# United States Statutes at Large/Volume 4/18th Congress/1st Session/Chapter 174

Chap. CLXXIV.—An Act providing for the disposition of three several tracts of land in Tuscarawas county, in the state of Ohio, and for other purposes.
Three tracts of land in the county of Tuscarawas, Ohio, to be surveyed and laid off into lots. Proviso. Proviso.Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That three several tracts of land, lying in the county of Tuscarawas, in the state of Ohio, lately retroceded to the United States by the Society of United Brethren for propagating the Gospel among the heathen, shall be surveyed and laid off into such lots, having regard to the existing surveys and improvements ​thereon, as will best conduce to the sale thereof: Provided, That the lots and tracts which the United States are bound to convey to the said society, shall be laid off according to the contract for retrocession: And provided, also, That a suitable number of in-lots and out-lots, in the town of Gnadenhutten, shall be laid off for said town, embracing the improved part thereof, and the fields adjoining, now occupied by the inhabitants, which shall be platted and numbered, and a copy recorded in said county, according to the laws of Ohio.
An agent to be appointed to reside near said land—duty of said agent.Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That the Secretary of the Treasury shall be, and is hereby, authorized to appoint an agent, who shall reside near the said land, whose duty it shall be to superintend and direct the survey of said land and lots; to receive and pay over to the treasury the rents due, and to become due, of said lands; to take possession of such parts of said lands as may be forfeited by the tenants, by reason of non-performance of the covenants in their leases, to ascertain the actual cash value of each of the lots and town lots, with the improvements thereon, and, also, the value of each, subject to the conditions of the lease outstanding on it, by the aid of two disinterested appraisers, to be selected by the Secretary of the Treasury, to ascertain the award to be made to Isaac Simners, Jesse Walton, Barzillai Walton, Jesse Hill, and Boaz Walton, according to their leases; to receive a surrender of such of the leases outstanding on such lands as the holders thereof may be disposed to make, who have, or shall first comply with the conditions of their leases, up to the time of the surrender; to superintend the sale of said lands and lots, and to transfer to the purchasers who shall buy any of said land or lots, subject to the leases thereon, the lease of the lot or land so bought; and to do whatever else may be necessary to effect a speedy and advantageous disposition of said lands and lots.
A right of pre-emption to be allowed John Andreas, and others.Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That a right of pre-emption shall be allowed to John Andreas, John Neigaman, Jacob Winsh, and Catharine Tschudy, at the real cash value of the lots occupied by them according to the stipulations of the said agreement for retrocession, and to any of the lessees, for any lot embracing their lease; and, also, to the said Society of United Brethren, for any of the remaining lots, or town lots, to an amount not exceeding the amount stipulated to be paid to them by the United States:Proviso. Provided, That any of the persons entitled to pre-emption, who shall be desirous to avail themselves of such right, shall give notice to the said agent of such their intention before the cash value of the lots is ascertained; and, in case of the lessees, shall, at or before the time of giving such notice, pay all arrears of rent, and surrender their leases; and shall, immediately after the said cash value is ascertained, be entitled to a patent for the lot or land to which they are entitled, as aforesaid, on paying the amount of such cash value; or, in the case of the society, on their executing and delivering to said agent a discharge to the United States, for so much as said lot or land, whereto a pre-emption is claimed, shall amount to, on account of any sum to become due them by reason of the stipulations in said retrocession; and no right to such pre-emption shall be considered as extending beyond the time of commencing the sale of said lands, as hereinafter directed.
The usual ground for streets and alleys in said town, to be allowed for public use.Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That the Secretary of the Treasury may cause to be designated and allowed for public use, the usual ground for streets and alleys in said town, for public ground, and for schools: and may, moreover, cause to be designated and set apart, one lot in each of said tracts, not exceeding one thirty-sixth part of each, the title whereof shall be vested in the legislature of the state of Ohio, and held in trust for the use of schools, in the same manner as other lands granted by the United States for the use of schools, are held in that state.
