The silver state. [volume] (Unionville, Nev.) 1870-1903, 1877-03-30
THE DESERT LAND BILL.
Circular From the Department of
the Interior.

N OOo Aol tniS Dlsflct, udS re-
ceived the following circular, which,
at his request. it being of interest to
the public, we publish:
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIoB,)
GENERAL LAND OFFICE.
WASHINGTON, ID g., March IL, 1877
Register and Receiver, U. S Land
Office Gentlemen: The following is
the text of an Act of Congress, approved
March 3, 1877, and entitled AN Act to
| provide for the sale of desert lands in
| certain States and Trrritories":
Be it enacted by the Senate and House
of Representatives of the u S. of
America in Congress assembled, That
it shall be lawful for any citizen of the
United States, or any person Of requi-
site age who may be entitled to be-
come citizen ami Who has fled his
declaration to become such. and upon
payment of twenty five cents per acre.
to file declaration, under oath. with
the register aud receiver Of the LAID
district in which any desert laud is sit
uated. that be intends to reclaim
tract of desert land not exceeding one
section, by conducting water upon the
same, within the period Of three years
tn reafier; provided. however, that the
right to the use f water by the person
so conducting the same. on or to my
tract of desert land of six hundred and
forty acres shall dep nd upon bona fide
prior appropriation; and such right
shall not exceed the amount of water
actually appropriated. and necessarily
used for the purpose of irrigation and
reclamation; aud all surplus water over
and above such actual appropriation
AMI use, together with the water of all
lakes, rivers AID other sources of water
supply upon the public lands and not
navlgable. shall remain aud be held
free for the appropriation and use of
the public for irrigation. mining and
manufacturing purposes subject to ex-
listing rights. Said declaration shall
describe particularly said section of
land if surveyed, and, if unsurveyed,
shall describe the same as nearly as
possible without survey. At any time
within the period of three years after
fling said declaration, upon making
satisfactory proof to the receiver aud
register of the reclamation of said
tract of land in the manner afore-
said. and upon the payment to the re-
ceiver of the additional sum of one
dollar per acre for a tract of land not
exceeding six hundred and forty acres
to any one person, a patent for the
same shall be issued to him. Provided,
that, no person shall be permitted to
enter more than one tract of land and
not TO exceed six hundred aud forty
acres which shall be in campact form
Section g. That all lands exclusive
of timber and mineral lands which will
not. without irrigation. produce some
agricultural crop. shall be deemed dee-
ert lands. within the meaning of this
act, which fact shall be ascertained by
proof of two or more credible witness.
ao rpdar oath u,hooa afS dayito che IL ba
filed in the land office ia which said
tract of land may be situated.
Section 3. That this act shall only
apply to and take effect in the States of
California, Oregon and Nevada. and
the Territories of Washington. Idaho.
Montana, Utah. Wyoming, Arizona.
New Mexico and Dakota, and the de-
termination of what may be considered
desert lands shall be subject to the de-
cisien and regulation of the Commits.
siener of the General Land Office.
HOW TO PROCEED.
The declaration specified in the first
section of the act. to be filed with the
register aud receiver must be under
oath. and may be executed before eth
or the register and reseiver, or the clerk
of any court of record having seal.
1t must set forth that the applicant is
a citizen of the United States, or has
declared his intention to become such,