Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1891-09-02
AN ACT
To establish a Court of Private Land Claims,
and to provide for the settlement OF
private land claims in certain States and

SECTION l. That there shall be, and hereby
is established court to be called the Court
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 and
| with the advice and consent of the Senate,
! to hold their offices for the term expiring on
| the thlrty-lirst day OF December, ammo
| domint eighteen hundred and ninety-hye,
any three Ot whom shall constitute
quorum. Said court shall have and exercise
| jurisdiction i'll the hearing and decision of
private land claims according to the pro
| visions OF this act The said court shall ap-
point clerk Whoshall 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 StenOgraphcr VINO
| 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 TINS 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 seventeen Of title thirteen OF the
Revised Statutes of the United States. Each
OF said justices shall have power to admin
lister OathS and anirmations 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 in his hands for this purpose, and to
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
needlul Tor the purposes thereof, and shall
give notice OF the times and places OF the
holding OF such sessions by publication in
both the English and Spanish languages, i'll
one newspaper published at the capital of
such state or Territory, once week
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 ses-
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 resident and citizen OF some state OF
the United States, to represent the United
States in said court. And there shall be ap-
pointed by the said court, a person, who
snail be when appointed a Cltlzen ana resi-
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 3. That Immediately upon the organ1-
cation of said court the clerk snail cause
notices thereof, and of the time and place of
the first session thereof, to be published tor
period OF ninety days in one newspaper at
the City of Washington and in one published
at the capital of the State of Colorado and
Oh the OF AlILOud anu NEW
Mexico. Such notices shall be published in
both the Spanish and English languages,
and shall contain the substance OF this act
SEC. j. That it shall be the duty OF the
Commissioner OF the General Land ONCE OF
the United States, the Surveyors-Genera
of such Territories and States, or the
keeper Of any pubic records who may nave
possessions of any records and papers re-
latlng TO any land grants or claims tor
land within said States and Territories in
relation to which any petition shall be
brought under this act on the application
OF any person interested or by the attorney
Of the United States, to safely transmit
SuCn 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 p2perA
SEC 5. That the testimony which has
been heretofore lawfully and regularly re-
ceiyed by the SurVeyot-Nenetal OF me tue
proper Territory or state or by the Com
missioner of the General Land ONCE, upon
any claims presented to item, respectively,
shall lie admitted in evidence in all trials
under this act when the person teStlfylng Is
dead, SO far as the subject matter thereof
Is competent evidence and the court shall
give ii such weight as, Ill It's judgment, I'M
der all the circumstances, IL ought TO nave
SEC. &. 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
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
passage OF this act have not been confirmed
BY act of Congress or otherwise, finally de-
cided 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 land 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.
Tine petition shall set forth fully the
nature of their claims to the lands, and
particularly 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 III 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 |
reported 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 |
ana required to take and exercise juriSdiC- |
ton OF all cases or claims presented by pc |
tition in conformity with the provisions of |
this act, and to hear and determine the |
same, as in this act provided on the petit
lions and proofs in case nc answer or an
swers be lied, 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 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 po5Sessor 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 it shall be the |
duty OF the attorney for 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 for good cause
shown, be granted by the court, or judge
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 ac-
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. 7. 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 it relative to the title to the land, the
subject of such case, the extent, location
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