Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 2.djvu/474



An act making provision for the disposal of the public lands in the Indiana territory, and for other purposes,, sec. 2, &c.An act supplementary to the act, entitled “An act making provision for the disposal of the public lands in the Indiana territory, and for other purposes,” , sec. 6.An act for the adjustment of titles to land in the town of Detroit and territory of Michigan, and for other purposes, .An act supplemental to “an act regulating the grants of land in the territory of Michigan,” .An act to authorize the granting patents for lands according to the surveys that have been made, and to grant donation rights to certain claimants of land in the district of Detroit, and for other purposes, .An act allowing further time for entering donation rights to lands in the district of Detroit, .An act to revive the powers of the commissioners for ascertaining and deciding on claims to land at Green Bay and Prairie des CheinsChiens [sic], in the territory of Michigan, .An act to revive and continue in force, certain acts for the adjustment of land claims in the territory of Michigan, .An act to confirm certain claims to lands in the territory of Michigan, .An act to establish a land-office in the territory of Michigan, and for other purposes, .An act supplementary to “an act to provide for the adjustment of titles to land in the town of Detroit and territory of Michigan, and for other purposes,” passed April 21, 1826,. by the commissioners appointed for the purpose of examining the claims of persons claiming lands in the district of Detroit, in favour of such claimants, as entered in the transcript of decisions which have been transmitted by the said commissioners, to the Secretary of the Treasury, according to law, be, and the same are hereby confirmed.

. And be it further enacted, That to every person or persons in the actual possession, occupancy, and improvement, of any tract or parcel of land, in his, her, or their own right, at the time of the passing of this act, within that part of the territory of Michigan, to which the Indian title has been extinguished, and which said tract or parcel of land was settled, occupied and improved, by him, her, or them, prior to and on the first day of July, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-six, or by some other person or persons, under whom he, she, or they hold or claim the right to the occupancy, or possession thereof, and which said occupancy or possession has been continued to the time of the passing of this act; the said tract or parcel of land thus possessed, occupied, and improved, shall be granted, and such occupant or occupants shall be confirmed in the title to the same, as an estate of inheritance, in fee simple: Provided however, that no other claims shall be confirmed, by virtue of this section, than such as have been entered with the register of the land-office of Detroit, within the time, and in the manner provided by law, and by the commissioners aforesaid, have been inserted in their report, transmitted as aforesaid; nor shall more than one tract or parcel of land be thus granted to any one person, and the same shall not contain more than the quantity claimed, nor more than six hundred and forty acres: And provided also, that the same shall not extend to any tract heretofore reserved, or which may by the President of the United States, be set aside for public uses, in the town of Detroit and its vicinity, or on the island of Michilimackinac.

. And be it further enacted, That the secretary of the territory of Michigan, together with the register and receiver of public monies of the land-office of Detroit, shall be commissioners for the purpose of ascertaining and deciding on the rights of persons claiming the benefit of this act: and the said commissioners shall, previous to entering on the duties of their appointment, respectively take and subscribe the following oath or affirmation, before some person qualified to administer the same: I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will impartially exercise and discharge the duties imposed upon me, by an act of Congress, intituled “An act regulating the grants of land in the territory of Michigan.” And it shall be the duty of the said commissioners to meet at the town of Detroit, on or before the first day of July next, and they shall not adjourn to any other place, or for any longer time,