TWENTY-SECOND CONGRESS. Sess. I. Ch. 65, 66. 1832.

Chap. LXV.— An Act supplementary to the several laws for the sale of public

lands, (a)

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the UnitedStates of America, in Congress assembled, That from and after the firstday of May next, all the public lands of the United States , when offeredat private sale, may be purchased at the option of the purchaser, eitherin entire sections, half sections, quarter sections, half-quarter sections, orquarter-quarter sections; and in every case of a division of a half-quartersection, the line for the division thereof shall run east and west, and thecorners and contents of quarter-quarter sections, which may thereafterbe sold, shall be ascertained as nearly as rnay be, in the manner, and onthe principles, directed and prescribed by the second section of an act,entitled “ An act concerning the mode of surveying the public lands ofthe United States, ” passed on the eleventh day of February, eighteenhundred and five; and fractional sections, containing fewer or more thanone hundred and sixty acres, shall in like manner, as nearly as may bepracticable, be subdivided into quarter-quarter sections, under such rulesand regulations as may be prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury:Provided, That this act shall not be construed to alter any special pro-vision made by law for the sale of land in town lots : And,provided also,That no person shall be permitted to enter more than one half-quartersection of land under this act, in quarter-quarter sections, in his ownname, or in the name of any other person, and in no case, unless heintends it for cultivation, or for the use of his improvement. And theperson making application to make an entry under this act shall file hisand her affidavit, under such regulations as the Secretary of the Treasurymay prescribe, that he or she makes the entry in his or her own name,for his or her own benefit, and not in trust for another: Provided, further,That all actual settlers, being house-keepers upon the public lands, shallhave the right of pre-emption to enter, within six months after the pas-sage of this act, not exceeding the quantity of one half-quarter section,under the provisions of this act, to include his or their improvements,under such regulations as have been, or may be prescribed by the Sec-retary of the Treasury; and in cases where two persons shall live uponthe same quarter section, subject to be entered under the provisions ofthis act, each shall have the right to enter that quarter-quarter sectionwhich includes his improvements.

Approved, April 5, 1832.

Chap. LXVI .—An Act to authorize the judges of the courts of the United, Stalesto take bail of the claimants of property seized, and perform other acts invacation.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the UnitedStates of America, in Congress assembled, That in any cause of admi-ralty and maritime jurisdiction, or other case of seizure, depending inany court of the United States , any judge of the said court, in vacation,shall have the same power and authority to order any vessel, or cargo, orother property, to be delivered to the claimants, upon bail or bond, underthe statute, as the case may be, or to be sold when necessary, as the saidcourt now has in term time, and to appoint appraisers, and exercise everyother incidental power necessary to the complete execution of theauthority herein granted; and the said recognisance of bail or bond,under such order, may be executed before the clerk upon the party’sproducing the certificate of the collector of the district, of the sufficiencyof the security offered ; and the same proceedings shall be had in case

503

Statute I.April 5, 1832.

All public landsoffered at pri-vate sale maybe purchased infractions of sec-tions, &c.

Act of Feb.11,1805, ch. 14.

Proviso.

Proviso.

Proviso,

Statute I.April 5, 1832.

Judge autho-rized, &c. to de-liver vessel, &c.to claimant.

Bond to beexecuted beforeclerk, &c.

(a) Notes of the acts relative to the sale of the public lands, vol. ii. p. 73.