Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 3.djvu/571



heretofore been filed with the commissioner of the land office, of the district wherein the lands lie, shall be allowed until the first day of July, one thousand eight hundred and twenty, to deliver notices in writing, and the evidences of their claims, in the said districts, respectively, to the register of the land office at Jackson Courthouse and at St. Helena Courthouse; and the notices and evidences so delivered, within the time limited by this act, shall be recorded in the same manner, and on the payment of the same fees, as if the same had been delivered before the commissioners closed their said registers.

. And be it further enacted, That every person or persons, who had filed his or their notice of claims to land, within either of the said districts, with the commissioner of the land office, according to the former laws, but have not exhibited sufficient testimony in support of the same, and whose claim has not been recommended for confirmation, shall be allowed until the first day of July, one thousand eight hundred and twenty, to deliver written evidence, or other testimony, in support of his or their claim, the notice of which had been filed as aforesaid, to the register of the land office at St. Helena, for lands lying in the district west of Pearl river, and to the register of the land office at Jackson courthouse, for the lands lying in the district east of Pearl river; and the evidence of claims, the notice whereof had been filed, as aforesaid, for lands lying in the said district, delivered, within the time limited by this section, to the said registers, shall be recorded by them, respectively, in the same manner as was directed by former acts, on receiving the same fees allowed by said acts, for recording evidence of claims to lands in the same districts.

. And be it further enacted, That the register and receiver of public moneys of the said respective land offices, at Jackson Courthouse and at St. Helena Courthouse, shall have the same powers, and perform the same duties, in every respect, in relation to the claims that may be filed in virtue of the sixth section of this act, and in relation to the claims, the notices of which had been filed under former acts, as well as to the additional evidence which shall be adduced in support thereof, agreeably to the seventh section of this act, as the commissioners for the districts east and west of Pearl river would have had, or should have performed, if such notices had been filed, and such evidence adduced, before the said commissioners closed their registers.

. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of the register of each of the said land offices, respectively, to make, to the commissioner of the general land office, a report of all the claims filed with the register aforesaid, with the substance of the evidence in support thereof; and of the claims formerly filed, in support of which additional evidence shall have been received, with the substance of such evidence; and also their opinion and such remarks respecting the claim as they may think property to make; which report, together with a list of the claims, which, in the opinion of the register and receiver, ought to be confirmed, and also a list of actual settlers, prior to the passage of this act, noting the time of their respective settlements, shall be laid, by the commissioner of the general land office, before Congress, at their next session, for their determination thereon.

. And be it further enacted, That the said registers and receivers shall, respectively, have power to appoint a clerk, who shall be a person capable of translating the French and Spanish languages, and who shall perform the duty of translator, when required by said registers and receivers; and each of the said registers and receivers shall be allowed, as a compensation for their services in relation to the said claims, at the rate of fifteen hundred dollars a year; and each of the clerks at the rate of one thousand dollars a year: Provided, That not more than eighteen months’ compensation be thus allowed to the register, receiver and clerk,