Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1820-05-23
AN ACT making further provision for the
sale of the Public Lands.

That, from and after the tlrst day oil Ju-
1y next, all the public lands ofthe United
States, the sale of which is, or may be,
authorized by law, shall, when offered at
public sale, to the highest bidder, be
Offered in half quarter sections; and,
when offered at private sale, may be
purchased, at the option ofthe purchaser,
either in entire sections, half sections,
quarter sections, or half quarter sec
tons and in every case OF the division
of quarter section, the line tor the
division thereof shall run north and south,
and the corners and contents OF hall
quarter sections, which may thereafter
be sold, shall be ascertained in the man
ner, and on the principles, directed and
prescribed by the second section OF an
act, entitled An act concerning the
mode Of surveying the public lands OF
the United States," passed on the
eleventh day of February, eighteen hun
dred and five; and fractional sections,
containing one hundred and sixty acres,
or upwards, shall, in like manner, as
nearly as practicable, be subdiyided into
half quarter sections, under such rules
and regulations as may be prescribed by
the Secretary of the Treasury; but trac-
tional sections, containing less than one
hundred and sixty acres, shall not be
divided, but shall be sold entire: Pro-
yidea, That this section shall not be
construed to alter any special provision
made by law for the sale OF land in town
lots.
Sec. .. ind be it further enacted,
That credit shall not be allowed for the
purchase money on the sale of any OF the
public lands which shall be sold alter
the first day of July next, but every
purchaser of land sold at public sale
thereafter, shall, on the day of purchase,
make complete payment therefor; and
the purchaser at private sale shall pro-
duce to the register of the land office, a
receipt from the Treasurer Off the United
States, or from the receiver of public
moneys of the district, for the amount of
the purchase money on any tract, before
he shall enter the same at the land office
and if any person, being the highest
bidder, at public sale, for tract OF land,
shall fail to make payment therefor, on
the day on which the same was purchas-
ed, the tract shall be again offered at
public sale, on the next day of sale, and
such person shall not be capable of be-
coming the purchaser of that OF any
other tract offered at such public sales.
Sec. 8. ind be it further enacted,
That, from and after the first day of July
next, the price at which the public lands
shall be offered for sale, shall be one
dollar and twenty-five cents an acre;
and at every public sale, the highest
bidder, who shall make payment as
aforesaid, shall be the purchaser; but
no lands shall be sold, either at public
or private sale, for less price than one
dollar and twenty five cents an acre; and
all the public lands which shall have
been offered at public sale before the
first day of July next, and which shall
then remain unsold, as well as the lands
that shall thereafter be offered at public
sale, according to law, and remain I'M
sold at the close of such public sale,
shall be subject to be sold at private sale,
by entry at the land Office, at one dollar
and twenty-five cents an acre, to be paid
at the time of making such entry as
aforesaid, with the exception, however,
of the lands which may have reverted to
the United States, for failure in pay
ment, and of the heretofore reserved
sections for the future disposal of Con-
xress, in the states of Ohio and Indiana,
which shall be offered at public sale, as
hereinafter directed.
Sec. 4. .And be it further enacted,
That no lands which have reverted, or
which shall hereafter revert and become
forfeited to the United States, for failure
IN any manner to make payment, shall,
after the first day of July next, be sub
iect to entry at private sale, nor until the
same shall have been first offered to the
highest bidder at public sale; and all
such lands which shall have reverted
before the said first day of July next,
and which shall then belong to the
United States, together with the sections,
and parts of sections, heretofore reserved
for the future disposal of Congress,
which shall, at the time aforesaid, re-
main unsold, shall be offered at public
sale to the highest bidder, who shall
make payment therefor, in half quarter
sections, at the land Office for the re-
epective districts, on such day or days as
shall, by proclamation of the President
of the United States, be designated for
that purpose; and all lands which shall
revert and become forfeited for failure
of payment after the said first day of July