Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1820-02-29

/ plat, was also taken up and agreed to.
The motion Of Mr.. Wilson Of yesterday,
referring an enquiry to the p 81 Office COM
mittee, was considered and adopted. e
| PUBLIC LANDS.
The Senate resumed the consideration OF
the bill making further provision for the sale
Of The public lands.
! The first section Of this bill provides, that,
| from and after the - day Of next,
all the public lands Of the United States, the
sale CT whichis, or may be authorised bY
law, shall when offered at public sale. to
the highest bidder, be offered in half quarter
sections and when offered at private sale
NAV be purchased, at the option of the pur-
chaser. either in entire sections, half sections
Quarter sections, or half quarter sections;
and in every case Of the division ola quarter
section :--the lines for the division
thereof shall be run north and south, and
the corners and contents of half quarter Sec
tons, which may thereafter be sold, shall be
ascertained in the manner, and on the prin-
ciples. prescribed by the second section OF
an act. /" concerning the mode Of surveying
the {. public lands of the United States, !"
passed on the eleventh of February, 1905.
and fractional sections containing l6e acres
or upwards, shall, in like manner, as near
" as practicable, be subdi,ided in half quar-
ter sections under such rules and regulations
as may be prescribed by the Secretary OF
the Treasury but fractional sections, con-
tanning less than 10 acres, shall not be di-
vided, but shall be sold entire Provided.
That this section shall not be construed to
alter any special provision made by law Tor
the sale Of land in town lots.
The second section provides that credit
shall not be allowed for the purchase money
on the sale of any of the public lands which
shall be sold after the - day of - 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 produce to
the register Of the land office, receipt from
the Treasurer of the United States. or from
the receiver Of public monies of the district,
for the amount of the purchase money on a
nv tract, before be shall enter the same at
the land Office: and ifany person, being the
highest bidder. at public sale, for a tract OF
land, shall fail to make payment therefor, on
the day on which the same was purchased,
the tract shall be again offered atpublic sale,
on the next day Of sale, and such person
shall not be capable Of becoming the pur.
chaser, of that or any other tract offered at
such public sales.
The third section provides that, from and
after the - day of - next, the price at
which the public lands shall be offered for
sale, shall be one dollar and - cents an
acre, and at every public sale, the highest
bidder who shall make payment as aiore-
SAID, shall be purchaser but no lands shall
be sold, either at public or private sale, for
less price than one dollar and - cents
an,acre, and provides what shall be the
price at which the uDsold lands which have
been offe red at public sale, shall be sold at
private sale.
Section four provides that no lands which
have reverted, or which shall hereafter re-
vert or become forfeited to the United States
for failure in any manner 10 make payment,
shall, after the - day OF - next, be
subject TO entry, al 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 - day of - next and which shall
then belong to the United States, together
with the sec IONS and parts of sections, here
tofore reserved for the future disposal Of
congress. which shall, at the time aforesaid,
remain 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 respective districts
on such day or days as shall, by ploclama-
ton of the president of the United States.
be designated for that purpose, &c.
The remaining sections and clauses en-
brace provisions of mere detail-the above
contain the main principles.
M. Walker, Of Alabama, moved to amend
the bill by adding a section thereto, in the