REPORTED BY MR. CHILTON. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITed States, September 7, 1916. Resolved, That the publication entitled "Public Land Statutes" be printed as a Senate document, and that four thousand additional copies be printed for the use of the Senate Folding Room and one thousand additional copies for the Committee on Public Lands. JAMES M. BAKER, Secretary. Attest: PUBLIC LAND STATUTES. ABANDONED MILITARY RESERVATIONS. Act of July 5, 1884 (23 Stat., 103)-Sale-Settlers-Buildings-Minerals.... Act of August 23, 1894 (28 Stat., 491)—Homestead entry-Settlers-Appraised Act of February 15, 1895 (28 Stat., 664)—Act of August 23, 1894, extended An Act To provide for the disposal of abandoned and useless military reservations. Page. 5 7 78 abandoned and Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That whenever, in the opinion of the President of the Sale, etc., of United States, the lands, or any portion of them, in- useless military cluded within the limits of any military reservation here- reservations. tofore or hereafter declared, have become or shall become useless for military purposes, he shall cause the same or so much thereof as he may designate, to be placed under the control of the Secretary of the Interior for disposition as hereinafter provided, and shall cause to be filed with the Secretary of the Interior a notice thereof. division of lands. SEC. 2. That the Secretary of the Interior may, if in Survey and subhis opinion the public interests so require, cause the said lands, or any part thereof, in such reservations, to be regularly surveyed, or to be subdivided into tracts of less. than forty acres each, and into town lots, or either, or both. He shall cause the said lands so surveyed and subdivided, and each tract thereof, to be appraised by Appraisal. three competent and disinterested men to be appointed by him, and who shall, after having each been first duly sworn to impartially and faithfully execute the trust reposed in them, appraise the said lands, subdivisions, and tracts, and each of them, and report their proceedings to the Secretary of the Interior for his action thereon. If such appraisement be disapproved, the Secretary of the Interior shall again cause the said lands to be appraised as before provided; and when the appraisement has been approved he shall cause the said lands, subdivisions, and lots to be sold at public sale, to the highest bidder for Lands at public cash, at not less than the appraised value thereof, nor conditions of less than one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre, first sale. having given not less than sixty days' public notice of the time, place, and terms of sale, immediately prior to such sale, by publication in at least two newspapers having a general circulation in the country or section of county where the lands to be sold are situate; and any lands, subdivisions, or lots remaining unsold may be reoffered for sale at any subsequent time in the same manner, at sale. Private sale. settlers. of the discretion of the Secretary of the Interior; and if not sold at such second offering for want of bidders, then the Secretary of the Interior may sell the same at private sale, for cash, at not less than the appraised value, nor less than one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre: ProRights of actual vided, That any settler who was in actual occupation of any portion of any such reservations prior to the location of such reservation, or settled thereon prior to January first, eighteen hundred and eighty-four, in good faith for the purpose of securing a home and of entering the same under the general laws and has continued in such occupation to the present time, and is by law entitled to make a homestead entry shall be entitled to enter the land so occupied, not exceeding one hundred and sixty acres in a body, according to the Government surveys and subdivisions: Provided further, That said lands were subject to entry under the public land laws at the time of their withdrawal * * * sale. sale. buildings, SEC. 3. That the Secretary of the Interior shall cause any improvements, buildings, building materials, and other property which may be situate upon any such lands, subdivisions or lots not heretofore sold by the Appraisement United States authorities, to be appraised in the same etc., and public manner as hereinbefore provided for the appraisements of such lands, subdivisions, and lots, and shall cause the same, together with the tract or lot upon which they are Conditions of situate, to be sold at public sale, to the highest bidder for cash, at not less than the appraised value of such land and improvements, first giving the sixty days' notice as hereinbefore provided; or he may, in his discretion, cause the improvements to be sold separately, at public sale for cash, at not less than the appraised value, to be removed by the purchaser within such time as may be prescribed, first giving the sixty days' public notice before provided; and if in any case the lands and improvements, or the improvements separately, as the case may be, are not sold for want of bidders, then the Secretary of the Interior may, in his discretion, cause the same to be reoffered for sale, at any subsequent time, in the same manner as above provided, or may cause the same to be sold at private sale for not less than the appraised value: ProLands first to be vided, That where buildings or improvements have been of buildings and heretofore sold by the United States authorities the land improvements. upon which such buildings or improvements are situate not exceeding the smallest subdivision or lot provided for by this act upon the reservation on which said buildings are situate shall be offered for sale to the purchaser of said improvements and buildings at the appraised value of the lands and if said purchaser shall fail to sixty days after notice to complete said purchase of lands the same shall be sold under the provisions of this act offered to owners |