The lands granted, 12th April, 1792. SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That the several quan- be located, &c. tities of land, to be granted and conveyed as aforesaid, shall according to act of be included and located within such limits and lines of boundary as the President may judge expedient, agreeably to an act passed the twelfth day of April, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-two, "for ascertaining the bounds of a tract of land purchased by John Cleves Symmes."*(1) Approved, May 5, 1792. [See Part II, No. 35.] *See ante, chap.36. CHAP. 39.-An act to amend the act entitled "An act to enable the officers and soldiers of the Virginia line on continental establishment to obtain titles to certain lands lying northwest of the river Ohio, between the Little Miami and Sciota." +See original act, ante, chapter 33. diers of the Virgi nental establish on producing war &c. 1. SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That all and every officer and soldier of the Vir- Officers and sol ginia line on continental establishment, his or their heirs or nia line on contiassigns, entitled to bounty lands on the northwest side of the ment entitled, &c. river Ohio, between the Sciota and Little Miami rivers, by rant and survey, to the laws of the State of Virginia, and included in the terms receive a patent, of cession of the said State to the United States, shall, on see appendix No. producing the warrant, or a certified copy thereof, and a certificate, under the seal of the office where the said warrants are legally kept, that the same, or a part thereof, remains unsatisfied, and on producing the survey, agreeably to the laws of Virginia, for the tract or tracts to which he or they may be entitled, as aforesaid, to the Secretary of the Department of War,§ such officer and soldier, his or their heirs or $Altered. See act assigns, shall be entitled to and receive a patent for the same from the President of the United States, any thing in any former law to the contrary notwithstanding: Provided, Proviso; no patent That no letters patent shall be issued for a greater quantity tity of land than is of land than shall appear to remain due on such warrant; and due, &c. that, before the seal of the United States shall be affixed to such letters patent, the Secretary of the Department of War Secretary of War shall have endorsed thereon, that the grantee therein named, &c. or the person under whom he claims, was originally entitled to such bounty lands; and every such letters patent shall be countersigned by the Secretary of State, and a minute of the Secretary of State date thereof, and the name of the grantee, shall be entered of record in his office, in a book to be specially provided for that purpose. Approved, June 9, 1794. [See Part II, Nos. 2, 35, 43, 108, 113, 114, 115, 116, 121, 134, 136, 137, 236, 237.] (1) The patent granted by virtue of this act contains 311,682 acres, of which 248,540 are the property of the grantees, and the residue consists of the various reservations and grants for public purposes specified in the act.-Note of the Editor of the Land Laws. of 25th April, 1812, chapter 136. for a greater quan. to endorse patents, to countersign, &c. Altered. See act of 25th April, 1812, chapter 136. *See act of June 25, 1798, chap. 47. The President to of land to be sur ed. CHAP. 40. An act to authorize a grant of lands to the French inhabitants of SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress ascause 24,000 acres sembled, That the President of the United States shall be, veyed, as describ- and he is hereby, authorized and empowered to cause to be surveyed, in the Territory northwest of the Ohio, a tract of land situate on the northerly bank of the river Ohio, beginning one mile and a half, on a straight line, above the mouth of Little Sandy; thence down the said river Ohio, along the courses thereof, eight miles, when reduced to a straight line; thence, at right angles, from each extremity of the said line, so as to include the quantity of twenty-four thousand acres of land, to be disposed as hereinafter directed. The French inhabitants, &c. of Galliopolis to be ascertained, males above 18, and widows, &c. The President to to John Gabriel acres, &c., with condition, &c. SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the President be authorized to cause to be ascertained the number of French inhabitants and actual settlers of the town or settlement of Galliopolis, being males above eighteen years of age, or widows, who are or shall be within the said town or settlement of Galliopolis on the first day of November next. SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That the President of issue letters patent the United States shall be, and he is hereby, authorized and Gervais for 4,000 empowered to issue letters patent, in the name and under the seal of the United States, thereby granting to John Gabriel Gervais, and his heirs, four thousand acres of land, part of the said twenty-four thousand acres, to be located on the northwest bank of the river Ohio, opposite to the mouth of the Little Sandy, with condition, in the said letters patent, that if the said John Gabriel Gervais, or his heirs, shall not, personally, within three years from the date of the same patent, settle on the same tract of land, and there continue settled for three years next thereafter, the same letters patent shall be void and determine, and the title thereof revest in the United States, as if this law had not passed. The remaining laid off into lots, to the settlers at Galliopolis, &c. SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That the President of 20,000 acres to be the United States shall be, and he is hereby, authorized and &c., to be assigned empowered to cause to be surveyed, laid off, and divided, the remaining twenty thousand acres of land, residue of the twenty-four thousand acres, into as many lots or parts as the actual settlers of Galliopolis shall, on the ascertainment aforesaid, amount to, and the same to be designated, marked, and numbered, on a plat thereof, to be returned to the secretary of the said Territory, together with a certificate of the courses of the said lots; the said lots, or parts of the aforesaid tract, to be assigned to the settlers aforesaid by lot. The President to And the President of the United States is hereby authoto the actual set rized and empowered to issue letters patent, as aforesaid, to the said actual settlers, and their heirs, for the said twenty thousand acres, to be held by them in severalty, in lots, to be designated and described by their numbers on the plat Condition to be in- aforesaid, with condition, in the same letters patent, that if serted in the pat- one or more of the said grantees, his or her heirs or assigns, issue letters patent tlers, &c. ents, &c. shall not, within five years from the date of the same letters, make, or cause and procure to be made, an actual settlement on the lot or lots assigned to him, her, or them, and the same continue for five years thereafter, that then the said letters patent, so far as concerns the said lot or lots not settled and continued to be settled as aforesaid, shall cease and determine, and the title thereof shall revest in the United States, in the same manner as if this law had not passed.