Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1892-06-14
PASSED THE HOUSE.
An Important Amendment Touching
the Small Holdings Feature of
the Land Court Act.

An important amendment to the ac
establishing the U. S. court OF private
land claims, was passed by the lower house
of congress on Thursday last. The New
MEXICAN is indebted to Delegate Joseph
for a copy of this amendment and the
committees report thereon.
Section l6 of chapter $50 of the public
acts OF the second session CT the
5lst congress is by this amendment
modified by striking out the words
residing thereon as his home," where
they occur in the forty-tirst line of page
SOL, volume twenty-six, United States
statutes.
Section II of said act il amended go as
| to read as follows:
"Sec. H. That in the case OF town,
ships heretofore surveyed in the terri.
tories OF New Mexico, Arizona and Utah,
and the states of Colorado, Nevada and
Wyoming, all persons who, or whose
ancestors, grantors or their lawful success.
sors in title or possession, became citi.
zens Of the United States by reason OF the
treaty of Guadalupe Ilidalgo, or the
terms of the Gadsden purchase, and who
have been in the actual continuous ad-
verse possession of tracts, not to exceed
100 acres each, for twenty years next
preceding such survey, shall be entitled
upon making proof of such facts to the
satisfaction Of the register and receiver OF
the proper land district, and of the COM
missioner OF the general land office, upon
such investigation as is provided for in
section l6 Of this act, to enter without
payment Of purchase money, fees or COM
missions such subdivisions, not exceed
ing 100 acres, as shall include their said
possessions.
"After a claim of the character de-
scribed shall have been filed as directed
in section IS Of this act, and it shall ap-
pear that a tract claimed as aforesaid is OF
such shape that the claimant can not
readily secure his interests byan entry by
legal subdivisions of the public surveys,
the commissioner of the general land
office may cause such claim to be sur
veyed at the expense of the United States,
but the deputy surveyor performing the
work shall not be paid for his services
more than $5 per day in addition to his
necessary expenses.
Before commencing such a survey the
deputy surveyor shall post, in at least
three prominent places in the township
in which such claim is situated, notice
in both the English and Spanish languages,
calling on all persons entitled to lands
in said township under this section to
submit to him within a reasonable time
proofs of their rights in the lands, by
affidavit or otherwise. He shall then pro.
ceed to establish the lines Of such posses
sions in the township as seem TO him to
be valid, properly connecting the lines
thereof with the lines OF public surveys
and he shall return the aforesaid proofs to |
the surveyor general with the field notes
Of such claims and possessions. The sur
vsyor general shall then, upon his ap.
proval of said proofs and field notes OF |
surveys, cause t.'s said claim or claims to |
be plated, and r:m,.ered as s.lot or lots
of the section or sections in which such
claim or claims are situated, and shall
,ransmit duplicate of the amended |
plat to the general land office
md triplicate thereof to the proper dis
rlct land office, after which the land
claimed as aforesaid may be entered as
OF or lots by the number or numbers
upon the amended township
'lat: Provided, however, That no person
hall be entitled to enter more than 100
'cres in one or more tracts in his own
light under the provisions of this sec.
ion."
Section Is Of said act is amended by
triking out the words ''the passage OF
his act" in the third end fourth lines OF
aid section, and inserting in place there /
# the words "the let day of December,
S92."
The committees report on the above
said: GAS nothing has been
lone under this act, or but little, if any.
hing, sections IS and 10 should be
as to extend the time for the
making and determination Of all claims
nder this act two years"
That is, the committee recommended
hat the time allowed for adjustment of
hese small holdings be extended to
December /, 1894. This amendment was
lso incorporated in the amended bill.