastern district, at Jackson Courthouse; and a register and receiver of public moneys shall be appointed for each of the said land offices, who shall give security in the same manner, and in the same sums, and whose compensation, duties, and authority, shall, in every respect, be the same, in relation to the lands which shall hereafter be disposed of, at their respective offices, as are by law provided in relation to the other registers and receivers of public moneys for the several land offices of the United States. SEC. 6. And be it further enacted, That every person or persons, claiming lands in either of the said districts, whose claims have not heretofore been filed with the commissioner of the land office, of the district wherein the lands lie, shall be allowed until the first day of July, one thousand eight hundred and twenty, to deliver notices in writing, and the evidences of their claims, in the said districts, respectively, to the register of the land office at Jackson Courthouse and at St. Helena Courthouse; and the notices and evidences so delivered, within the time limited by this act, shall be recorded in the same manner, and on the payment of the same fees, as if the same had been delivered before the commissioners closed their said registers. SEC. 7. And be it further enacted, That every person or persons, who had filed his or their notice of claims to land, within either of the said districts, with the commissioner of the land office, according to the former laws, but have not exhibited sufficient testimony in support of the same, and whose claim has not been recommended for confirmation, shall be allowed until the first day of July, one thousand eight hundred and twenty, to deliver written evidence, or other testimony, in support of his or their claim, the notice of which had been filed as aforesaid, to the register of the land office at St. Helena, for lands lying in the district west of Pearl river, and to the register of the land office at Jackson courthouse, for the lands lying in the district east of Pearl river; and the evidence of claims, the notice whereof had been filed, as aforesaid, for lands lying in the said district, delivered, within the time limited by this section, to the said registers, shall be recorded by them, respectively, in the same manner as was directed by former acts, on receiving the same fees allowed by said acts, for recording evidence of claims to lands in the same districts. SEC. 8. And be it further enacted, That the register and receiver of public moneys of the said respective land offices, at Jackson Courthouse and at St. Helena Courthouse, shall have the same powers, and perform the same duties, in every respect, in relation to the claims that may be filed in virtue of the sixth section of this act, and in relation to the claims, the notices of which had been filed under former acts, as well as to the additional evidence which shall be adduced in support thereof, agreeably to the seventh section of this act, as the commissioners for the districts east and west of Pearl river would have had, or should have performed, if such notices had been filed, and such evidence adduced, before the said commissioners closed their registers. SEC. 9. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of the register of each of the said land offices, respectively, to make, to the commissioner of the general land office, a report of all the claims filed with the register aforesaid, with the substance of the evidence in support thereof; and of the claims formerly filed, in support of which additional evidence shall have been received, with the substance of such evidence; and also their opinion and such remarks respecting the claim as they may think proper to make; which report, together with a list of the claims, which, in the opinion of the register and receiver, ought to be confirmed, and also a list of actual settlers, prior to the passage of this act, noting the time of their respective settlements, shall be laid, by the commissioner of the general land office, before Congress, at their next session, for their determination thereon. SEC. 10. And be it further enacted, That the said registers and receivers shall, respectively, have power to appoint a clerk, who shall be a person capable of translating the French and Spanish languages, and who shall perform the duty of translator, when required by said registers and receivers and each of the said registers and receivers shall be allowed, as a compensation for their services in relation to the said claims, at the rate of fifteen hundred dollars a year; and each of the clerks at the rate of one thousand dollars a year: Provided, That not more than eighteen months' compensation be thus allowed to the register, receiver and clerk, for the district east of Pearl river; nor more than eighteen months' compensation to be allowed to the register, receiver, and clerk, of the district west of Pearl river. SEC. 11. And be it further enacted, That the surveyor for the lands south of the state of Tennessee shall, with the consent and approbation of the President of the United States, appoint a principal deputy surveyor for the lands within the said districts, who shall receive an annual salary, of five hundred dollars, and, in addition thereto, the following fees; that is to say: for examining and recording the surveys executed by any of the deputies, at the rate of twenty-five cents for every mile of the boundary line of such survey; and for a certified copy of any plat of a survey in the office, twenty-five cents; and whose duty it shall be to survey, or cause to be surveyed, by his other deputies, the lands, the claims to which are confirmed, and that are directed to be granted as donations, where the same have not been already surveyed, and the lands which may be claimed by right of pre-emption, whenever directed by the register and receiver, and to execute such other surveys as may be necessary for the ascertainment of the lands, the title or claim to which is embraced in the report of the commissioners aforesaid. And the said principal deputy surveyor shall make out particular plats of the surveys directed by this act, which he shall return to the register of the proper district; and also, a general and connected plat, which he shall return to the surveyor of the lands south of the state of Tennessee; and the expense of surveying shall be paid by the United States: Provided, The same shall not exceed, in the whole, four dollars a mile, for every mile which shall be actually surveyed and marked. SEC. 12. And be it further enacted, That the books of the former commissioners, in which the claims, and evidence of claims, are recorded, shall be lodged with the registers of the land office, for the respective districts; and the