The Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1841-1843, 1841-09-28
TPUBLIc.-N No. I0.1

fPUBLIC.-No. 10.
AN ACT TO appropriate the proceeds of the
sales The public lands, and to grant pre-
emption rights.
Be ii enacted by the Senate and House of Rep
reseniatiUes of The United States of America n
Congress assembled That from and af er the thir
ty-first day ofDecember in the year of our Lore
one thousand eight hundred and forty -one there
he allowed and paid TO each of the States Of
Ohio, Indiana, Illinois Alabama, Missouri, Mis-
sissippi, Louisiana, Arkansas and Michigan
over and above what each of the said States is
entitled TO by the terms of the compacls enter
ed into between them and the United States, UP
on their admission into theUnion,;he sum of ten
per ccnum upon the nett proceeds of the sales
ofthe public lands, which, subsequent 10 the
day aforesaid. shall be made within the limits
o: SAID States respectively: Provided, That
the sum so allowed 10 the said States, respect
lively, shall be in no wise affected or diminished
on account ofany sums which have been here
toforc or shall be hereafter, applied 10 the con-
struction or continuance of the Cumberland
road but that the disbursements for the said
road shall remain as heretofore. chargeabIe on
the two per centum fund provided for by com.
pac's with several of the said States.
Sec. .. find be IL further enacted, That after
dcducling the said ten per centum, and what
by the compacis aforesaid, has heretofore been
allowed 10 the States aforesaid, the residue o.
the nett proceeds which nett proceeds shall be
asccrtained by deducting from the gross pro-
ceeds all tho expenditures of the year for the
following objects; salaries and expenses of the
General Land Office; expenses for surveying
public lands; salaries and expenses in the
surveyor generals oificc salaries commissions
and allowances 10 the registers and receivers
the five per centum 10 new states-of all the
public lands in the United States, wherever Sit
uatcd, which shall be sold subsequent TO the
said thirty first day nf December, shall be divi-
ded among the twenty-six states of the Union
and the District of Columbia, and the Terrific
ries of Wisconsin, Iowa and Flolida, according
TO the respective federal representative popula
ton as ascertained by the last census. TO be ap.
piled by the Legislatures of the said states to
such purposes as the said Legislatures may d.
rect Provided, That the distribuive share &c
which the District of Columbia shall be entitled
shall be applied to free schools, or education in
some other form, as Congress may direct; and
provided, also, That nothing herein contained
shall be construed 10 the prejudice of future
applications for reduction of the price of the
public lands, or to the prejudice of applications
for transfer of the public lands, on reasonable
terms 10 the states within which they lie, OF &c
make such future disposition of the public lands
or any part thereof, as Congress may deem
expedieDt.
Sec. 3. find be ii further enacted, That the sew
eral sums of money received in the treasury as
the nett proceeds of he sales of the public lands
shall be paid at the Treasury half yearly, on the
first day of January and July in each year, dur
ing the operation of this act TO such person OF
persons as the respective Legislatures of the
said states and territories, or the Governor:
thcreofin case the Legislatures shall have made
no such appointment, shall authorize and direc
TO receive the same.
Sec. A. find be it further enacted, That an,
sum of money, which at any time may become
due and payable TO any state in the Union, OF
to the District Of Columbia, by virtue of .hi,
act, as the portion of said state or district OF The
proceeds of the sales of the public lands, shall
be first applied TO the payment of any debt, due
and payable from the said state or district, t(
the United States Provided, That this shall
not be construed TO extend to the sums deposit
cd with the states under the act of Congress o
twenty third June, eighteen hundred and thirty
SIX, entitled an act to regulate the depositc:
of the public money," nor 10 any sums appa
rently due TO the United States as balances o
debts growing out Of the transactions of the
Revolutionary war.
Sec 5. find be ii further enacted, That this ac
shall continue and be in force until otherwise
provided by law, unlcss the United States shall
become involved in war with any foreign power
in which event, from the commencement o
hostlities, this act shall be suspended during
the continuance of such war /; Provided, nerer
MeleSs, That if, prior to the expiration Of lhi
act, any new state or states shall be admiitet
into the Union, there be assigned TO such new
state or states, the proportion of The proceed
accrulng after their admission into the Union
to which such state or states may be entitled
upon the principles of this act, together will
what such state or states may be entitled TO By
virtue OF compacts 10 be made on their admis
sion into the Union.
Tec' o. And be it further enacted, That Their,
sLa'' oe annually appropriated for completing
the surveys of said lands a sum not less thai
one hundred and fifty thousand dollars /: and III,
minimum price at which the public lands ar ar
now sold at private sale shall not be increassd
unless Congress shall think proper TO grant Al