# United States Statutes at Large/Volume 5/24th Congress/1st Session/Chapter 262

Chap. CCLXII.—An Act for laying off the towns of Fort Madison and Burlington, in the county of Des Moines, and the towns of Belleview, Du Buque, and Peru, in the county of Du Buque, Territory of Wisconsin, and for other purposes.
1853, ch. 67. 1837, ch. 36. Towns of Fort Madison, Burlington, Belleview, Du Buque and Peru, Wisconsin Territory.Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the tracts of land in the Territory of Wisconsin including the towns of Fort Madison and Burlington, in the county of Des Moines; Belleview, Du Buque, and Peru, in the county of Du Buque; and Peru, in the county of Du Buque; and Mineral Point, in the county of Iowa, shall, under the direction of the Surveyor General of the public lands, be laid off into town lots, streets, avenues, and the lots for public use called the public squares, and into out-lots having regard to the lots and streets already surveyed, in such manner and of such dimensions as he may think proper for the public good and the equitable rights of the settlers and occupants of the said towns: Provided, The tracts of land so to be laid off into town-lots, &c. shall not exceed the quantity of one entire section, nor the town-lots one-half of an acre; nor shall the out-lots exceed the quantity of four acres each. When the survey of the lots shall be completed, a plat thereof shall be returned to the Secretary of the Treasury, and within six months thereafter the lots shall be offered to the highest bidder, at public sale, under the direction of the President of the United States, and at such other times as he shall think proper; Provided,Proviso. That no town-lots shall be sold for a sum less than five dollars: And provided further, That a quantity of land of proper width, on the river banks, at the towns of Fort Madison, Belleview, Burlington, Du Buque, and Peru, and running with the said rivers the whole length of said towns, shall be reserved from sale, (as shall also the public squares,) for public use, and remain for ever for public use, as public highways, and for other public uses.
Surveyor to class the lots.Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of the said Surveyor to class the lots already surveyed in the said towns of Fort Madison, Burlington, Belleview, Du Buque, Peru, and Mineral Point, into three classes, according to the relative value thereof, on account of situation and eligibility for business, without regard however to the improvements made thereon; and previous to the sale of said lots as aforesaid, each and every person or persons, or his, her, or their legal representatives, who shall heretofore have obtained from the agent of the United States a permit to occupy any lot or lots in the said towns, or who shall have, by building or enclosure, actually occupied ​or improved any lot or lots in the said towns, or within the tracts of land hereby authorized to be laid off into lots, shall be permitted to purchase such lot or lots by paying therefor, in cash, if the same fall within the first class as aforesaid, at the rate of forty dollars per acre; if within the second class, at the rate of twenty dollars per acre; and if within the third class, at the rate of ten dollars per acre:Proviso. Provided, That no one of the persons aforesaid shall be permitted to purchase, by authority of this section, more than one acre of ground to embrace improvements already made.
Surveying.Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That the sum of three thousand dollars be, and the same is hereby, appropriated, to be paid out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to defray the expenses of surveying the lands covering the said towns of Fort Madison, Burlington, Belleview, Du Buque, Peru, and Mineral Point.
Approved, July 2, 1836.