TWENTIETH CONGRESS. Sess. II. Ch. 41. 1829.

359

below the thirty-first degree of north latitude, and had still possession ofsuch tract of land, shall be authorized to file their claim in the mannerrequired in other cases, before the said register and receiver, at SaintStephens, for their decision thereon. And it shall be the duty of thesaid register and receiver to hear and record the evidence offered tosupport such claim;, and if the same shall be established by sufficientproof, agreeably to the provisions of this section, the said officers shall,in their report, recommend the confirmation of the right to such claim,as in other cases: Provided, That no more land shall be reported forconfirmation, by virtue of this section, than is actually claimed by theparty, or than is contained within the acknowledged and ascertainedboundaries of the tract claimed; nor shall the provision of this sectionauthorize the confirmation of any land heretofore sold by the UnitedStates .

Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That the confirmation of all theclaims provided for by this act shall amount only to a relinquishmentfor ever, on the part of the United States , of any claim whatever, to thetracts of land and town lots so confirmed, and that nothing herein con-tained shall be construed to affect the claim or claims of any individualor body politic or corporate, if any such there be.

Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, That the register and receiver of theland office at Saint Stephens be, and they are hereby, invested withpower to direct the manner in which all claims to lands and town lots,which have been confirmed by this and former acts of Congress , in theirdistrict, shall be located and surveyed, having regard to the laws, usages,and customs of the Spanish government on that subject, and also themode adopted by the government of the United States , in surveying theclaims confirmed by virtue of the second and third sections of an act of Con-gress , entitled “ An act regulating the grants of lands, and providing forthe disposal of the lands of the United States, south of the state of Ten-nessee, ” approved the third of March, one thousand eight hundred andthree; and that so much of the fourth section of the “ Act supplementaryto the several acts for adjusting the claims to land and establishing landoffices in the district east of the island of New Orleans, ” approved theeighth of May, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-two, as interfereswith the power granted to the register and receiver of the land office atSaint Stephens, be, and the same is hereby, repealed.

Sec. 6. And be it further enacted, That certificates of confirmationand patents shall be granted for all lands and town lots confirmed by vir-tue of the provisions of this act, in the same manner as patents are grantedfor lands and town lots confirmed under former acts of Congress .

Sec. 7. And be it further enacted, That the Secretary of the Treasurybe, and he is hereby, authorized and empowered to make such compen-sation, not exceeding two hundred and fifty dollars, in addition to thesum already paid, to the present receiver of the land office at Saint Ste-phens, as to him may seem a just and proper equivalent for the servicesrendered by him in the discharge of the duties under the provisions ofan act of Congress passed on the third day of March, one thousand eighthundred and twenty-seven.

Approved, March 2, 1829.

Chap. XLI.— Jin Jlct to provide for the apprehension and delivery of desertersfrom certain foreign vessels in the ports of the United States .

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the UnitedStates o f America, in Congress assembled, That on application of a consulor vice-consul of any foreign government, having a treaty with theUnited States , stipulating for the restoration of seamen deserting, made

Register andreceiver to re-cord evidencein support ofclaims.

If sufficient evi-dence, claims tobe recommend-ed for confirma-tion.

Proviso.

Operation ofconfirmation.

Register andreceiver to di-rect mode of lo-cating and sur-veying con-firmed claims.

Act of March3, 1803, ch. 27.

*Act of May 8,1822, ch. 128.

Certificatesand patents tobe granted.

Compensationto receiver atSt. Stephens,for certain ser-vices.

Act of March3, 1827, ch. 78.

Statute II.March 2, 1829.

On applica-of consul orvice-consul ofnation entitledto the privilege,