The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1871-06-24
veyed approved swamp lands" and to

Yeyed approved swamp lands" and to
make appropriations therefor.
SEeTfoN /. Be it enacted by the Senate
and House of Representatives of the State
of Louisiana in general assembly convened,
That the lands donated by Congress to the
State Of Louisiana as swamp aud over
flowed lands, within the intent and mean
inc of the several acts of Congress relating
thereto, which shall have been surveyed
and approved in accordance with law,
shall be subject to entry and sale at the
price of twelve and a half cents per acre.
That any person applying to enter any of
the aforesaid lands shall be required to
make affidavit before some officer legally
authorized to administer oaths, that he or
she .enters the same for his or her own
use and for the purpose of actual settle
ment and cultivation, and together with
said entry he or she has not acquired from
the State of Louisiana, under the provi-
sions of this act, or of any act graduating
State lands, more than one hundred and
sixty acres according to the established
surveys.
SEC. 9. Be it further enacted, etc, That
the Register of the State Land Office shall
be, and is hereby authorized to sell the
swamp and overf1owed lands donated by
acts of Congress of second of March, 1849,
and September %, 1850, for one dollar and
twenty-five cents per acre; provided, that
no purchaser under this section shall be
allowed to enter more than one hundred
al dsixty acres. =
Sec: 3. Be it further enacted, etc, That
the public lands donated by Congress to
the State of Louisiana, which are subject
TO tidal overflow so as to be rendered IN
fit for settlement and cultivation, designa-
ted as swamp and overf1owed lands, within
the intent of the several acts of Congress
relating thereto, which have been approved
to the State of Louisiana by the general
government as swamp and oyerflowed
lands, shall be subject to entry at the rate
of twenty-five cents per acre; provided,
that satisfactory proof be filed with the
Register of the State Land Office that any
land sought to be purchased under the pro-
visions Of this section is subject to tidal
overflow so as to be rendered unfit for set
tlement and cultivation.
Sec. 4. Be it further enacted, ETC., That
the Register of the State Land Office shall
be authorized, and it shall be the duty of
said Register to administer any oath or
oaths which may be required by law in
connection with the duties of his Office. and
if any person shall knowingly and willfully
swear falsely to any fact contained in any
oath or affidavit so taken and made, he or
she shall be deemed Or held guilty Of per-
jury, and shall, on conviction, suffer all the
pains and penalties of perjury provided,
that such officer shall not directly Or indi-
rectly charge or receive any compensation
for administering such oaths.
Sec. 5. Be it further enacted, ETC., That
as there are many bodies of land which
lave been approved in bulk to the State by
the general government as swamp and over
flowed lands, through which the township
and section lines have not been run so as to
prevent the same to be subject to prc-emp-
ton or sale, it shall be the duty of the
Register of the State Land Office to have
such surveys made thereof as may be neces-
sary in accordance with the existing United
States laws and regulations governing such
work. ~. r. Il.
Sec. 6. Be it further enacted, etc, That
section twenty-five of act No. SO, extra ses-
sion of 1870, is hereby repealed, and that
the unexp ended balance of ten thousand
dollars appropriated by that act be and is
hereby appropriated out of the swamp land
fund to carry out the provisions of the fifth
section of this act, and this appropriation
shall be payable to the Register upon his
own warrant, for field and office work to be
done as provided in section five of this act.
Sec. 7. Be 1t further enacted, ETC., That
if any person or persons shall cut, remove,
or otherwise dispose of, or be employed in
cutting, removing, or otherwise disposing of.
any timber or wood of any kind from the
lands belonging to this State or donated to
this State by the United States, unless duly
authorized SO TO do by a, competent officer
of this State, such person or persons so Of
Tending, and being thereof duly convicted
before any court Of competent jurisdiction,
shall pay a line not exceeding one thousand
dollars, and be imprisoned not exceeding
one year.
SEC. 8. Be it further enacted, etc. Tint
as regular tract books of sales have not
heretofore been prepared, and many of the
township maps upon which sales were re-
presented have been so worn as to be unfit
for use, IL shall be The duty Of the Register
TO purchase necessary books on which all
sales shall be recorded, and he shall have
the maps and lists Of approvals to the State
OF every character Of lands now in his Office
recopied and bound, ia proper books and
portfolios, by districts.
SEC. g.. Be it further enacted, etc. That
the sum of fifteen thousand dollars, or so
much thereof as may be necessary, be and
is hereby appropriated to carry out the
provisions dissection eight of this act, and
that it shall be payable out of the swamp
land fund upon the warrant of the Register
of the State Land Office, upon investigation
and approval Of the Auditor of Public Ac-
counts.
Sec. 10. Be it further enacted, etc, That
as the Commissioner of the United States
General Land Office has called for o state
ment Of such lands within the provisional
grant to the New Orleans, Opelousas and
Great Western Railroad Company as have
been lawfully disposed Of. it shall be the
duty of the Register of the State Land Office
TO prepare lists Of sales and plats repress n.
ting them, and to transmit to the United
States Commissioner, General Land Office,
q copy thereof, approved by the f.oyernor,
retaining the original so approved in his
office.
SEe. II. Be it further enacted, etc, That
to carry out the provisions. of the last pre-
section the sum ofive thousand dol
lars, or SO much thereof as may be neces-
sary, be and is hereby appropriated out of
the swamp land fund, to be paid by the
Treasurer. on the warrant Of the Auditor.
and on accounts previously approved by the
Register Of the Land Office.