The Arkansas banner., 1847-04-07
Puisiished by Anthdrity.
 
LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES PASSED AT TEE eED AEssloS or THE TwEN-
 rr-N1Eru cOwcnrss.


 LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES PASSED AT TEE 2nD AEsaloN or THE rwEN-
 Tr-sIETH coNoRKss.
 Pnblic--No. lS.
 AN ACT
 To establish land office in the northern
 part of Michigan, and to provide for the
 sale of mineral lands in the S1Ie Of Mich
 igan.
 Be t enacted bv ths Senats and HOase of RePresentafipes of tAs United SsGes of .Asaeriea h Ccagress assembled, That all that por.ion of the public lands in the State q Michigan lying north of the boundaries of the Saginaw and Grand river districts in raid S,aie, commonly called the northern peninsula of the State of Michigap, with the islands in lakes Superior, Huron, and Mich igan, and In Green Bay, the straits of Mich- ilimackinsc, and ihe river s. Mary's, within the jurisdiction of said State, be, and the same arc hereby, included in land district, to he called the Lake Superior land distriet, and for the sale of the lands in said district, there shall be land office established at such point therein as the President of the U. States may select
 Sec. 2. And 5e ii fivtker enacted, That the Secretary of the Treasury shall cause geological examination and survey of the land embraced in said district to be made and reported to the Commissioner of the General Land Office. And the President is hereby authorized 10 cause such of said lands as may contain copper, lead, os other valua- ble ores, to be exposed to sale, gising six months notice of the times and places of sales in such newspapers of general circula- tiou in the several States as he may deem expedient, with brief description of the lands to be offered; showing the number and localities of the mines known, the probabil- ity of discovering others, the quality of the ores, the facilities of working the mines and the means and expense of transporting their products to the principal markets in the U States. And ell the lands embraced in said district, not reported as aforesaid, shall be sold in the same manner as other lands un- der the laws now in force for the sale of the public lands, excepting and reseUing from such sales section sixteen in each township for the use of schools, and such reservations as the President shall deem necessary for public uses.
 Sec. 3. find be it further enacted, That all those persons who are ia possession, by actual occupancy, of any portion of the dis trict described in the first section Of this act, under authority of lease from the Secre,a- " of War, for the purpose of mining there on, and who have fully complied with all the conditions and ssipulasions of said lease, may enter and purchase the same at any time during the continuance of such lease, to the extent of such lease, and no less, by paying to the United States therefor at the rate of two dollars and fifty cents per acre Prori- dsd, That said entry and purchase shall be made to include the original survey of such lease, as near as may be conforming to the lines of the public surveys of sections and subdivisions thereof. And all those persons who are in possession, by actual occupancy, of any of said lands, for mining purposes un- der authority of written permit from the Secretary of War, and who have visible land marks and muniments as boundaries thereon, and who have, in all other respects, com piled with the conditions and s,ipulations contained in such permit, may enter and purchase the same, to the extent of the tract selected by them and reported to the Secre- tary of War, as required by said permit, and no less in the same manner as those who hold under leases and at the same price; Prorided, such entry and purchase be made before the day said lands shall be offered for sale by order of the President And all those per- sons who shall be in possession, by actual occupancy, of mine or mines actually dis covered before the passage ol this act, and who shall pay tke same per cenium of rents as those who hold under leases, as aforesaid shall be permitted to enter and purchase one section of iand, and not less, to include such mine or mines discovered and occupied as aforesaid, by them, by paying to the United States the same price, and at the same time, as required of those who hold under permits aforesaid, and all rents aecruing from such lessees or occupants shall be paid and deliv- cred to such officers of the government as the Secretary of the Treasury shall direct; Prorided, That prior any to such purchase being made under ihe provisions of this sec ton, proof of possession and occupancy, as aforesaid, of the mine or mines claimed, shall be made to the register and receiver of the Iandi district, together with the evidence of the pays.ea. oi ell rents due the U. States, agreeably to such rules as may be prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury for that purpose, which register and receiver shall each be entitled to receive one dollar for his services therein; ProVided, That an appeal from the decision of the register and receiver 10 the Secretary of the Treasury may be had under such regulations as the said Secretary may prescribe. And if two or more persons are in possession of the same section. the first occupant shall be entitled to prefer enee, unless the same can be so divided by legal subdivisions as to give to eaci, the dis eovery claimed by him.
 Sec 4. .and bc If further enacted, Ina. the said mineral lands shall be offered for sale in quarter sectioos ard m hid shatf be