United States Statutes at Large/Volume 2/12th Congress/1st Session/Chapter 110
Chap. CX.—An Act confirming claims to lands in the Mississippi territory, founded on warrants of survey granted by the British or Spanish government.[1]
Act of March 3, 1803, ch. 27.
Certain claims confirmed.Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That every person, and the legal representative of every person claiming lands in the Mississippi
territory by virtue of a British or Spanish warrant or order of survey, granted prior to the twenty-seventh day of October, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-five, who were on that day actually resident in the said territory, and whose claims have been regularly filed with the proper register of the land-office east and west of Pearl river, according to law, and reported to Congress, agreeably to the fourth section of the act entituledAct of March 31, 1808, ch. 40.
Register and receiver to make out certificates of confirmation.
Patents to be granted on such certificates.
Proviso. “An act concerning the sale of the lands of the United States, and for other purposes,” passed on the thirty-first day of March, one thousand eight hundred and eight, be and they are hereby confirmed in their rights to land so claimed. And the register and receiver of public monies for the district within which the lands may lie, are authorized and required to make out such claimant or claimants, entitled thereto by the provisions of this act, a certificate of confirmation, for each of which certificates the register and receiver shall each receive one dollar, directed to the commissioner of the general land-office; and if it shall appear to the satisfaction of the said commissioner that such certificates have been fairly obtained, according to the true intent and meaning of this act, then and in that case patents shall be granted in like manner as is provided by law for the other lands of the United States: Provided, that no person shall be entitled to the benefit of this act who shall not appear by the report made to Congress as aforesaid or by the records of the boards of commissioners for the said territory to have been a resident of said territory on the twenty-seventh day of October one thousand seven hundred and ninety-five; nor shall any person be entitled to the benefit thereof who has not received a donation grant from the United States;Proviso. Provided, that not more than six hundred and forty acres shall by virtue of this act be granted to any one claim.
This act not to affect judicial decisions of a certain kind.Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That nothing in this act contained shall be construed to affect the decisions of the courts of justice in the said territory, heretofore made respecting the claims, or any part thereof, embraced by the preceding section, or to prevent a judicial decision between the holder of a British patent, legally and fully executed and recorded with the register of the land-office east or west of Pearl river, and the persons whose claims are confirmed by the preceding section where such claims interfere.
Approved, June 30, 1812.
- ↑ See notes to the act of March 3, 1803, ch. 27.