Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 5.djvu/147



officer to be styled the Principal Clerk of the Surveys, whose duty it shall be to direct and superintend the making of surveys, the returns thereof, and all matters relating thereto, which are done through the officers of the Surveyor General; and he shall perform such other duties as may be assigned to him by the Commissioner of the General Land Office.

. And be it further enacted, That there shall be appointed by the President, by and with the consent of the Senate, a Recorder of the General Land Office, whose duty it shall be, in pursuance of instructions from the Commissioner, to certify and affix the seal of the General Land Office to all patents for public lands, and he shall attend to the correct engrossing, and recording, and transmission of such patents. He shall prepare alphabetical indexes of the names of patentees, and of persons entitled to patents; and he shall prepare such copies and exemplifications of matters on file, or recorded in the General Land Office, as the Commissioner may from time to time direct.

. And be it further enacted, That there shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, an officer to be called the Solicitor of the General Land Office, with an annual salary of two thousand dollars, whose duty it shall be to examine and present a report to the Commissioner of the state of facts in all cases referred by the Commissioner to his attention which shall involve questions of law, or where the facts are in controversy between the agents of the Government and individuals, or there are conflicting claims of parties before the Department, with his opinion thereon; and also, to advice the Commissioner, when required thereto, on all questions growing out of the management of the public lands, or the title thereto, private land claims, Virginia military scrip, bounty lands, and pre-emption claims; and to render such further professional services in the business of the Department as may be required, and shall be connected with the discharge of the duties thereof.

. And be it further enacted, That it shall be lawful for the President of the United States, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to appoint a Secretary, with a salary of fifteen hundred dollars per annum, whose duty it shall be, under the direction of the President, to sign in his name, and for him, all patents for land sold or granted under the authority of the United States.

. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of the Commissioner to cause to be prepared, and to certify, under the seal of the General Land Office, such copies of records, books, and papers on file in his office, as may be applied for, to be used in evidence in courts of justice.

. And be it further enacted, That whenever the office of Recorder shall become vacant, or in case of the sickness or absence of the Recorder, the duties of his office shall be performed, ad interim, by the Principal Clerk on Private Land Claims.

. And be it further enacted, That the Receivers of the land offices shall make to the Secretary of the Treasury monthly returns of the moneys received in their several offices, and pay over such money pursuant to his instructions. And they shall also make to the Commissioner of the General Land Office like monthly returns, and transmit to him quarterly accounts current of the debits and credits of their several offices with the United States.

. And be it further enacted, That the Commissioner of the General Land Office shall be entitled to receive an annual salary of three thousand dollars; the recorder of the General Land Office, an annual salary of fifteen hundred dollars; the principal clerk of the surveys, an annual salary of eighteen hundred dollars; and each of the said principal clerks an annual salary of eighteen hundred dollars; from