# United States Statutes at Large/Volume 3/13th Congress/3rd Session/Chapter 20

Chap. XX.—An Act to provide for leasing certain lands reserved for the support of schools in the Mississippi territory.
County courts authorized to appoint agents for leasing of the sections of land for the use of schools.Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the county court in each county in the Mississippi territory shall be, and is hereby authorized to appoint a number of agents, not exceeding five, who shall have power to let out on lease for the purpose of improving the same, the sections of land reserved by Congress for the support of schools, lying within the county for which the agents respectively are appointed, or to let them out at an annual rent, as they shall judge proper; and it shall be the duty of the said agents, under the direction of the county courts respectively, to apply with impartiality the proceedsThe proceeds to be applied to this purpose. arising from the rents of each section as aforesaid, to the purpose of education, and to no other use whatsoever, within the particular township of six miles square, or fractional township wherein such section is situated, in such manner, that all the citizens residing therein may partake of the benefit thereof, according to the true intent of the reservation made by Congress.
Sections may be divided into convenient farms. Lessees to be bound not to commit waste.Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That for the purpose of forming the aforesaid sections into convenient farms, the said agents shall have power to lay off the same into lots of not less than one hundred and six acres, nor more than three hundred and twenty acres, except in case of fractional sections; and in every case, whether of leases for the improvement of the lots, or for an annual rent, the lessee shall be bound in a suitable penalty not to commit waste on the premises by destroying of timber or removing of stone, or any other injury to the lands whatever.
Trespassers may be removed by agents, who are authorized to inquire into waste, &c.Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That the said agents shall have full power within their respective counties, when and so often as they think proper, by legal process, to remove any person or persons from the possession of any of the aforesaid reserved sections, when such person or persons have not taken a lease, and refuse or neglect to take the same; and it shall, moreover, be the duty of the said agents to inspect and inquire into any waste or trespass committed on any of the reserved sections aforesaid, by cutting and carrying off timber or stone, or any ​other damage that may be done to the same, whether by persons residing thereon or others; and the said agents are hereby authorized, when waste or trespass shall be committed, to proceed against the person or persons committing the same, according to the laws in such case made and provided; and actions in the cases aforesaid shall be sustained by the agents, and the damages recovered shall be one half to the use of such agents, and the other half to be applied to the same purpose as the proceeds of rents from the land on which the damage was sustained.
Fees to agents for leases.Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That for each lease executed by the agents, they shall be entitled to receive the sum of two dollars, to be paid by the lessees respectively.
Limitation of leases.Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, That every lease which may be granted in virtue of this act, shall be limited to the period of the termination of the territorial form of government, in the said territory; and shall cease to have any force or effect after the first day of January next succeeding the establishment of a state government therein: Provided,Proviso. That outstanding rents may be collected, and damages for waste or trespass may be recovered in the same manner as if leases had continued in full force.
Approved, January 9, 1815.