Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 2.djvu/851



shall contain only the land claimed, and the tracts thus to be surveyed shall consist of unappropriated lands, and shall in every case contain the improved lands, by virtue of the settlement on and cultivation of which the claimant’s right to a donation has been confirmed, and in all cases where, by reason of adjacent prior claims, or the contiguity of the improvements of the persons entitled to donation grants, each claimant cannot obtain a tract of six hundred and forty acres, the vacant lands applicable to the object shall be divided between the claimants in such manner as shall appear to the principal deputy surveyor most equitable; and whenever plats of the surveys shall have been returned by the principal deputy surveyor to the office of the recorder of land titles, it shall be the duty of the recorder to issue for each tract, according to the survey returned to him, a certificate in favour of the party to each person entitled thereto, which shall be transmitted to the commissioner of the general land-office; and if it shall appear to the satisfaction of the said commissioner that such certificate was fairly obtained, according to the true intent and meaning of this act, then in that case patents shall be granted in like manner as is provided by law for other lands of the United States.

. And be it further enacted, That the said recorder of land titles, in addition to his salary as fixed by law, shall be allowed fifty cents on each claim which had been filed, and in support of which evidence shall have been received, according to the first section of this act, and on which he shall make a decision, whether such decision be in favour of, or against the claim, and a further allowance of five hundred dollars, which shall be paid after he shall have made his report to the commissioner of the general land-office, which allowance of fifty cents for each claim decided on, and five hundred dollars on the completion of the business, shall be in full compensation for his services, including clerk hire, respecting the claims to be decided on according to this act.

, March 3, 1813.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That instead of the first Tuesdays of April and October, the district court for the district of New York, directed by law to be holden at Utica, shall be holden on the second Tuesday of May, and fourth Tuesday of September, yearly.

. And be it further enacted, That all actions, suits, process, and proceedings, commenced or to be commenced, or now pending in said district court, and liable to be discontinued, or suffer prejudice from the foregoing alterations, may be returned to, and shall be continued to the district court, to be holden in pursuance of this act, in such manner as the same shall suffer no discontinuance or prejudice by virtue of this act.

. And be it further enacted, That the respective terms of the district court of Massachusetts district, which are now required by law to be holden at Salem, within said district, shall hereafter be holden at Boston, within said district, at the respective times now prescribed by law, and that all writs and processes, of whatsoever nature or kind, that have been or may be issued, and made returnable to the said court at Salem, shall be returnable and returned to the said court at Boston, any thing in any former law to the contrary notwithstanding.

, March 3, 1813.