Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1806-04-01
(By Authority.)
AN ACT

7of 10 tNe territory q; Louisiana, ana other
farfoses.
BE it enacted by the Senate and House
Of REPRESENTATIVES o(the United S;ascs Of
.dnaerica, IN Congress assembled, That the
powers vested by law in the surveyor ge-
neral, shall extend over all the public
lands ofthc United States, in the territory
OF Louisiana, to which the Indian title has
been, or hereafter shall be extinguished.
1t shall be the duty of the said surveyor
general 10 appoint sufficient number of
skil!nl surveyors as his deputies, in the
said territory, one of whom he shall, with
the appreciation OF the secretary OF the
treasury, designate as his principal depu.
ty for the same. Which said Deputies
shall seyeraliy take an oath, or affirma,i-
on, truly and faithfully to discharge the
duties of their respective Offices. The
said principal deputy shall reside and
keep an Office in the said territory, and
shall, under the superintendent of the
surveyor general, execute or cause 10 be
executed by the other deputies, such sur
veys as may hereafter be authorised by
law or as he may be directed to execute
by the commissioners appointed for the
purpose of ascertaining tire titles and
claims to land aforesaid and shall gene
rally perform therein, in conformity with
the regulations and instructions of the
said surveyor general, the duties impos-
ed by law OH the said surveyor general.
SEc. 2. Ind Cit further ENACTED, That
all the plots OF surveys, and all other pa.
pers and documents, pertaining, or which
did pertain to the Office of surveyor gene
raj, under the Spanish government, with
In the limits Of the territory aforesaid, or
to any other officer heretofore established
or authorised for the purpose OF execu.
ting or recording surveys CT lands within
the said limits shall he delivered to the
principal deputy aforesaid aud no plot of
survey shall be admitted as evidence, in
any court of justice, unless certified by
the said principal deputy,to be true CO.
py OF hereford in his office.
SEC. 3. ind be il further enacted, That
SO much of the act, eniituled, $ An ael
for ascertaining and adjusting the titles
and claims to land within the territory of
Orleans, and the district of Louisiana"
as makes it the duty Of every claimant to
lands, within the territory of Louisiana
to deliver to the recorder Of land titles 10
plot of the tract, or tracts, claimed by
him, be and the same is hereby repealed,
| so tar as relates to claimants whose tracts
had not been surveyed by the proper Of
fcer, under the Spanish government, pri.
or to the twentieth day of December one
thousand eight hundred and three. And
the commissioners appointed for ascer-
tanning the titles and claims TO lands,
within either the territory of Louisiana,
or that of Orleans, are hereby authorised
TO direet the officer exercising the pow.
ers OF surveyor general, within the same,
to execute such surveys as they may
think necessary, for the purpose of de.
Gliding on claims presented for their de-
cision Provided That the expense OF
executing such Surveys shall be deIray-
ed by the parties claiming the land,
unless the same be claimed by a legal
French or Spanish grant, made and com
pleted before the first day of October
one thousand eight hundred :, And pro.
yided also and it is hereby further en-
acted, that every such survey as well
as every other survey, by whatever
authority heretofore executed, those of
the above mentioned and complete titles
only excepted, shall be held and con.
sidered as private surveys only and all
the tracts OF land, the title TO which may
be ultimately confirmed by Congress in
conformity with the provisions of the
ACT above mentioned, shall prior to tie
issuing of the patents, be re surveyed, if
Judged necessary, under the authority
OF the person exercising the powers Of
surveyor general, and at the expense OF
The parties.
SEC. 4. and be IL further euactcd, That
the surveyor general shall fix the com
pensation Of the deputy, surveyors, chain
carriers and axe men, in the territory of
louisiana Provided, That the whole
expense of surveying and marking the
lines, whether paid by the United States,
or individuals, shall not exceed three
dollars per mile, for every mile that shall
be actually run or surveyed and mark
ed. And the principal deputy aloi esaid
shall be entitled to receive from indyid
uals the following fees, that is 10 say, for
examining and recording the surveys
executed by any of the deputies, at
the rate of twenty-five cents for every
mile OF the boundary line Of such survey