The weekly Placer herald., 1853-12-17

! prp.esNDtsG1as On fhe fNDsac AO-
main What is necessary to
secure them.
We perceive by circular signed by
John Wilson, Commissioner of the Ten
eral Land Office, and addressed to Regis
ters and Receivers of the United States
Land }ffices in California, that in order
for pre- emptors to secure their claims
there are many things to be considered
and acts done, of which the people of this
State gre not generally cognlzant. We
PROPOSE, therefore, for the benefit of those
interested, to give Il condensed statement
of the contents of this circular.
By an act of Sd March, 1853, the pre-
emptiOn laws were extended over Call'
| fornia These laws authorize settlements
to he made on public lands in this State
not yet surveyed, 81 made tr1th,a one
year from the passage of the act OF third
March last, but such settlements will not
he recognized under these laws if made
subsequent to that period.
| The sixteenth and thirty sixth sections
which have been donated to the State tor
school purposes, if settled on, can be held
| bv pre-emptors, and the State may select
other lands in lieu Of those thus settled
on.
By this act, lands preserved on account
of claims under French, Spanish or other
grants," (which have been or shall be
hereafter declared by the Supreme Court
of the United States, to be invalid" will
be entitled to the right of pre-emption,
"after the lands have been released from
reservation in the same manner as If no
reservation existed"
The person claiming the benefit Of these
acts must he n citizen Of the United States,
or have declared his intention to become
such; must he the head of a family, or a
widow, or a single man over twenty-one
years of age. These lands may be pald
for by military land warrants at the rate
of 81 25 per acre. But one warrant can
he used in each pre-emption case. Par
ties settling on such lands are rec uired TO
file their declaratory statements with the
proper Register, containing the precise
day Of settlement Sc, within three
months after the filing of the township
plat in said Reg ster's office. The proof,
affidavit and payment of these lands may
he made at any time previous to the day
fixed by the Presidents proclamation for
the commencement of the public sale Of
the lands included in the tract.
The tracts liable to- entry under this act,
are-a regular quarter section, not with
standing its quantity may be II few acres
more or less than one hundred and sixty
acres; any lesser ubdivision, or any ad-
joining legal subdivisions, the aggregate
number of acres in which does not exceed
one hundred and sixty; but these regular
quarter sections or legal subdivisions can,
not Of course be known until the legal
surveys by the Unttd States have been
made.
The heirs Of parties ho die before
consumnating their claims by the filing
of the proper papers, &c, will have the
right to perfect the rlnim.
BY this act person who has once filed
n declaration for one tract of land cannot
at any future period file a second declara-
ton for another tract.
ono person who is the proprietor of
three hundred and t,centy acres of land in
any State or Territory of the United
States, is entitled to the benefits of this
act.
No person who shall gull or ata1don
his residence on his nepn land in CaIitor-
MIA, TO reside on the public land, il en-
titled to the benefits of this act.
No assignments or transfers of pre-
emptiOn rights can he recognized of en-
tries made with cash or reuoiut onary land
scrip. The patents "nust issue 10 the
claimants, in whose names all such entries
must he made; but where the claim has
been 'ocnted 10y IA military ,carrant, (made
asSignabe per act of Congress, approved
March %, l952,) The certificate of loca.
tion may be assigned, and the patent viii
be issued to such Ass gnee."
The following descriptions Of lands are
exempt from the operations of these acts:
lst Lands included by any reservation
by any treaty, law, or proclamation of
the President of the United States, and
lands reserved for salncs or other pur-
poses.
2d. Lands reserved for the support of
schools, except IA TO sections sixteen and
thirty six on unsurveyed land as herein
before mentioned.
Sd. Any Indian reservation to which
the tit c has been, or may be extinguished
by the United States at any time during
the ope Grafton of this act.
4th. Sections of land reserved to the
United States, alternate to other sections,
which may hereafter be granted to the
State .or thA construction of any canal.
railroad or other public improvement, ex-
eept where the settlements may be made
on such land between the time of reser-
valion and the final allotment referred to
in act of third March, 1853, chap. l49,