CHAPTER XCIII.

An ACT authorifing the Secretary of the TreaJury to employ Cl rks for completing the abftracts of the valuation of lands and dwellingboufes, and the enumeration of flaves.

B prefentatives of the United States of Ame

E it enacted by the Senate and House of Re

rica, in Congrefs affembled, That the Secretary of the Treafury be, and he is hereby authorifed and directed to employ clerks, for fuch compenfation as he fhall judge reasonable, to complete the abstracts of the valuation of lands and dwelling houfes, and the enumeration of flaves within the United States, under the direction of the commiffioners authorized to direct the completing of fuch abftracts, in thofe ftates where clerks cannot be procured by the commiffioners, for the compenfation allowed by law to clerks for performing that bufinefs, agreeably to the provifions of the following acts; that is to fay, an act, intituled, "An act to provide for the valuation of lands and dwelling houses, and the enumeration of flaves within the United States ;" an act intituled, "An act fupplementary to the act, intituled, 'An act to provide for the valuation of lands and dwelling houfes, and the enumeration of flaves within the United States;" and an act, intituled," An act to provide for equalizing the valuation of unfeated lands."

THEODORE SEDGWICK,

Speaker of the House of Reprefentatives. JAMES HILLHOUSE,

President of the Senate, pro tempore.

APPROVED-March 3, A. D. 1801.

JOHN ADAMS,

Prefident of the United States.

CHAPTER, XCIV.

An ACT giving a right of preemption to certain perfons who have contracted with John Cleves Symmes, or his affociates, for lands lying between the Mianti rivers, in the territory of the United States north-west of the Ohio.

Sec. I.

E it enacted by the Senate and Houfe

certain per

tracted

BE Right of of Reprefentatives of the United preemption States of America, in Congress affembled, That given to any person or perfons, and the legal reprefenta- fons, who tive or representatives of any perfon or perfons, have conwho, before the first day of January in the year with c. of our Lord one thoufand eight hundred, had Symmes, made any contract or contracts in writing, or by &c. any note or memorandum thereof in writing, either with John Cleves Symmes, or with any of his affociates, or who had made to him or them, any payment of money for the purchase of lands, fituate between the Miami rivers, within the limits of a furvey made by Ifrael Ludlow, in conformity to an act of Congress of the twelfth of April, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-two, and not comprehended within the limits of a tract of land, conveyed to John Cleves Symmes and his affociates, by letters patent, bearing date the thirtieth of September, one thousand feven hundred and ninety-four, in the territory of the United States north-west of the Ohio, fhall be entitled to a preference, in becoming the purchafers, from the United States, of all the lands fo contracted for, at the price of two dollars per acre, exclufive of the furveying fees, and other incidental expenses; and payment may be made therefor, to the Treafurer of the United States, or the Receiver of public monies for the lands of the United States at CinOo

Perfons

claimingthe benefit of

cinnati, in like inftalments, and under the fame conditions, as directed by the act, intituled, "An act to amend the act, intituled, an act providing for the fale of the lands of the United States, in the territory of the United States northweft of the Ohio, and above the mouth of Kentucky river;" Provided however, that no interest fhall be charged upon any of the inftalments until they refpectively become payable.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That every perfon, claiming the benefit of the first section of this act, fhall, on or before the first day of November next, deliver to the Receiver of public monies, for the lands of the United States at Cincinnati, a notice in writing, ftating the nature ceiver of and extent of his claim or contract; and if any nies at Cin- perfon fhall neglect to give fuch notice of his cinnati, &c. claim or contract, or having given the fame, fhall

this act to give notice

to the Re

public mo

herein;

neglect to make application for the purchase thereof, as hereinafter directed, or fhall fail in making the first payment before the first of January next, all his right of preemption, on the terms aforefaid, fhall ceafe and become void.

Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That the Duty of the aforefaid Receiver of public monies, on being Receiver paid the fees hereinafter provided, fhall receive every fuch notice of claim, or statement thereof, and give a receipt therefor, and carefully put and preferve on file every fuch paper or writing, and lay the fame before the Commiffioners, when met, for fettling and adjusting the claims aforefaid.

the two

Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That the And alfo of aforefaid Receiver of public monies, and two Commif- other perfons, who fhall be appointed by the fioners to be Prefident of the United States alone fhall be appointed. commiffioners for the purpose of ascertaining the rights of perfons claiming the benefits of this

act, who, previous to entering on the duties of their appointment, fhall refpectively take and fubfcribe the following oath or affirmation, before fome perfon qualified to administer oaths, to wit, "I “ I————————do folemnly fwear, or affirm, that I will impartially exercise and discharge the duties impofed upon me, by an act of Congrefs, intituled" An act giving a right of preemption to certain persons who have contracted with John Cleves Symmes, or his affociates, for lands lying between the Miami rivers, in the territory of the United States north-west of the Ohio," to the best of my understanding and ability;" and it fhall be the duty of the faid Commiffioners to meet at Cincinnati, between the first and the tenth day of November next, of which meeting three weeks previous notice fhall be given by them in a public newspaper printed at Cincinnati; and they, or a majority of them, fo met, fhall not adjourn to any other place, or for a longer time than three days, until they have finally completed the business of their faid appointment; and they, or any two of them, fhall have power to hear and decide, in a fummary manner, all matters refpecting all fuch claims of which notice may have been filed, purfuant to the third fection of this act, alfo to administer oaths, and examine witneffes, and fuch other teftimony as may be adduced, and to determine thereon according to justice and equity; which determination shall be final; and when it fhall appear to them, that the claimant is entitled to the right of preemption, on the terms aforefaid, they fhall give a certificate thereof, ftating as accurately as may be, the quantity and local fituation of the lands to which he may be entitled, directed to the Register of the land-office at Cincinnati, or when the faid Register may be a claimant to the Surveyor-Ge

Duty of the

Register at

Cincinnati.

neral, copies of which certificates fhall be by them recorded, in a book to be provided for that purpofe, and depofited for fafe-keeping with the Register of the land-office.

Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, That the aforefaid Register and Surveyor-General, refpecSurveyor- tively, upon application of any perfon or perfons, General & who fhall produce a certificate of the Commiffioners aforefaid, to him directed, before the first day of January next, and shall also produce a receipt from the Treasurer of the United States, or the aforefaid Receiver of public monies, for at least one fourth part of the purchase money, and also for the payment of three dollars for each half fection or fmaller quantity, and shall pay him the fees in like cafe provided by the act, intituled "An act to amend the act, intituled an act providing for the fale of the lands of the United States, in the territory of the United States north-west of the Ohio, and above the mouth of Kentucky river," fhall admit fuch perfon or perfons to become a purchaser or purchafers of the land defignated in the faid certificate, and fhall receive the faid certificate, and preferve it on file, and make an entry of the application in his book, kept for the purpose, and on any of the three laft payments being made in advance, he shall allow the purchafer the like discount as is allowed by the fourth clause of the fifth fection of the act last above recited; and on payment in full, and a final fettlement had, he fhall give his certificate thereof; upon producing which to the Secretary of the Treasury, a patent fhall iffue in like manner as is provided by the faid act laft above recited.

Sec. 6. And be it further enacted, That the faid Receiver of public monies shall be entitled to have and receive, to his own use, from the