122 FIFTY-THIRD CONGRESS. Sess. I1. Ch. 163. l89l. Jul! m· UW- CHAP. 163.-An Act Prescribing limitations of time for completion of title to
- '—"“""1'“ certain lands disposed of under the Act of Congress approved September twenty-
seventh, eighteen hundred and fifty, and the Acts amendatory and supplemental thereilto, and ciemmonly tknownssl the "Donation Act," and for the protection of PIIYC EISEYS 2D OCCDPIID S OH SHI 3ll( S. Be it enacted by Hue Senate and House of Representatives of the United m?{.9§°” '*°““°” States of America in Congress assembled, That in all cases where persons vn. a, p. na. under the provisions of the Act of Congress entitled “An Act to cre- ‘ ate the office of surveyor- general of the public lands in Oregon, and to provide for the survey and to make donations to settlers of the said public1ands,” approved September twenty-seventh, eighteen hundred and '“*¤° °**°“•l°** *°* fifty, or the various Acts amendatory and supplemental thereto, have mms dm"` made proof of settlement on tracts of land in either of the States of Olreigefli, Wmhin(gton,lp{ ldteho, aind given eotme, as by laxé, . a ey c aime suc an s as ona ions u ave a execu and tile in the proper land offices proof of ,their continued residence on and cultivation of the lands so settled upon and claimed, so as to entitle them tel petents theitffolrg, such claimants, their heirs, devisees and grantees s al have an they are hereby given until the first day of zaupary., tegghteefduhiiudgeldi aipdhninetyilmx, this iight to Qnekedand (gale na proo an y es s eir rig s o ona ions o an s un er tllreliiforesaid }A{ct oiiltgingiress, and no longer; and all claimants who s a ai to m e an e nal proof and perfect their claims to lands _ as donations under the Acts aforesaid, before the said tirst day of J ani . nary, eighteeuhundred and ninety-six, shall thereafter be held to have Zxmenu for abandoned their claims to the lands embraced in their notices: Provided, www uupptu. That as_ soon as practicable after the passage of this Act notices shall be published at least once a week for six successive weeks in one newspaper of general circulation published in the land district, in a form to be prescribed by_ the Commissioner of the General Land Office, . reqduirhng such donaeion claimants, their heirs, devisees, and grantees, an a persons ma ing c ann to such donation claims, to appear and make tinal proof for uch clarms within the time herein provided, and thatm default of such tinal proof such donation claims will be held to have been abandoned and the_lands embraced therein shall be, and . are hereby, restored to the public domain and shall be subject to disd _ posal under the then existing laws providing for the disposition of the ad1;:{_é¤:f;0:·§“:§gus¤¤¤ public laudséhProe_¢ded jiurtheeg {Th? wheredauy such donation claims or any par ereo are c aim y escen evised' 'al . l t or conveyance, in good faith, under the mziginal cdalimlazht, ;‘i1d’£i·r;nat the date of this Act and for twenty years prior thereto have been, in the quiet adverse possession of such he1r,dev1see, grantee, or purchaser, or those under whom th ey claim, such heirs, devisees, grantees, or purchasers, upon making proof of their claims and adverse possession as aforesaid, shall be entitled to patents for the land so claimed and occupied by a,::£:c*j;:,j,§f¤<>¤ them :_ Provided further, That where any portion of any such abandoned donation claim shall have been settled upon prior to January first, eightcen hundred and ninety-four, by any person under an erroneous claim of right and has been used as a bona tide residence by such settler where final proof shall not be made by the original claimant, or his heirs, dleyligeeeopliésggeplteegiessafelresegl, and such lsettler has exhausted his uc se er ma t' - tirst day of January, eighteen hundrediaiill hlixlzztyégilxiihlg his register of the land office of the district within which the lands are situate their aihdavit and the atiidavits of at least two disinterested Pam M witnesses establishing the facts of their bona fide settlement, occu- - 9 · pancy, and improvement of said lands, and pay to the receiver of the _ llapd office one dollar and twenty five cents peracre for the land i . _ ec upon, occupied, and improved, not exceeding one hundred and sixgy acres, and shall thereupon receive patent therefor. mgsxggsofbéegggi thS1éc. ... That nothing in this Act shall be so construed as to deprive 1,,,,,.; nist., € 0{¤¤¤SSi0¤€¥` of UN General Land Offic, under the rqoplgtions governing contests in land cases, of his right, if such right ndw exists,
