Tombstone epitaph., 1890-01-11
|. $. Land Court.

United States land court and provide for judicial investigation and settle ment of private land claims Tn the states of Colorado and Nevada, and m the territories of Arizona, New Mex ico, Utah and Wyoming" 1t has l been twice read, and is now before the | committee on private land claims. | Under this measure the proposed court shall consist of d chief justice and two associate justices, a cOmpet- ent attorney to represent the govern ment, an expert in English and Span ish, clerk of court, deputy and steno- graphers. This court by one or more of its members shall be in session at least six months in the year at the capitals of the states and territories named. Terms may also be held in Washington as the convenience of the business may require.
 This court shall be divided into three departments, and the chief us tice shall assign the judges to preside over these, and the justice of each de- partment shall have power to heaI and determine all cases coming before him; and from time to time as may be necessary the three justices shall sit in banc, and when thus sitting, they shall constitute d higher court to which cases from the department courts may be appealed, similar to our present judicial system. In all cases where the value of the property does rot exceed 5000 the decision of the court in banc is made final but where the amount of valuation is greater than this sum, appeal may be taken by cOntesting parties or by the United States to the United States Supreme Court. All private land claims must be presented before this court for adjudication within three years from the time the bill becomes q law. Evidence taken before the surveyors general shall be competent additional testimony may be taken by dispositions, or oral testimony may be presented. Persons claiming an ad- vance title or holding under the United States shall have the right tc intervene as party in interest.
 In determining causes the court shall be governed by treaty provisions the nations, the laws of the govern ment from which the claim is derived the principles of equity and decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States so far as they are applicable In no case shall the court confirm a claim for more than the original grant in whole or in part the court shal specify in it's decree plainly the l0ca' tion, boundaries and probable area oi the claim confirmed No confirma. tiOn "shsll confer any right or title to any gold, silver or quicksilver or min erals of the same, unless the grant claimed effected the donation or sale of such mines or minerals, which shall remain the property of the United States, with the right of work ing the same and authorizing the same to be worked" Land of 160 acres or less not included in any grant oc- cupied and owned by people whose ancestors were of Spanish or Mexican descent shall be confirmed by them upon proper evidence of their occu- pancy and possession.
 Grants confirmed by the court shall be certified up to the general land office and surveyed and plated under direction of the surveyor general. Due publication of such survey shall be made and after ninety days, if there be no objection to it, the papers in the case are sent back to the land office, examined by the Secretary of the Interior, resubmitted to the land court, and upon final approval by the survey and plat again sent back to the general land office, when the commis- sioner is authorized to issue patent. If the survey shall be objected to by any interested party during the ninety days it is open for examination at the surveyor generals office, then the ob: