Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1886-11-30
FINAL PROOFS.

New Forms Prescribed for Taking
Testimony.
Department OF the Interior, General
Land Office, Washington, d. g., Novem-
Der 8, Neutrality-suspicious. and Receivers,
United States Land Office. Gentlemen
"A supply Of blank forms for use in
presumption homestead and committed
homestead final proofs have this day
been transmitted to you. From the date
of the receipt of these forms the same
will be exclusively used By You and no
proofs will be taken on the old forms
thereafter.
You will at once forward by registered
mail or prompt conveyance to eaoh clerk
of a court of record and to each judge OF
probate in your district, q sufficient
number OF the new forms for their i'm.
mediate use, and will instruct them that
these forms only are to be used by them,
and that in no ease will they be permit
ted to further use the old forms.
You will promptly reject oil proofs
transmitted by Bueh officers that are not
made On the @ forms after the same
shall have been distributed.
Registers and receivers, and officers
taking proofs, are enjoined tt use the
utmost strictness in the examination OF
parties and witnesses, and to obtain full,
specific and n%nevasive answer to all
the questions ~propounded in the new
forms. This course will obivate the
necessity for the cross examination here,
tofnre prescribed to remedy defects in
The old forms, but all necessary oral
oross.examinations will be made by
attestipg officers TO further test the good
faith of claimants and the reliability OF
the testimony claimants and witnesses.
Officers will certify to their oral cross-
examinations.
Registers and receivers will carefully
examine oil proofs nov IN their respee-
tive Offices upon which certificates have
not been issued, and that may be trans
mitted to them on old forms before the
distribution OF the forms, and when
such proofs are in any respect unHatis-
factory, they will return the same and
require new proofs to be made on the
new forms, without, however, requiring
new advertisements unless the original
advertisement was defective OF proof
was not made as advertised.
They will in like manner examine all
proofs transmitted on the new forms
and will not issue certificates, nor place
entries on record, nor transmit the
proofs to this office until the same have
been thus examined. Defective, ~insufic,
lent, or unsatisfactory proofs will be
rejected and new proof required.
Proofs taken by other officers than
registers and receivers must be I'M
mediately transmitted, with the non
to the register and receiver. When any
interval OF time, other than that required
for immediate and expeditions trans
initial, elapse between date OF. proof and
date OF its receipt, with the. monev, o,
the district land office, a new final afida.
/ Wit covering date Of receipt OF proof aud
payment by the register and receiver
will be required before certificate is is
sueil or the entry placed of record
Probf without payment must IN no case
be accepted or received by registers and
receivers. All discrepancies between
date Of proof and date of registers Ger.
ftifieate and receivers receipt must be
accounted for by certificate from the
register and receiver attached to each
case.
You will furnish all clerks OF courts
and Judges of probate in your district
with copies Of these instructions Tor
their information and guidance
WV. A. J. SPARKS. Commissioner
Approved Nov. is 1886:
L q 9 LAEAR. Secretary.