register and receiver of public moneys, in each respective district, shall have power to examine the claims recognised, confirmed, or provided to be granted, by the provisions of this act, as also, claims to the right of pre-emption; and they shall make out to each claimant, entitled, in their opinion, thereto, a certificate, according to the nature of the case, under such instructions as they may receive from the commissioner of the general land office; and on presentation at the general land office, of such certificate for a confirmed claim, or for a donation, according to the provisions of this act; and where it shall appear, to the satisfaction of the commissioner of the general land office, that the certificate has been fairly obtained, according to the true intent and meaning of this act, then, and in that case, a patent shall be granted, in like manner as for other lands of the United States. SEC. 13. And be it further enacted, That the President shall have power to appoint the register and receiver of public moneys for the said districts in the recess of the Senate, who shall be nominated to them at their next meeting. APPROVED, March 3, 1819. STATUTE II. March 3, 1819. Act of March 3, 1819, ch. 77. CHAP. CI.—An Act in addition to the Acts prohibiting the slave trade. (a) Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United Act of May States of America, in Congress assembled, That the President of the United States be, and he is hereby, authorized, whenever he shall deem it expedient, to cause any of the armed vessels of the United States, to may employ the be employed to cruise on any of the coasts of the United States, or territories thereof, or of the coast of Africa, or elsewhere, where he may judge 15, 1820, ch. 113. The President armed vessels (a) See notes to act of March 2, 1807, ch. 22, vol. ii. 426. States on the coasts of the United States and of Africa, &c. Vessels un lawfully engaged in the transportation may be seized of negroes, &c. and brought into port, &c. Act of April 20, 1818, ch. 91. The proceeds of offending vessels, &c. to be divided be tween the United States whether armed vessels or revenue cutters. and the captors, attempts may be made to carry on the slave trade by citizens or residents of the United of the United States, in contravention of the acts of Congress prohibiting the same, and to instruct and direct the commanders of all armed vessels of the United States, to seize, take, and bring into any port of the United States, all ships or vessels of the United States, wheresoever found, which may have taken on board, or which may be intended for the purpose of taking on board, or of transporting, or may have transported, any negro, mulatto, or person of colour, in violation of any of the provisions of the act, entitled "An act in addition to an act to prohibit the importation of slaves into any port or place within the jurisdiction of the United States, from and after the first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eight, and to repeal certain parts of the same," or of any other act or acts prohibiting the traffic in slaves, to be proceeded against according to law: And the proceeds of all ships and vessels, their tackle, apparel, and furniture, and the goods and effects on board of them, which shall be so seized, prosecuted, and condemned, shall be divided equally between the United States and the officers and men who shall seize, take or bring, the same into port for condemnation, whether such seizure be made by an armed vessel of the United States or revenue cutter thereof: And the same shall be distributed in like manner as is provided by law for the distribution of prizes taken from an enemy. Provided, That the officers and men, to be entitled to one half of the proceeds aforesaid, shall safe keep every negro, mulatto, or person of colour, found on board of any ship or vessel so seized, taken, or brought into port, for condemnation, and shall deliver every such negro, mulatto or person of colour, to the marshal of the district into which they are brought, if into a port of the United States, or, if elsewhere, to such person or persons as shall be lawfully appointed by the President of the United States, in the manner hereinafter directed, transmitting to the President of the United States, as soon as may be after such delivery, a descriptive list of such negroes, mulattoes, or persons of colour, that he may give directions for the disposal of them. And provided further, That the commanders of such commissioned vessels, do cause to be apprehended, and taken into custody, every person found on board of such vessel, so seized and taken, being of the officers or crew thereof, and him or them convey, as soon as conveniently may be, to the civil authority of the United States, to be proceeded against, in due course of law, in some of the districts thereof. SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the President of the United States be, and he is hereby, authorized to make such regulations and arrangements as he may deem expedient for the safe keeping, support, and removal beyond the limits of the United States, of all such negroes, mulattoes, or persons of colour, as may be so delivered and brought within their jurisdiction: And to appoint a proper person or persons, residing upon the coast of Africa, as agent or agents for receiving the negroes, mulattoes, or persons of colour, delivered from on board vessels, seized in the prosecution of the slave trade, by commanders of the United States' armed vessels. SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, 'That a bounty of twenty-five dollars be paid to the officers and crews of the commissioned vessels of the United States, or revenue cutters, for each and every negro, mulatto, or person of colour, who shall have been, as hereinbefore provided, delivered to the marshal or agent duly appointed to receive them: And the Secretary of the Treasury is hereby authorized and required to pay or cause to be paid, to such officers and crews, or their agent, the aforesaid bounty, for each person delivered as aforesaid. SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That when any citizen, or other person, shall lodge information, with the attorney for the district of any state or territory, as the case may be, that any negro, mulatto, or person To be distributed as prizes. Officers and men to keep every negro, &c. A descriptive list to be transmitted to the President. The President authorized to make regulations for the safe keeping, &c., and removal out States of of the United ne groes, &c., and may appoint agents on the coast of Africa to receive them, &c. Bounty of twenty-five dollars for every negro, &c. Secretary, &c. to cause bounty to be paid. District at torney to prosecute by inform |