# United States Statutes at Large/Volume 3/13th Congress/3rd Session/Chapter 97

Chap. XCVII.—An Act further supplementary to an act, entitled “An act providing for the indemnification of certain claimants of public lands in the Mississippi territory.”
Act of March 31, 1814, ch. 39. Commissioners authorized to decide upon the quantity of land contained in any deed, without further survey. Act of Jan. 23, 1815, ch. 24.Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the commissioners appointed by virtue of the act entitled “An act supplementary to an act entitled ‘An act providing for the indemnification of certain claimants of public lands in the Mississippi territory,’” shall be, and they are hereby ​authorized to decide, in a summary way, upon the quantity or boundary of land contained in any grant or deed exhibited before them, by any of the claimants of lands released to the United States, agreeably to said act, according to such maps, surveys, or other evidence, as now exist or which they may be now able to procure, without requiring or permitting any other survey to be made.
Instruments executed by the parties or their attorneys shall be considered legal by the commissioners.Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That the said commissioners shall be, and they are hereby authorized to allow, and receive, in all cases, except those where femes coverts are parties, as sufficient legal releases, assignments, and powers, required by said act, and the supplement thereto, and as lawful conveyances, all such instruments as may be executed to, and as lawful conveyances, all such instruments as may be executed by the party, or his, her, or their attorney or attorneys, lawfully empowered, and either acknowledged by the party making the same, before some judge, or justice of the peace, notary public, mayor, recorder or alderman of a corporation, or master in a chancery, or one of the said commissioners, or proved by other evidence to the satisfaction of the commissioners to have been duly executed by the party.
A further time allowed where releases, &c. are defectively drawn.Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That the said commissioners shall be, and they are hereby authorized, in all cases where the releases, assignments, and powers required by the act aforesaid, already presented, or which may be presented on or before the third Monday in March instant, or powers of attorney, by which said releases shall have been, or shall be made, shall be, in the judgment of the commissioners aforesaid, defectively drawn or executed, to allow a further time not exceeding two months, from and after the said third Monday in March instant, to perfect the same.
Commissioners authorized to finally settle all claims.Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That the said commissioners shall be, and they are hereby authorized to admit and finally settle all such claims as have been, or may be, within the time limited, duly released, assigned, and transferred to the United Sttes, any thing in the said original act, or any supplement thereto, to the contrary notwithstanding; and to administer oaths, or take affirmations, and to compel the attendance of witnesses, in all cases where necessary.
On reports of the commissioners certificates of stock to be issued.Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, That the President of the United States shall be, and he is hereby authorized, from time to time, to cause to be issued such certificates of stock as are specified in the said original act, and supplement thereto, to such claimant or claimants, whose claim may be decided on and reported by the commissioners, on receiving such report in relation to such claim, from the said commissioners.
Secretary to record releases, &c., and return them to the Secretary of State’s office. Terms of recording.Sec. 6. And be it further enacted, That the releases, assignments, and powers, required by the act aforesaid, and the supplement thereto, now received, and which may be hereafter received, shall be recorded by the secretary of the said commissioners, and the said records returned with all other papers and documents in relation to said claims, when the business of the said commissioners shall be closed, to the office of the Secretary of State; and that the said secretary shall be paid by the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, out of any money not otherwise appropriated, at the rate of twelve and a half cents for each and every hundred words contained in each instrument so recorded.
On the dissolution of the board of commissioners, the President may grant additional compensation. Proviso.Sec. 7. And be it further enacted, That on the dissolution of the said board of commissioners, and the performance of the duties assigned them, the President of the United States shall be, and he is hereby authorized, if in his judgment he shall consider the said commissioners entitled to any further additional compensation for their services than is now provided for, to cause them to be paid such other and further sums, out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated, as he shall think just and reasonable: Provided, That such additional compensation shall not exceed fifty cents to such commissioner, for every deed or evidence of title which shall be submitted to their examination and decision, in ​pursuance of the provisions of the said original act, and the supplements thereto.
Approved, March 3, 1815.