Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1891-08-18
AN ACT
To establish a Court of Private Land Claims,
and to provide for the settlement of
private land claims in certain States and
Territories.

SECTION l. That there shall be, and hereby
is established a court to be called the COurl
OF Private Land Claims to consist of CHIEF
Justice and four associate justices, who shall
be, when appointed, citizens and residents
OF some OF the States of the United states
to be appointed by the President, by anC
with the advice and consent OF the Senate
to hold their offices for the term expiring or
the thirty-iir6t day OF December anne
domini eighteen hundred and ninety-hve
any three of whom shall constitute a
quorum. Said court shall have and exercise
jurisdiction in the hearing and decision OF
private land claims according to the pro
visions of this act. The said court shall ap
point clerk who shall attend all the sessions
of the court, and a deputy clerk, where
regular terms of the court are held. The
court shall also appoint a stenographer who
shall attend all the sessions of the court and
perform the duties required OF him by the
court.
The said court shall have the power to
adopt all necessary rules and regulations
for the transaction of its business and to
carry out the provisions OF this act: to issue
any process necessary to the transaction OF
the business of said court, and to issue com
missions to take dispositions as provided in
chapter Sevent cen OF title thirteen OF the
Revised Statutes of the United States. Each
OF said justices shall have power to admin
lister oaths and altlrmattons. 1t shall be the
duty of the United States marshal for any
district or Territory in which the court is
held, to serve any process OF the SAID court
placed Ill MS udIluS IOI lIilS pun pOoci anu W
attend the court in person or by deputy
when so directed by the court. The court
shall hold such sessions in the States and
Territories mentioned in this act as shall be
needful for the purposes thereof, and snail
give notice of the times and places of the
holding of such sessions, by publication in
both the English and Spanish languages, In
one newspaper published at the capital of
such State or Territory, once Weeks
for two successive weeks, the last OF
which publications shall be not less
than thirty days next preceding the
times of the holding of such SEES,
sions, but such sessions may be adjourned
from time to time without such publication
SEC. 2. That there shall also be appointed
by the President, by and with the advice and
consent OF the Senate, competent attorney,
learned in the law who shall when appointed
be a resident and citizen of some State OF
the United States, to represent the United
States in said court. And there shall be APP
pointed by the said court, a person who
shall be when appointed CltlZen ana resi-
dent of some State of the United States,
skilled in the Spanish and English Ian
guages, to act as Interpreter and translator
In said court, to attend all the sessions
thereof, and to perform such other services
as may be required of him by the court.
SEC. 8. That Immediately upon the organi-
cation of said court the clerk shall cause
notices thereof, and of the time and place OF
the first session thereof to be published Tor
a period of ninety days in one newspaper at
the City of Washington and in one published
at the capital of the State OF COLORADO ana
of the Territories of Arizona and New
Mexico. Such notices shall be published in
both the Spanish and English languages,
and shall contain the substance OF this act,
SEC. 4. That it shall be the duty OF the
of the General Land once or
the United States, the SurYeyors-Genera
of such Territories and states, or the
keeper of any public records who may have
possessions of any records and papers re-
lating to any land grants or claims Tor
land within said States and Territories in
relation to which any petition shall be
of any person interested or by the attorney
OF the United States, to safely transmit
such records and papers to said court or to
attend in person or by deputy any session
thereof when required by said court, ans
produce such records and papers
SEC. 5. That the testimony which has
been heretofore lawfully and regularly re-
ceiyed by the SuryeyOr-General OF the
proper Territory or State or by the Com
missioner of the General Land Ohice, upon
any claims presented to them, respectively,
shall be admitted in evidence IN al trials
under this act when the person testify1ng Is
dead, so far as the subject matter thereof
Is competent evidence; and the court snail
give 1t such weight as, in its Judgment, un-
der all the circumstances, IL ought TO nave.
SEC. 6. That it shall be lawful for any
person or persons or corporation or their
legal representatives, claiming lands within
the limits of the territory derived by the
United States from the Republic OF Mexico
and now embraced within the Territories OF
New Mexico, Arizona or Utah, or within
the States of Nevada, Colorado or Wyo-
ming by virtue of any such spanish or Mex
lean grant, concession, warrant or survey
as the United States are bound to recognize
and confirm by virtue of the treaties of
cession of said country by Mexico to the
United States which at the date of the
of this act have not been confirmed
by act of Congress or otherwise, hnally de-
cfded upon by lawful authority, and which
are not already complete and perfect in
every such case, to present petition in
writing to the said court in the state or
Territory where said lanu Is situated and
where the said court holds its sessions, but
cases arising in the states and Territories
In which the court does not hold regular
sessions may be instituted at such place as
may be designated by the rules of the court
The petition shall set forth 1ully the
nature of their claims to the lands, and
state the date and form of the
grant, concession, warrant or order OF sur
Vey under which they claim, by whom
made the name or names of any person or
persons in possession of or claiming the
same, or any part thereof, otherwise than
by the lease or permission OF the petitioner,
and also the quantity of land claimed and
the boundaries thereof, where situate, with
a map showing the same as near as may be,
and whether the said claim has heretofore
been confirmed, considered or acted upon
by Congress or the authorities of the United
States, or been heretofore submitted to any
authorities constituted by law for the ad-
justment of land titles within the limits of
the said territory so acquired and by them
on untavorably or recommended
for confirmation, or authorized to be sur
veyed or not; and pray in such petition
that the validity of such title or claim may
be inquired into and decided.
Ana the said court is hereby authorized
and required to take and exercise jurisdic-
t{N,a Of al lra nj fn1
tition in conformity with the provisions of
this act, and to hear and determine the
same, as in this act provided, on the petit
tons and proofs in case no answer or an
swers be filed, after due notice, or on the
petition and the answer or answers of any
person or persons interested in preventing
any claim from being established, and the
answer of the attorney tor the United
States, where he may have filed an answer,
and such testimony and proofs as may be
taken; and a copy of such petition, with
citation to any adverse posSeSsor or claim
ant, shall Immediately after the filing of the
same be served on such poSsessOr or claim
ant in the ordinary legal manner of serving
such process in the proper state or Terri
tory, and in like manner on the attorney
for the United States; and 1t snail be the
duty OF the attorney Tor the United states,
as also any adverse possessor or claimant
after service of petition and citation as
hereinbefore provided, within thirty days,
unless further time shall tor good cause
SHOWN, De granted ny Tic COURT VI a JuuSe
thereof, to enter an appearance, and plead,
answer or demur to said petition; and in
default of such plea, answer or demurrer
being made within said thirty days or
within the further time which may have
been granted as aforesaid, the court shall
proceed to hear the cause on the petition
and proofs, and render final decree &C
cording to the provisions of this act, and in
no case shall decree be entered otherwise
than upon full legal proof and hearing; and
In every case the court shall require the
petition to be sustained by satisfactory
proofs, whether an answer or plea shall
have been filed or not.
SEC Z. That all proceedings subsequent
to the filing of said petition shall be con-
Quoted as near as may be according to the
practice of the courts of equity of the
United States, except that the answer of the
attorney of the United States shall not be
required to be verified by his oath, and ex-
cept that, as far as practicable, testimony
shall be taken in the court or before one of
the Justices thereof. The said court shall
have full power and authority to hear and
determine all questions arising in cases be.
fore 1t relative to the title to the land, the
subject of such case, the extent, location
and boundaries thereof, and other matters
Herewith fit and proper to be