The Nevada journal., 1853-07-08
Prescription Law OF California


W. give below the remarks OF the
Transcript upon this important law,
and take the section from it that ap-
plies to the disputes recently raised in
our city. For lack of the remedy pro-
posed in this law many of the mining
cities have been ruined. It comes
just in time to save our own. We re-
member cutting this law from one of
our states exchanges some months
since, when it had passed the Senate.
In the House we could not trace it,
and we're not aware it had become a
law till it appeared again in the Trans
crpt. The law was approved March
Sd, 1853.
The important law in relation to the
Public Lands in this state, and con-
ferring enlarged privileges of pre-emp-
ton upon our citizens, which we re-
publish to day. will receive general
attention from our readers. 1t gives
every settler on the publiclands, ,wheth-
er the same has been surveyed or not,
a title to the quarter section upon
which he resides, upon the payment to
the Government of a dollar and a
quarter per acre after the lands have
been surveyed. If the Government
delays the survey for one or twenty
years, this makes the title Of the set
ler complete and his ownership is
therefore perfect.
But still more important feature
is contained in the law. 1t donates
two sections out of every township OF
land in the state to the use of schools
This is one eighteenth of the domain
of the state, and amounts to the enor-
nous quantity of upwards Of sic mil
lion Of acres to build up institutions
oflearning all over our state. This
will at once show the vast importance
of the Office of Superintendent of Pub
tic Ins,ruc tion, to be elected by the
people at the next general election
Near fifty thousand acres are also do
mated for University to be located by
the Governor, and ten sections for the
public buildings of the state, to b5e
similarly located.
Another great advantage to the peo-
lple of the state from the passage of
| this law, arises from the donation to
the actual occupants of all the sites for
cities, towns and villages located On
the public domain, unoccupied, or that
may be hereafter occupied Except
in the mineral region when the right
of occupation or cultivation is granted
to actual settlers, reserving the miner
ais for the further action of Congress.
This quiets the title to town lots in
the whole mineral region and on the
public domain in the state 1t was
scarcely possible for law to have con-
tanned more important privileges to
the itizens Of state, and the bene fit
that will result from it will be incalcu-
liable. We will recur to its details
more particularly hereafter. The
credit we believe is due to Senator
Gwin, for having drafted the law, and
it was introduced by him in the SEN
ate. r
Sec. 8. Amd be 1t further enacted,
That the public lands, not being min
eral lands, occupied as towns or villa
ges, shall not be subdivided, or subject
to sale, or to be appropriated by set
tiers, under the provisions Of this act ;
but the whole of such lands, whether
settled upon before or after the survey
OF the same, shall be subject to the
provisions of the act entitled can act
for the reliefof the citizens of towns
upon the lands of the United States.
under certain circumstances" approv-
ed May twenty-third, eighteen hundred
and forty-tour, except such towns as
are located on or near mineral lands,
the inhabitants of which shall have
the right of occupation and cultivation
only until such time as Congress shall
dispose of the same nor shall any
lands specially reserved for public uses
be appropriated under the provisions
of this act.
splendid WHEAr.--A gentleman has