Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 2.djvu/751



delivered the notices and evidences of their claims, shall establish his office at such place in his district as he shall judge most convenient, and of which he shall give public notice; and every person claiming lands within his district, who shall have neglected, or by any circumstance have been prevented from delivering a notice and evidence of his claims, during the time the commissioner attended in the parish in which the lands he may claim are situate, shall be at liberty, at any time before the end of six months from and after such office shall have been established, to deliver a notice and the evidence of his claims; and it shall have the same effect as if delivered in the parish wherein the lands claimed are situated.

. And be it further enacted, That every person claiming lands in the tract of country aforesaid, by virtue of any grant, order of survey, or other evidence of claim whatsoever, derived from the French, British or Spanish governments, shall deliver to the commissioner for land claims, when attending for the purpose, in the parish in which the lands claimed may lie, a notice in writing, stating the nature and extent of his claims, together with a plat (in case a survey shall have been made) of the tract of tracts claimed; and shall deliver to the commissioner when attending as aforesaid, for the purpose of being recorded, every grant, order of survey, deed, conveyance, or other written evidence of his claim; and the same shall be recorded by the clerk, in books to be kept for that purpose, on his receiving from the party or parties at the rate of twelve and a half cents for every hundred words contained in such written evidence of their claim: Provided however, that where lands are claimed by virtue of a complete French, British or Spanish grant, it shall not be necessary for the claimant to have any other evidence of his claim entered at large on the record, except the original grant or patent, together with the order of survey, and the plat; all the other conveyances or deeds may be abbreviated in the entry; but the chain of title, and the date of every transfer shall appear on the record. And if such person shall neglect to deliver such notice in writing of his claim, together with the plat (in case the lands claimed shall have been surveyed) as aforesaid, or cause to be recorded, such written evidence of the same within the time and times as aforesaid, his claim shall never after be recognized or confirmed by the United States; nor shall any grant, order of survey, deed, conveyance, or other written evidence, which shall not be recorded as above directed, ever after be considered or admitted as evidence in any court of the United States, against any grant which may hereafter be derived from the United States.

. And be it further enacted, That the said commissioners shall have power, in their respective districts, to inquire into the justice and validity of the claims filed with them as aforesaid: it shall be their duty to ascertain in every case, whether the lands claimed have been inhabited and cultivated; at what time such inhabitation and cultivation commenced; when surveyed, and by whom and what authority; and into every other matter respecting the claims which may affect the justice and validity thereof; and for that purpose shall have power to administer oaths, and to compel the attendance of, and examine witnesses and such other testimony as may be adduced; to have access to all records of a public nature, relative to the granting, sale, transfer or titles of lands within their respective districts, and to take transcripts from such record or records or any part thereof; and the evidence thus adduced and obtained, shall, by the clerk, be entered in a book to be kept for that purpose.

. And be it further enacted, That the powers vested by law, in the surveyor of the lands of the United States south of the state of Tennessee, shall extend over all the public lands in the said tract of country.

. And be it further enacted,