The Arizona sentinel., 1901-02-13

tention of the department having
 been invited to the fact that a bill was pending before congress for a disposition of the lands, the secretary of the interior on Aug. 1 25, 1900, directed this office to withhold all the lands from set clement and entry until further orders, and you were according ly advised by letter 'G" of Sep tember 1, 1900.
 The bill for the disposition of these lands having become a law, as stated above, it is now proper to take the action neces- sary to carry into effect the pro- | visions of the law and to restore : to entry the lands that have so long been reserved.
 1 Under the first section of the act persons who, prior to May 23, 1893, (the day on which the Supreme Court of the United States first held that the grant was invalid), purchased, in good faith and for valuable cOnSiGera- tions, from the grant claimants portions of the land reserved for the grant, and have occupied and improved the same, may, within six months after the pass age of the act, or within three months after the lands shall be restored to entry, purchase such land from the United States at the price of one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre, upon making proof of the required facts under regulations to be provided by this office and ap- proved by the department. It is provided, however, that no one person shall purchase more than forty acres, and no purchase shall be allowed for a less quan- tity than that contained in the smallest legal subdivision; and provision is also made for joint entries, where two or more per sons have purchased portions of the same forty-acre tract.
 Persons who apply, to avail themselves of the privileges of this provision of the law will be required to furnish the original deeds of conveyance or certified copies of the record, or other contemporaneous written evi- dence of conveyance or of an agreement to convey; and they must also furnish their affidavits, which must be executed before some officer authorized to act in homestead cases, showing that they purchased the lands ap- piled for in good faith and for valuable considerations, and that tEey have occupied and lm- proved the same. As the pre- amble to the act recites that the purchases were made by citizens, applicants will be required to show, in accordance with the regular rules, that they are either native born or naturalized citi- zens of the United States. Pur- chasers will be required to pub fish notices of intention to pur- chase in like manner as notice is published in homestead cases.
 Upon the submission of satis- factory proof and proper pay ment, you will issue cash certifi- cates and receipts, making proper reference to the act of congress, and you will give the series a new set of numbers, beginning with No. 1.
 Where two or more persons apply for portions. of the same forty acre tract, joint proof may be submitted and a joint certif- cate will be issued.
 You will report entries made under the first section of the act on the regular cash abstract, making the necessary changes.
 It will be observed that appli- cants to purchase are allowed six months by the act, and any entry, therefore, which may be allowed under the general land laws will, of course, be subject