No. 203 B.-An Act in relation to islands in the Great Miami River.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That in the case of such islands. in the Great Miami River, in the State of Ohio, as are undisposed of, or any vacant public lands adjacent thereto, which are in the actual and exclusive occupancy of any persons who have made improvements thereon, or of their heirs or assigns, such occupants thereof shall have the preference right to enter the same at two dollars and fifty cents per acre, on making proof of the facts to the satisfaction of the Commissioner of the General Land Office, and paying for the land within twelve months from the passage of this act, and patents shall issue for the tracts so entered as usual in entries of public lands.

Approved, March 2, 1868.

No. 204 B.-An Act restoring lands to market along the line of the Pacific Railroads and branches.*

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That nothing in the act approved July first, eighteen hundred and sixty-two, entitled "An act to aid in the construction of a railroad and telegraph line from the Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean, and to secure to the Government the use of the same for postal, military, and other purposes," and the acts amendatory thereof, shall be held to authorize the withdrawal or exclusion from settlement and entry, under the provisions of the pre-emption or homestead laws, the even-numbered sections along the routes of the several roads therein mentioned which have been or may be hereafter located: Provided, That such sections shall be rated at two dollars and fifty cents per acre, and subject only to entry under those laws; and the Secretary of the Interior be, and is hereby, authorized and directed to restore to homestead settlement, pre-emption, or entry, according to existing laws, all the evennumbered sections of land belonging to the Government, and now withdrawn from market, on both sides of the Pacific Railroad and branches, wherever said road and branches have been definitely located. Approved, March 6, 1868.

No. 205 B.-An Act for the relief of settlers on the late Sioux Indian reservation in the State of Minnesota.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That all actual settlers, who have duly filed their declaratory statements under the pre-emption laws with the register of the proper local land office, upon the unsold lands now included within the limits of the late Sioux Indian reservation, in the State of Minnesota, shall be allowed two years from and after the passage of this act within which to make proof and payment for their

* No. 45 B.

claims, in accordance with the provisions of the second and third sections of the act approved March third, eighteen hundred and sixtythree, providing for the disposal of said reservation.* Approved, March 6, 1868.

No. 206 B.-An Act to amend an act entitled "An act for the relief of the inhabitants of cities and towns upon the public lands," approved March two, eighteen hundred and sixty-seven.†

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That, the inhabitants of any town located on the public land of the United States may avail themselves, if the town authorities elect so to do, of the provisions of the act of March two, eighteen hundred and sixty-seven, entitled "An act for the relief of the inhabitants of cities and towns upon the public lands: Provided, This act shall not prevent the issuance of patents to persons who have made, or may make, entries and elect to proceed under existing laws: And provided further, That no title under said act of March two, eighteeen hundred and sixty-seven, shall be acquired to any valid mining claim or possession held under the existing laws of Congress: Provided also, That in addition to the minimum price of the lands included in any town site entered under the provisions of this act and "An act for the relief of the inhabitants of cities and towns upon the public lands," approved March two, eighteen hundred and sixty-seven, there shall be paid by the parties. availing themselves of the provisions of said acts all costs of surveying and platting any such town site, and expenses incident thereto, incurred by the United States, before any patent shall issue therefor. Approved, June 8, 1868.

No. 207 B.-An Act to extend the time for completing the military road authorized by an act entitled "An act granting lands to the States of Michigan and Wisconsin to aid in the construction of a military road from Fort Wilkins, Copper Harbor, Kewenaw County, in the State of Michigan, to Fort Howard, Green Bay, in the State of Wisconsin."‡

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the time for completing the military road, and for the sales of lands, authorized by an act entitled "An act granting lands to the States of Michigan and Wisconsin to aid in the construction of a military road from Fort Wilkins, Copper Harbor, Kewenaw County, in the State of Michigan, to Fort Howard, Green Bay, in the State of Wisconsin," approved March third, eighteen hundred and sixty-three, be, and the same is hereby, extended to March first, eighteen hundred and seventy.

Approved, June 8, 1868.

* No. 72 B.

† No. 192 B.

‡ No. 69 B.

No. 208 B.-An act to further provide for giving effect to the various grants of public lands to the State of Nevada.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the State of Nevada is authorized to select the alternate even-numbered sections within the limits of any railroad grant in said State, in satisfaction, in whole or in part, of the several grants made in the following acts of Congress, to wit: the act organizing the Territory of Nevada,* passed March second, eighteen hundred and sixty-one; the act admitting the State of Nevada into the Union, passed March twenty-one, eighteen hundred and sixty-four: and the act concerning certain lands granted to Nevada, passed July fourth, eighteen hundred and sixty-six: Provided, That this privilege shall not extend to lands upon which there may be rightful claims under the preemption and homestead laws: And provided, That if lands be selected, the minimum price of which is two dollars and fifty cents per acre, each acre so selected shall be taken by the State in satisfaction of two acres, the minimum price of which is one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre : And provided further, That the lands granted in the eighth and ninth sections of the said act admitting Nevada into the Union shall be selected within four years from the passage of this act, and the period for the selection of said lands is hereby so extended.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the lands known and designated for the establishment of an agricultural college by the act of July second, eighteen hundred and sixty-two, and the acts amendatory thereto, shall be selected in the same manner and of the same character of lands as may be selected in satisfaction of any other grants referred to in the first section of this act. But this act shall not authorize the selection of lands valuable for mines of gold, silver, quicksilver, or copper.†

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That the county of Esmeralda, in the State of Nevada, and the counties of Mono and Inyo, in the State of California, are hereby created a land district; and the land office for such district shall be located at Aurora, in Esmeralda County; and the President shall be authorized hereafter, from time to time, as circumstances may require, to adjust the boundaries of any and all of the land districts in said State, and change the location of the land office from time to time, when the same shall be expedient.

SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That the lands granted to the State of California for the establishment of an agricultural college by the act of July second, eighteen hundred and sixty-two, and acts amendatory thereto, may be selected by said State from any lands within said State subject to pre-emption and sale: Provided, That this privilege shall not extend to lands upon which there may be rightful claims under the pre-emption and homestead laws, nor to mineral lands: And provided further, That if lands be selected as aforesaid, the minimum price of which is two dollars and fifty cents per acre, each acre so selected shall be taken by the State in satisfaction of two acres, the minimum price of which is one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre: And provided further, That such selections shall be made in every other respect subject to the conditions, restrictions, and limitations contained in the acts hereby modified.

Approved, June 8, 1868.

* No. 33 B. No. 74 B. No. 166 B. No. 55 B.

† No. 47 B.

No. 209 B.-An Act to amend an act entitled "An act granting lands to aid in the construction of a railroad and telegraph line from the Central Pacific Railroad, in California, to Portland, in Oregon."*

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That section six of an act entitled "An act granting lands to aid in the construction of a railroad and telegraph line from the Central Pacific Railroad, in California, to Portland, in Oregon," approved July twenty-fifth, eighteen hundred and sixtysix, be so amended as to provide that instead of the times now fixed in said section, the first section of twenty miles of said railroad and telegraph shall be completed within eighteen months from the passage of this act, and at least twenty miles in each two years thereafter, and the whole on or before the first day of July, Anno Domini eighteen hundred and eighty.

Approved, June 25, 1868.

No. 210 B.-An Act confirming the title to a tract of land in Burlington, Iowa.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That all of the title of the United States in and to a certain tract of land in the city of Burlington, Des Moines County, in the State of Iowa, described as being west of lot number nine hundred and seventy-eight, in said city, south of Valley Street, west of Boundary Street, and north of Market Street, and which was originally reserved from sale by the United States and dedicated to public burial purposes, be, and the same is hereby, confirmed to and vested in the "Independent School District" of said city, to be forever dedicated to and used by said school district for public school purposes, and for no other use or purpose whatever. Approved, July 4, 1868.

No. 211 B.-An Act to create the office of Surveyor-General in the Territory of Utah, and establish a land office in said Territory, and extend the homestead and pre-emption laws over the same.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the President, by and with the advice [and consent] of the Senate, shall be, and he is hereby, authorized to appoint a Surveyor-General for the Territory of Utah, whose annual salary shall be three thousand dollars, and whose power, authority, and duties shall be the same as those provided by law for the SurveyorGeneral of Oregon. He shall have proper allowances for clerk hire, office rent, and fuel, not exceeding what is now allowed by law to the SurveyorGeneral of Oregon.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the public lands of the United States, within said Territory of Utah, shall constitute a new land district,

* 172 B.

to be called the Utah District; and the President is hereby authorized to appoint, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, a register and receiver of public money for said district, who shall be required to reside at the places at which said offices shall be located, and they shall have the same powers, perform the same duties, and be entitled to the same compensation as are or may be prescribed by law in relation to land offices of the United States in other Territories.

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That the Secretary of the Interior is hereby authorized to locate said offices of Surveyor-General and register and receiver of public moneys at some suitable place or places in said Territory.

SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That the pre-emption, homestead, and other laws of the United States applicable to the disposal of the public lands, are hereby extended over said district.

Approved, July 16, 1868.

No. 212 B.—An Act making appropriations for sundry civil expenses of the Government for the year ending June thirty, eighteen hundred and sixty-nine, and for other purposes.

SEC. 6. And be it further enacted, That the Commissioner of the General Land Office is hereby authorized to continue the extension of the geological explorations as begun in Nebraska under the provisions of the second section of the deficiency act of Congress, approved March two, eighteen hundred and sixty-seven, United States Statutes, eighteen hundred and sixty-six, and eighteen hundred and sixty-seven, page four hundred and seventy, to other portions of the public lands; and for that purpose the sum of five thousand dollars is hereby appropriated, out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated.* Approved, July 20, 1868.

No. 213 B.-An Act providing for the sale of a portion of the Fort Gratiot military reservation in St. Clair County, in the State of Michigan.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of War be, and he is hereby, authorized to sell, at such times as he may deem most advantageous to the interests of the Government, and in such manner as hereinafter provided, all that portion of the military reservation known as Fort Gratiot, in St. Clair County, in the State of Michigan, which lies south of a line running due west from the south end of the Grand Trunk railroad wharf, on the St. Clair River, until it intersects the road known as the Lexington road, and all that portion which lies west of said Lexington road.

SEO. 2. And be it further enacted, That all that portion of the abovedescribed lands which lies east of a line running due south from the point of intersection with the Lexington road, mentioned in the foregoing section of this act, shall be divided into blocks and lots of convenient size

* See No. 191 B.