Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1820-02-08


Ohio.
In Senate Of the United States, Jan. II.
Mr.. Williams, of Mississippi, from
the committee on Public Lands, reported
the following bill, which was read and
passed to the second reading.
N... A BILL
Making further fropision for the sale
ofMe Public Lands.
BE it enacted by the Senate and House
Of REPRESENTATIVE Of the United States
Of America in Congress assembled,
That, from and after the day of
next, all The public lands of the 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 pur-
chased, at the option of the purchaser,
either ia entire sections, half sections,
quarter sections, or half quarter sections;
and in every case of the division of a
quarter section, the line for the division
thereof shall be run north and south,
and the corners and contents of half
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 elev-
enth day OF February, eighteen hundred
and five; and fractional sections contain
ing one hundred and sixty acres, or up
wards, shall, in like manner, as nearly as
practicable, be subdivided into half
quarter sections, under such rules and
regulations as may be prescribed by the
Secretary of the Treasury; but fraction
al sections, containing less than one hun
dred and sixty acres, shall notbe divided,
but shall be sold entire: Provided, That
this section shall not be construed to alter
any special provision made by law for
the sale of land in town lots.
Sec. 9. 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 after the
day of next, but every pur-
chaser of land sold at public sale there
after, 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,
receipt from the Treasurer of the Uni
ted 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 it any person, being the highest bid
der, at public sale, for tract of land,
shall fail to make payment therefor, on
the day on which the same was pur-
chased, 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 or any 9TH
er tract offered at such public sales.
SEC. 8! Ind be it further enacted,
That, from and after the day oil
next, the price at which the pub.
lie lands shall be offered for sale, shall
De one dollar and cents an acre,
and at every public sale, he highest bid
der, who shall make payment as atore-
said, shall be the purchaser; but no
lands shall be sold, either at public or
private sale, for less price than one
dollar and cents an acre; and all
the public lands which shall have been
offered at public sale before the
day OF next, and which shall then
4
shall thereafter be offered at public sale,
according to law, and remain unsold at
the close of such public sales, shall be
subject to be sold at private sale, by en-
Try at the land office, at one dollar and
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 10 the
United States, for failure in payment,
and OF the heretofore reserved sections
for the future disposal of congress, in
the states OF Ohio and Indiana, which
shall,be offered at public sale, as here
matter directed.
SEC. A. .And be it further enacted,
That no lands which have reverted, or
which shall hereafter revert or become
forfeited TO the United States for failure
IN any manner to make payment, shall,
alter the day of next, be
subject 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 day of next,