American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1822-05-21
Aams of the CLINTON.
AN ACT for ascertaining claims and titles to land
(BY AUTHORITY,


TO lands within the territory OF Florida as scque
by the treaty of the twenty second Of February, on
Thousand eight hundred and nineteen, there shall b.
appointed, by the President OF the United States, b.
with the advice and consent of the Senate, thre
Commissioners, who shall receive, as compensation
for the duties enioned by the provisions of thi
act, two thousand dollars each, to be paid quarterly
from the Treasury who shall open an office io
the adjudication ofclams, at Pensacola, in the ter
ritory OF West Florida, and St. Augustine, in Eas
Florida. under the rules regulations and conditions
hereinafter prescribed
Sec. 2. find be IT, further enacted, That it shall b,
the duty Of said Commissioners appoint suta
bic aud we'll qualified Secretary, who shall record
in well bound book, all and every their acts anc
proceedings, the claims admitted, with those re-
jec ted, and the of their admission or reec-
ton. He shall receive, as a compensation for hi.
services, one thousand two hundred and fifty dollars
TO be paid quarterly, from the Treasury. He
shall be acquainted with the Spanish language
and, before entering discharge of the duties
OF lis Office, shall take and subscribe an OATH before
some authority competent to administer it, that he
Will well and truly and faithfully discharge the du.
ties assigned him, and translate all papers that NAV
be required of him by the Commissioners.
Sec. s. find be az further enacted, That said Com
missioners, previously to entering on discharge
Of the duties assigned them, SHALL before the J.dpe
authoritg in his absence, competent to admniste
it, take oath faithfully to discharge the duties OF
their Offices, and shall commence and hold their SEES.
sions on or before the first Monday of July next
at Pensacola, and on the first Monday of January
shereaitei, at St. Augustine for the ascertanine
determining of all claims to land within the said Ter
Iltories notice of which shall be given, by said
Commissioners, in some newspaper printed at each
pla:e, OF, if there be no newspaper at the most
nylhl nl4C int dc;ta r.
at which their sessions will commence, REQUIRING
all persons to bring forward their claims, with evil
dence necessary to support them. The session all
ST. Augustine shall terminate 90 tie thrtietb oil
5unei one thousand eight hundred and twenty three
when said commissioners shall forward 10 the St.
cretary of the Treasury, to be submitted to Con
gress, detail of I'll they have done, and deliver owe
to the surveyor all the archives, documents, an,
papers, that may be 10 their possession.
Sec. 4. IND be AZ further enarttd, That, every
person. or the heirs or representatives of such per-
sons claiming title to land under any patent grant
concessions or order OF survey, dated previous I,
the twenty.fourth day of January, enc Thousand
eight hundred and eighteen, which were valid uEderl
the Spanish government, or by the law Of nations
and which are not rejected by the treaty cedipg the
territory of East and West Florida to the Unitedl
States shall file, before the Commissioners his, her
or then claim, setting forth, particularly, its situa-
1900
deTagnment OF title, where they are not the gran |
tees, or original claimants which shall be recorded
oy the Secretary and who for his said servit es shs
be entitled TO demand from the claimants ten cenisl
Tor each hundred words contained in said PAPERS sol
recorded; he shall be entitled to twenty Eve centI
Tor each subpoena Issued Provided, That if the |
amount so received shall exceed one thousand tVo
hund'ed and Fifty dollars, which is hereby declar.d
the compensation for his services the excess shall
n 10
to their disposition, and said Commissioners shall
proceed to examine and determine on the yaiditv
oil SAID patents grants, concessions, and orders oil
survey, agreeably to the laws and ordinances here.
totore existing Of the governments maxine N.
grants respectively, having due regard, in all Snan.
ASH claims, to the conditions and stpulations con-
famed IN the eighth article OF treaty conluded all
washington between his Catholic Majesty and the
United otates, on the twenty second of Fehrnarv
one thousand eight hundred and nineteen; bnt anvl
claim not filed previous 20 the thirty first dav of
May, one thousand eight hundred and twentv ,hre,
shall be deemed and held to be void and If none
effect: Prouded nevertheless, And be ii further euoc.
fsd' That IN all claims submitted to the decision of
the Commissioners, where the same land. or anvil
part thereof, is claimed by titles emanatipp both
Fom 'he D'itisn and Spanish governments, the |
Silal no. decide the same, but shall
report all such cases. with an abstract of the ev-
dencc' to the Secretary ofthe Treasury.
Sec S. find be IL further enacted. That Tho Coro.
mlssione's shall have power to inquire into the
justice and validity Of the claims filed with them
and shall be, and are hereby authorized to admin,
lister oaths to compel the attendance of witnesses
by subp@nas issued by the Secretary, and the ad2
ducton OF such testimony as may be wanted thew
snail have access to all papers and records Of Al
pubic nature relative to any land titles within said
provinces, and to make transcripts thereof TIL
shall examine into claims arising under naten,s
grants concessions, and orders of survey where the
survey has been actually made previous 70 the
twenty fourth January, thousand eight bpndredl
and eighteen, where they are founded unon cond;