Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1817-09-16
2 - - & -. a. =
VIZ DEPAR rMENr.
SsCrloE uF HoUNTY LANDS,
September 9th. 1917.


SscrloS uF BoUNTY LANDS,
September 9th, 1917.
f3irGf Of q t,tfer 70 - -- srglGna.
rory 81 tie principles 3.ioa which certain fGSrial
documents Jr9n' joeGi authorities in tie Ssre,li
states are repircd IN NDpart ~ PoStasns"aS
C'ps7s to Military 8oaRty LFldS, ~ us hyal
eqaicGtent.
NiR-Several applications for 90 fira Yea,y
hog Pay, III lien otBOnnty land, transmitted TO
the War Department through vour intervcnti-
on. have recently been examined. Alter so
much intornIatiou ola this subject as has hupn
disseminated by the medium OF nc wsPlpels, as
wei as by the many hundreds OF Hamd !; lis
winch nave heen distributed thrU' the lands
OF Members OF Congress and other gentlemen
who have visited the city of " ashHg ton II gives
me PAIN To had that very great portion of the
Hocnmcnts trrllsiniitedto the Offices OF govern
meut To support applications OF this class so
very deficient as 10 defeat one of the priacirat
views OF "A sage and poternal Legisiatnye-tiiat
OF conveying prompt aud effective succor 20 Il
numerous class OF the community " hose present
snifefines have, ia a sIeaS degree arisen from
services rendered the country.
no new or diilcut proofs. or unreasonable
epthephcaji0n Cfi!JCuments hay g bcenr.quii ed
from claimants, under the beneticent laws il,
question hnt - the files of Ibis office have
special bearing upon what is techgicGNg styied
Real Estate aud may be subjected TO legal
scrutiny many yearShence, when no person who
now has aily share in the administration OF the
existing laws may be present ts explain the
cnments We're deemed ad,nissibie-so ii is
thoogit highly eXpedient that eacE separated ,s
ofvouchers which records an alienation o ,.ub-
lie property, should be complete in Hsen and not
require a reference 10 any other file or tucn-
ment whatever, TO attest the correctness OF It's
admission 10 The archives Of The War Depart.
ment.
ltisthis general principle (whicl,appears not
TO bcgeneraiiy understood which has necessi-
tateda regulaiiou lhntnany individuals appear
disposed to quarrel with, and that many others
neglect thro' inadvertence, because perhaps.
the tocd! tarS OF the state where they respect
Wely reside, do not render its observance ne
cessary inor;linary eases. For example, ineyery
stote OF tHe AMERICAN Union, there are ,usiiCes
OF the peace, or ether magistrates, authorized
by the constitution II laws of each state to adj
minister oaths, ia legaliSe dispositions aud aifi-
Sayits, and TO attest acknowledgment Ofa,i le-
gal instruments of writing. Ia Que individual
state there SIRE several hundred justices of the
peace iIFdrOtier, where this class of aiYl obi
GERS Is ilkewise very numerous, there are also
J.riT other descriptions Of ma gistrates who &C.
caslonaly perform the same services for their
fellow citizens; andaS The appointment of sHCh
magistrates II moi permanent, the succession in
few years may become almost inunmGrablc.
Their respective qualities and signatures NAV
possibly lie so well knownto The residents with
III county, or perhaps throughout the state, as
not toneed any iu. iler authorization for local
purposes but is ItsuppoSabe that the respec-
tive signatures OF all the magistrates Of those
tended union, can be known in this Office II
by hazard, such signature should be- known 10
some one at the seat ofgOvernment. thai know
ledge, however satisfactory il might be cOnsid
cred at the moment to one Biaiciduaf, might not
appear to be sufficient sanction for lie dis
pOsal of y portion OF the public domain or its g.
Gulvalent, to collection OF public men, who
might he specially authorized 10 examine the re-
cords ct TINS office some 70 years hence. Upon
ttese considerations, has f9ug been deemed
proper thai one general rule shonid be applied
10 all such cases thar IS, that the guatifg land
the signature where IL can be doue) OF the ma.
1nefOus class OF magistrates alluded to above
should be etfciaKy certified by public ofSctr
who has, or ought to have, custody ct general
or partial authentic record OF the appointment
ni all such magistrates, and who is authorized
to sanction his certificate bV a Drbiic segI TO
COHntcrieitwhCh IS deemed cspifaI crime.
The highest authority required IN this case is
tire SecTCtdTp Of the Siufe Int the CoHnfy Clerk
or, n those states where no civil officer is gene
rally known Dy that Gppelidtion The officer whose
functions are equivalent thereto, is hXrd upon
as the certifying officer; because il is believed
that IL mOst OF the states, record Of the Jn,ti-
oes IN commission in each ccHnty is there kept
anu although the officer who has charge of
that record should not in every instance be ahlp
10 attest the signature of every acting maais-
trate within his district, yet lie can safely ascer-
tain his 'fGiity, and sanction il by the proper
.Sedicf Office, provided such seal exists If rot
his certificate should state that fact. This cir
and territories; hut il is presumable that an in
stance Off cannot be iOuDdin the Atlantic states
In some sections oftlie United States the same
individual is sometimes authorised TO act in the
quality Of both County Cicrh" and - NOtayy
BNbfc'-bGt ne is, or ought TO be. aware of the
,mpo9unce Oi keeping tie records Of his tran.
sac1iOrs ia each capacity separate aud distinct.
having psbhc seafappiOPFiate to each OftiOse
OihCca ard set have more than 0uce had Oc-
essiou 10 aOtice mistakes between them which
inflated important documents Transmitted TO
ibis office.
A Nofarid Certificate is Jeciaredy eoacltsire
here, IN certain caFes bnt MT as 10 ascertain
ngthc gtahlyOf0ther magistrates; for although
tiie governmental the Commonwealth which
he belongs MAY have deemed il useful aud pro-
per 10 communicate 10 him as N0t,,ry Public,
tie names oi tile Justices ~ commission, set ii
Is not among his attributes in quality OF Nofd
~ FRbic, thai hc Is charged with the OGciil
Reclra OfJilifr acting AIaeisiratcs-t therefore,
fhtCoriiWcate Of q Noi0fy Fgbiic 10 the quality
81 any otiQr Magistrate IS mt reeogHized at this
Ci-ce al rQfiJf- Nor, can bis merely adding
"Nrfarg FEtft' 10 bis sixnAturc be allowed any
weight Hotc iligu a "Jp5tice 0fHe PcQce," with
on, afnNing his Oticiqi Sui even in cases where
ftat quihty would BE competent.
ninst fake this opportunity, likewise, 70
make si''.liar observation relative 90 another
document which ought always TO have its Gp-
lfopfime seal affixed to II, Il enc there be in The
once or bear proper attcsfatton that there
tsAo DrciW Sfal-if such be tue fact. tmcan
tnsCopy - LstieT Of GgARDiANssiF, meant