# United States Statutes at Large/Volume 4/18th Congress/1st Session/Chapter 88

Chap. LXXXVIII.—An Act to provide for the extinguishment of the debt due to the United States, by the purchasers of public lands.
Where the purchaser or holder of any of the public lands, has obtained a certificate of further credit, under the act of March 2, 1821, ch. 12, he shall be allowed to file it with the register of the land office where such land is situated. Act of April 20, 1822, ch. 30. Act of March 3, 1823, ch. 57. Act of May 26, 1824, ch. 176.Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That, in all cases where the purchaser, or legal holder, of any certificate of purchase of any of the public lands of the United States, may have obtained a certificate of further credit under the provisions of an act, passed the second day of March, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-one, entitled “An act for the relief of the purchasers of public lands, prior to the first day of July, one thousand eight hundred and twenty,” or of the acts supplementary thereto, of the twentieth of April, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-two, and of the third of March, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-three, the person obtaining such certificate, or the legal holder thereof, shall be allowed, at any time prior to the tenth of April, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-five, to file, with the register of the land office, in the district where such land is situated, a relinquishment, in writing, of any section, half section, quarter section, or legal subdivision of a fractional section, made according to the provisions of the existing laws, in relation to the survey and sale of the public lands; and any payment made, on any tract of land, so relinquished, shall be applied to the payment of the amount due on any tract retained by said purchaser, or legal holder of a certificate of purchase; which relinquishment shall be allowed only on condition that any such purchaser, or legal holder of a certificate of purchase, relinquish a sufficient quantity of land thereby to complete his or her payments due to the United States, on any lands retained, or pay the balance due, and which may afterwards become due, in money, before or at the time of such relinquishment; and on the payment of such balance in money, there shall be allowed, on the amount so paid, a deduction at the rate of thirty-seven and a half per centum:Proviso. Provided, That nothing herein contained, shall entitle the person making such relinquishment to claim any repayment from the United States, on account of any lands so relinquished:Proviso. And provided further, That nothing herein contained shall authorize any discounts upon payments made by relinquishment.
A deduction to be made on complete payments.Sec. 2 And be it further enacted, That all purchasers, or legal holders of any certificate of purchase, of any of the public lands of the United States, who may have obtained a certificate of further credit, under the provisions of the several acts above mentioned, on making complete payment, previous to the tenth of April, eighteen hundred and ​twenty-five, of every instalment then due, and which shall afterwards become payable, shall be allowed, upon the amount so paid, a deduction, at the rate of thirty-seven and an half per centum.
Duty of the registers and receivers.Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of the registers and receivers of the land offices of the United States, immediately after the tenth of April, eighteen hundred and twenty-five, to return complete lists of the lands relinquished to the United States, within their districts; and such lands shall be exposed to sale as other public lands of the United States.
Fees to be allowed them. 1821, ch. 12.Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That the register and receiver of any land office, shall be allowed double the fees given them by the act of the second of March, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-one, for like services, to be paid by the person or persons availing themselves of the provisions of this act.
The provisions of this act to extend to town lots, &c.Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, That the provisions of this act be extended to town lots, and out-lots, reserved for that purpose, and sold by the United States on a credit.
Approved, May 18, 1824.