Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 17.djvu/654

 614 F ORTY-SECOND CONGRESS. Sess. III. Ch. 296, 297. 1873. States that may be thereon during the time that the United States shall be or remain the owner thereof .A1>1>1z0vm>, March 3, 1873. March 3, 1873. CHAP. CCXCVI. —- An Act to frovidejbr the Purchase, bgnthe Secrelayy ry Way, qf gurds for the United Slates in the State ¢y" Texas, for the des of Forts and Military os s. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United Lands in Tex- States of America, in Congress assembled, That. the Secretary of War be g;;';,?,;; gg; authorized to purchase, at a fair price, be be aSOSI‘t8.i¤€d by a board of for forts, Gm., three officers to be appointed by him, whose report shall be subject to the mi M What approval or rejection of the President and the confirmation thereof by mm' Congress, such lands in the State of Texas as may be necessary for the use of the United States for forts and military posts. The report of the board shall be made through the commanders of the department and military division, and subject to their approval or disapproval : Provided, No contract no That the contract for any one of the said tracts of land shall not be comb° °°¤*Pl€**d OY pleted, nor any of the purchase—m0ney paid, until the Attorney-Geueml Egwy paid °nm’ of the United States shall have given his written opinion in favor of the validity of the title of said land: And provided further, That the legislature of Texas will, at its next session, pass an act ceding exclusive jurisdiction over the said site or sites to the United States, and forever exempting the property from taxation. United States Sec. 2. That nothing in this act shall be construed to authorize the ’with any contract for any of said lands, or to be held by the arbitration or adjudication of any of the courts of the State of Texas as to the price thereof and the terms of purchase until the aforesaid board shall have recommended the same and the President shall have approved of said purchase and Congress shall have confirmed the same: Provided, That arnism limited all authority exercised under this act: shall cease at the expiration of Approved, March 3, 1873. March 3, 1873. CHAP. CCXCVII. — An Act authorizing the Award to the Vincennes University of cer- "`”"`_`— tain vacant and abandoned Lands in Knox County, Indiana. Preamble. Whereas, it is alleged that there are certain parcels of abandoned lands in Knox county, Indiana, which are covered by old Vincennes donation claims, which have become abandoned and to which there is no subsisting confirmation or settlement by individuals as owners under confirmation: Therefore, Be it enacted by ihe Senate and House of Representatives of the Unitea. Patent to issue States of America in Congress assembled, That it shall and may be lawful §§nlQg;§;‘;‘j;!_ for the Vincennes University, a corporation existing under the laws of rand gvrgrdgdtg the State of Indiana, to file in the United States district court for the it by ¢1‘¤¢ <>f' district of Indiana a petition descriptive of such abandoned and unclaimed °°°"` donations in Knox county of that State, accompanied by such testimony _ as may be relied upon in support of the said alleged abandonment, with Ob€G‘;l°€;g’§g“r;g evidence that such list has been published for a period of at least three and at whose ’ months in Knox county and calling on all parties to show cause, if such ¤¤S¤· exist, why such tracts or parcels of land should not be declared vacant; and thereafter in such cases as the said court shall find the tracts to be abandoned and not claimed by any individuals under any confirmation, or otherwise, it shall have power to render a decree accordingly, and upon such decree being deposited in the general land-office, with a patent certificate from the register of the land-office at Indianapolis, Indiana, a patent shall issue to the said Vincennes University for the parcels of land so depmm, gm, creed as abandoned and awarded to said university: Provided, That all ¤¤¢ t<> Hffw ad- proceedings in the premises shall be at the cost of said university, and that
 * §;;°;;gI*°§;*'· Secretary of War to bind the government of the United States to domply
 * ° °l“°° 7°“"' three years from passage ’hereo£