The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1851-05-08
"No rogue e'er felt the halter draw
With good opinion Of th. law"


The act to ascertain and settle private
land claims in California provides for the
appointment by the President and Senate Of
the United states Of three commissioners.
whose term of Office shall continue for three
years; and for the appointment by the Pres.
ident Of an agent charged with the interests
of the United States Government, whose
duty It shall be to attend The meetings of the
commissioners, to collect testimony for tho
United States, and to be present when ciai-
niants take dispositions. The commission.
ers are authorized TO appoint a secretary
and five clerks
Any person claiming lands In California
by title derived from the Spanish or Mexi-
can government is required TO present to tho
commissioners, when sitting as q board, such
evidence as the clairnan, relies upon in sup
port OF his claim; and 1t is the duty of the
commissioners to examine and to decide up
on the validity of the claim, and within thiir-
ty days after their decision is rendered, to
certify the same to The district attorney Of
the United States in the district where the
decision is rendered
The claimant, or the United States dis
trict attorney in behalf Of the governments,
may appeal from that decision to the Uni
teo States district courI; and n further an.
peal may be taken to the United States Su.
preme Court--and that wthou, security for
COSTS, where the claimant is unable to give
security.
The commissioners are required 10 base
their decisions on the treaty Of Guadalupe
Hidalgo, the law Of nations, the laws, usa.
ges, and customs Of the government from
which the claim is derived, the principles
of equity, and the decisions of the Supreme
Court of the United States, so far as they
are applicable.
The statute also provides that all lands
the claims 10 which shall he held invalid hy
the commissioners. or in case of appeal by
the courts, and all lands the claims TO which
shall! not have been presented TO The said
commissioners within two years of March
Sd, 1851, shall be considered as part Of the
public domain of the United States; and for
cluims confirmed by the commissioners or
hy the courts patent will he issued from
the General Land office, unless some other
party, cOntesting the claimants title, shall
obtain an Injunction from the United States
district court having jurisdiction where tho
lands lie, restraining the claimant from suing
out his patent until the contcstau,'s claim he
determined.
In the case Of town or village lots. the
Spanish or Mexican CLAIM, tor the sama
must he presented, not bv the individual
pr"pr'etors, but by the corporations from
whom no, these received their grants.
ne DEGREES Of the commissioners and the
courts, and the patents issued under this act,
are made conclusive only as between the
United States and the claimants, and do not
affect the rights of third pa, ties.
lhe commissioners are also required to
report to the Secretary of the interior the
tenure by which the mission lands are held.
| "a hny hsll i,<, l..
! persons engaged i'm agriculture or labor Of
any kind, and also those which are occupied
and cultivated by pueblos or rancheros In
dians -
lhe salary OF each commissioner is So
coo per annum; Of the secretary, $4,000;
OF each clerk, sl,500.-[ New York Jour.
| Com. |a'