The weekly Placer herald., 1853-12-31
State Land Warrants---HOT
when and where they are to
be located.

| InStTuCtIOnS 10 OOI. UlIt, neRISteC IOT Tue
Northern District of California, in ans
wer to certain inquiries made by the
Colonel, regarding the laying of State
School Land Warrants. 1t is important
to holders of these warrants, settlers, and
the agricultural interests generally, that
they should know everything in relation
to the validity of these warrants and the
perfectng Of title under them.
Congress, by all act passed in lS4l +,
granted 10000 acres of the public do
main, within her horders, to each new
State on her admission into the Union.
The Trainers Of our State Constitution,
having deep solictude for the well-heing
of society, and comprehending the mora
influences of education, secured this and
other property by special provision for
the use Of common schools. The Legis-
larure of 1852, in accordance with the
iniunctions of this clause of the COnstitu-
tOn, passed an act authorizing the issuing
of land warrants for not less than one
hundred and sixty nor more than three
hundred and twenty acres each, to the
amount of, these 100000 acres. Many of
these warrants were located Immediately
after the passage of this act, and Others
since, and about four'fifths of the whole
amount are now believed to he laid on
the choicest lands in the State. A num-
ber of these warrants have been and are
now being relocated on lands possessed
by actual settlers, and difficulties some
times occur between the warrant holders
anG the settlers, which, if the law were
fully understood, need not occur. The
holders of these warrants have no RI ght to
lay them on any uIIsurveyed lands, nor TO
lay them on the lands of any preemrtor
whether surveyed or otherwise. The
law Of l94l in reference to this land so
donated Ivy Congress, distinctly states that
the s-lrctons may he made in such man-
ner as the Legislature may direct, Sin
parcels, conforming to the sectional dvl-
>ions aud subdivisions, of mol less than
three hundred and twenty acres at any
time after the lands Of the United States
.hnll have been surveyed according to
existing laws" Az these lands in this
State have not yet been surveyed, there is
no authority whatever 10 lay single
warrant
These warrants, therefore, cannot he
used for the purpose iutcnded-nnd they
are useless for any othrr-for two or three
yenr. to come, IA the lands that will be
surveyed by that time, and "hicn are
worth anything, are or will he in the pos
session Of pre-en,rtors.
We would proceed with these remarks
and inform the holders of warrants how
they are to he perfected, after the lands
have becn surveyed, but ~ that day is
apparently 80 distant that we hope 10 see
i.,I Il I,,,,
within the borders of tho State in the actual
possession Of preemplors prior to that
time, our facts might not be appreciated.
Ii may, however, he proper to state here
that ~ these warrants cannot he laid on
any lands, until they shall have been sur
veyed, nor on those possessed hy pre-
emptors at any time, neither can they on
swamp or mineral lands, as the former
belong to the State under another act, and
the latter are the property Of the Nation.
These warrants cannot now he made
available in any manner save by pre-
emptors, who are not likely to purchase
them ut two dollars per acre when they
ran secure the same land from the nation
at one dollar and quarter per acre and
with One-tenth the trouble.
The following is the section of the act
referred to:
Act, 4 SEP.-Sec 8. And he it further
enacted, That there shall he granted to
each State specified in the first section of
this Act, five hundred thousand acres of
land, for purposes of internal improve
ment: Provided, That to each of the said
States which have already received grants
tor said purposes, there is hereby granted
no more than quantity of land whrh
shall. together with the anIoaInt such State
has already received as aforesaid, make
FIVE hundred thousand acres; the selections
in all of the said States to he made within
their limits, respectively, in such manner
! rs the Legislatures thereof shall direct,
and located in parcels, conformably to
sectional divisions and subdivisions, of
not less than three hundred and twenty
acres in any one location, on any public
and except such as j, or may be reserved
from sale by any law of Congress, or
Proclamation of the President ofthe Uni
ted States; which said locations may be
made at any time after the lands of the
United States in said States, respective y,
shall have [heenI surveyed acc"rding to
existing laws. And there shall be, and
hereby is, granted to each new State that
shall be hereafter admitted into the Union
upon such admission, SO mnch land ns,
including such quantity as may have been
granted to such State before it's admission
and whiIe under a Territorial Govern
| r. Df .,ez nnI