TWENTY-FOURTH CONGRESS . Sess. II. Ch. 37. 1837.

by a board of commissioners of three in number, any two of whomshall he a quorum to do business; said commissioners to be appointedby the President of the United States , and shall, previous to their enter-ing upon the discharge of their duties, take an oath or affirmation toperform the same faithfully and impartially: Provided, That the actionof the commissioners appointed under the present act shall not inter-fere with any of the acts performed by the Surveyor General, prior tothe time of the passage hereof, in pursuance of instructions under theact to which this is amendatory.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That the said commissioners shallhave power to hear evidence and determine all claims to lots arisingunder the act to which this is an amendment; and for this purpose, thesaid commissioners are authorized to administer all oaths that may benecessary, and reduce to writing all the evidence in support of claimsto pre-emption presented for their consideration; and when all the testi-mony shall have been heard and considered, the said commissionersshall file with the proper register and receiver for the district withinwhich the towns are situated respectively, the testimony in each case,together with a certificate in favor of each person having the right ofpre-emption under the provisions of the act of which this is amendatory;and upon making payment to the proper receiver of public moneys forthe lot or lots to which such person is entitled, the receiver shall granta receipt therefor, and the register issue certificates of purchase, to betransmitted to the Commissioner of the General Land Office, as in othercases of the sale of public lands.

Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That the proper register and re-ceiver of public moneys, after the board of commissioners have heardand determined all the cases of pre-emption under the act to which thisis an amendment, shall expose the residue of the lots to public sale tothe highest bidder, after advertising the same in three public news-papers at least three months prior to the day of sale, in the same man-ner as is provided for the sale of public lands in other cases; and afterpaying the commissioners the compensation hereafter allowed them, andall other expenses incident to the said survey and sale, the receiver ofthe land office shall pay over the residue of the money he may have re-ceived from the sale of lots aforesaid, by pre-emption as well as at pub-lic auction, into the hands of the trustees of the respective towns afore-said, to be expended by them in the erection of public buildings, theconstruction of suitable wharves, and the improvement of the streets inthe said towns of Fort Madison , Burlington, Belleview, Du Buque,Peru and Mineral Point.

Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That the commissioners appointedto carry this act into effect, shall be paid by the receiver of publicmoneys, of the proper land district, six dollars each, per day, for theirservices, for every day they are necessarily employed.

Approved, March 3, 1837.

Chap. XXXVII .—Jin Act to continue in force for a limited time the act entitled

“An act to carry into effect a convention between the United States and Spain .'''’

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of theUnited States of America in Congress assembled, That the provisionsof the act, entitled “An act to carry into effect a convention betweenthe United States and Spain, ” approved on the seventh day of June,one thousand eight hundred and thirty-six, be, and the same are hereby,extended until the first day of February, one thousand eight hundredand thirty-eight; and the commissioner appointed under the said act,shall, on or before the said day, terminate his duties.

Approved, March 3, 1837.

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done by thesurveyor underthe act to whichthis is anamendmentshall be done bya board of com-missioners, tobe appointed bythe President,&c.

Proviso.

The commis-sioners to havepower to deter-mine all claimsto lots, &c.

Upon paymentbeing made tothe proper re-ceiver lor a lot,he shall grant areceipt, &,c.

The proper re-gister and re-ceiver, after thecommissionershave deter-mined all casesof pre-emption;shall expose re *sidue of lots atpublic sale, tothe highest bid-der, Sic.

After payingthe commis-sioners, &c. thereceiver shallpay over theresidue to thetrustees of thetowns afore-said.

The commis-sioners to bepaid six dollarsper day.

Statute II.

March 3, 1837.

[Obsolete.]

Act of June 7,1836, ch. 87.

The provi-sions of the actextended to 1stFebruary, 1838.