Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 2.djvu/699



established at Opelousas; and that for the disposal of the lands of the United States, lying north of Red river, in the western land district of the territory of Orleans, a land-office shall be established, which shall be kept at such place as the President of the United States may direct. The register of the western land district of the territory of Orleans shall act as register of the land-office at Opelousas, and as one of the commissioners for ascertaining the rights of persons claiming lands in any part of the 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.

. And be it further enacted, That the powers vested in the President of the United States by the eleventh section of the act, entituled “,” 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.

. And be it further enacted, That every person who, either by virtue of a French of Spanish grant recognized 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 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 authorized, under the superintendence 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 pre-emption granted by this section shall not extend so far in depth, as to include lands fit for cultivation, bordering on another river, creek, bayou or water course. And 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, 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 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