After the surveys are made, value ascertained, and the school lands designated, the agent shall give notice through certain newspapers.Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, That, immediately after the said surveys shall be completed, the cash value ascertained, and the school ​lands designated, the said agent shall give notice, by advertisement in one newspaper in Washington city, and one in Steubenville, one in Zanesville, and one in New Philadelphia, Ohio, of the time, not less than sixty days from the first publication, when he will offer the said lands and lots for sale, at public vendue, at the courthouse in New Philadelphia aforesaid; and shall, at such time and place, proceed to offer for sale, to the highest bidder, any of said lands or lots, remaining undisposed of, in the manner hereinbefore provided for: and none of said lots, or land, shall be put up at a less sum than the actual cash value ascertained as aforesaid; and in case any of said lessees shall have failed, or refused to surrender their leases, the sale shall be made subject to those leases;Sale of the lands. and each purchaser who may purchase at such sale, shall immediately pay to the said agent the amount of his purchase, and take his receipt for the amount, specifying the lot or land purchased; upon which the purchaser shall be entitled to a patent as other purchasers of public lands are: but in case any purchaser shall fail to make his payment as aforesaid, at or before the close of the sale, he shall be considered as having forfeited his purchase, and the land struck off to him shall be again offered for sale, in the same manner as if it had never been struck off: and the said agent, immediately after the close of such sale, shall pay over the money received at such sale, and for rent, to the United States, and report all his proceedings to the general land office; and the President shall be, and he is hereby, authorized, whenever the boundaries of the several lots stipulated to be conveyed to the said society shall be ascertained, to issue patents therefor to said society.
Said agent to take an oath and give security. To receive 600 dollars per annum. Proviso.Sec. 6. And be it further enacted, That the agent herein provided for, shall take an oath of office, and give bond and security, in such sum and form as the Secretary of the Treasury may direct, and be allowed and paid for his services a salary at the rate of six hundred dollars per annum: Provided, That said office shall not continue longer than is necessary to perform the duties herein required, and not longer than one year; and said salary, together with the incidental expenses attending the said survey and sale, shall be charged to the fund to be raised by the sale of said lots and land. The said appraisers shall be allowed the sum of two dollars for each day actually employed in the appraisement aforesaid, and neither the said agent nor appraisers shall be at liberty to purchase any of the said lands or lots.
Any land or lots remaining unsold at public auction, shall be subject to entry and sale, at the land office in Zanesville. Duty of the accounting officers of the treasury.Sec. 7. And be it further enacted, That, if any of such land or lots remain unsold at public auction, as aforesaid, the same shall be subject to entry and sale at the land office in Zanesville, in Ohio, at the actual cash price, ascertained as aforesaid, in the same manner that other lands of the United States are authorized to be entered; and it shall be the duty of the accounting officers of the Treasury Department to keep a separate account of the proceeds of the lots and lands aforesaid, and of all moneys received and disbursed on account thereof; and, after the expenses of survey and sale of said lots and land shall be reimbursed, it shall be the duty of the Secretary of the Treasury to pay to the said society the sums stipulated to be paid them, and for which they shall not have taken lands and lots as hereinbefore provided for: to pay to the said Simners, Hill, and Waltons, the sums awarded to them; and then to credit the residue of the proceeds of said lots and lands, as they shall be received, to the fund for raising the annuity for the Christian Indians, so called in the manner stipulated in the agreement entered into with them on the eighth of November, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-three.
Course to be pursued by the President in case the Christian Indians feel a disposition to remove from their residence on the river Thames.Sec. 8. And be it further enacted, That, whenever the said Christian Indians shall notify the President of the United States, that they wish to remove from their present residence on the river Thames, into the territory of the United States, it shall be lawful for the President to designate a reservation of not less than twenty-four thousand acres of land, ​to be held by the said Indians in the usual manner of Indian reservations, so long as they shall live thereon; and from the time said Indians shall remove on to said reservation, the said annuity shall cease.
Approved, May 26, 1824.