United States Statutes at Large/Volume 3/15th Congress/2nd Session/Chapter 98
Chap. XCVIII.—An Act providing for the correction of errors in making entries of land at the land offices.
Act of May 24, 1824, ch. 138.
Purchasers making entries different from what they intended, may make application to the register of the land office.Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That in every case of a purchaser of public lands, at private sale, having entered, at the land office, a tract different from that he intended to purchase, and being desirous of having the error in his entry corrected, he shall make his application, for that purpose, to the register of the land office; and if it shall appear, from testimony satisfactory to the register and receiver of public moneys that an error in the entry has been made, and that the same was occasioned by the original incorrect marks made by the surveyor, or by the obliteration, or change, of the original marks and number at corners of the tract of land; or that it has, in any otherwise, arisen from mistake or error of the surveyor, or officers of the land office; the said register and receiver of public moneys, shall report the case, with the testimony, and their opinion thereon, to the Secretary of the Treasury,The Secretary of the Treasury may allow the entries to be withdrawn, and the moneys paid to be applied to other purchases of land. who shall have power to direct, if in his opinion it shall be proper, that the purchaser shall be at liberty to withdraw the entry so erroneously made, and that the moneys which have been paid, shall be applied in the purchase of other lands in the same district, or credited in the payment for other lands which shall have been purchased at the same office.
Approved, March 3, 1819.