# United States Statutes at Large/Volume 4/18th Congress/1st Session/Chapter 154

Chap. CLIV.—An Act concerning pre-emption rights in the territory of Arkansas.
Any person or his legal representative, who was entitled to the right of pre-emption in the territory of Arkansas, under the act of April 12, 1814, authorized to enter with the register of the land office in Lawrence district, any tract therein. 1814, ch. 52. Proviso.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, who was entitled to the right of pre-emption, in the territory of Arkansas, under the provisions of the act of Congress of the 12th of April, one thousand eight hundred and fourteen, entitled “An act for the final adjustment of land titles in the state of Louisiana and territory of Missouri,” in that tract of country north of the river Arkansas, ceded by the United States to the Cherokee nation of Indians, on the eighth day of July, one thousand eight hundred and seventeen, be, and they are hereby, authorized, in lieu thereof, and in full compensation for such right of pre-emption, to enter with the register of the land office in the district of Lawrence, in said territory, any tract within said district, on which they may have made improvements previously to the passing of this act, or any unimproved tract within said district, the sale of which is authorized by law: Provided, That no more than one quarter section of land shall be sold to any one individual, in virtue of this act; and the same shall be bounded by the ​sectional and divisional lines run, or to be run, under the direction of the surveyor of the United States’ lands for the states of Missouri and Illinois, and territory of Arkansas.
Every person claiming a preference in becoming a purchaser of a tract of land, in virtue of this act, shall deliver a notice in writing to the register of the land office for said district. The register to file such notice.Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That every person claiming a preference in becoming the purchaser of a tract of land, in virtue of this act, shall deliver a notice in writing to the register of the land office for said district, stating therein that he was entitled to a pre-emption right, under the aforesaid act of Congress, in that part of the territory of Arkansas ceded as aforesaid, and also particularly designating therein the quarter section he is desirous to enter, which notice the register shall file in his office; and, in every case where it shall be proved, to the satisfaction of the register and receiver of public moneys of the land office aforesaid, that any person who has delivered such notice was entitled to a pre-emption right under said act of Congress, in that part of the territory of Arkansas ceded as aforesaid, shall have a right to enter with the register of said land office, at the minimum price for which United States’ lands are sold, the tract of land designated in said notice, on producing his receipt from the receiver of public moneys for the purchase money of said tract, as in case of other public lands sold at private sale; and, as a compensation for their services, the register and receiver shall, each, be entitled to one dollar in every such case, to be paid by the claimant of such pre-emption right:Proviso. Provided, That every such entry and payment shall be made at least two weeks previous to the time of offering the adjacent lands at public sale, unless the same be entered in such part of said district as shall have been offered at public sale at the time of the passage of this act; in which case, such entry shall be made within two years from the passage thereof.
Approved, May 26, 1824.