* *Repealed as to actual settlement. SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That nothing in this See act of 21st Feb. act shall be taken or considered in any manner to impair or 1806, chap. 77, post. Nothing in this act affect the claims of the said settlers, against any person or to impair contracts made by settlers, persons, for or by reason of any contracts heretofore made by them, but that the same contracts shall be and remain in the same state as if this law had not passed. Approved, March 3, 1795. &c. CHAP. 41.-An act to authorize Ebenezer Zane to locate certain lands in the tracts of land granted to exceed'g one mile conditions mentioned, &c. SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Repre- Three sentatives of the United States of America in Congress as- Ebenez'r Zane, not sembled, That, upon the conditions hereinafter mentioned, square each, upon there shall be granted to Ebenezer Zane three tracts of the land, not exceeding one mile square each-one on the Muskingum river, one on Hockhocking river, and one other on the north bank of Sciota river, and in such situations as shall best promote the utility of a road to be opened by him on the most eligible route between Wheeling and Limestone, to be approved by the President of the United States, or such person as he shall appoint for that purpose: Pro- Proviso; the tracts vided, Such tracts shall not interfere with any existing claim, with exist'g claims, location, or survey; nor include any salt spring, nor the nor to include any lands on either side of the river Hockhocking at the falls thereof. not to interfere salt spring, &c. procure the tracts to return plats into warrants for mili to the amount of SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That upon the said Ebenezer Zane to Zane's procuring, at his own expense, the said tracts to be to be surveyed at surveyed, in such way and manner as the President of the his own expense, United States shall approve, and returning into the Treasury the Treasury, and of the United States plats thereof, together with warrants tary land bounties granted by the United States for military land bounties, to acres in the three the amount of the number of acres contained in the said duce proof of the three tracts; and, also, producing satisfactory proof, by the opening of the first day of January next, that the aforesaid road is opened, of ferries, &c. and ferries established upon the rivers aforesaid, for the accommodation of travellers, and giving security that such ferries shall be maintained during the pleasure of Congress; tracts; also, to pro road, establishm't ent, &c. the President of the United States shall be, and he hereby The President to is, authorized and empowered to issue letters patent, in the issue letters pat. name and under the seal of the United States, thereby granting and conveying to the said Zane, and his heirs, the said tracts of land located and surveyed as aforesaid, which of ferriage, &c. to any two of the patents shall be countersigned by the Secretary of State and Proviso; the rates recorded in his office: Provided, always, That the rates of be ascertained by ferriage at such ferries shall, from time to time, be ascertain judges of the North- ed by any two of the judges of the Territory northwest of western Territory, the river Ohio, or such other authority as shall be appointed for that purpose. &c. Approved, May 17, 1796. *See chapter 54, amendatory. A surveyor gene ed; deputies, &c. To cause the unas of the lands north &c. to be surveyed The part of the lands not convey vided by north and and by others cross six miles square, unless, &c. CHAP. 42.-An act providing for the sale of the lands of the United States in the Territory northwest of the river Ohio, and above the mouth of Kentucky river.* SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress asral to be appoint sembled, That a surveyor general shall be appointed, whose duty it shall be to engage a sufficient number of skilful surcertained outlines veyors, as his deputies; whom he shall cause, without delay, west of the Ohio, to survey and mark the unascertained outlines of the lands and marked, & lying northwest of the river Ohio, and above the mouth of the river Kentucky, in which the titles of the Indian tribes. To frame regula have been extinguished, and to divide the same in the mantions for his depuner hereinafter directed; he shall have authority to frame ties, &c. remove them, &c. regulations and instructions for the government of his deputies, to administer the necessary oaths upon their appointments, and to remove them for negligence or misconduct in office. SEC. 2. Be it further enacted, That the part of the said ed, &c. to be di lands which has not been already conveyed by letters patsouth lines, &c. ent, or divided, in pursuance of an ordinance in Congress, ing, &c. so as to passed on the twentieth of May, one thousand seven hunform townships of dred and eighty-five, or which has not been heretofore, and, during the present session of Congress, may not be, +See chapter 14. appropriated for satisfying military land bounties, and for other purposes, shall be divided by north and south lines, run according to the true meridian, and by others crossing them at right angles, so as to form townships of six miles square, unless where the line of the late Indian purchase, or of tracts of land heretofore surveyed or patented, or the course of navigable rivers, may render it impracticable; and then this rule shall be departed from no further than such The corners of particular circumstances may require. The corners of the marked, and each townships shall be marked with progressive numbers, from distance of a mile the beginning; each distance of a mile between the said corners shall be also distinctly marked, with marks different from those of the corners. Öne half of the said townships, taking them alternately, shall be subdivided into sections, f containing, as nearly as may be, six hundred and forty acres each, by running through the same, each way, parallel lines, at the end of every two miles, and by marking a corner on each of the said lines, at the end of every mile; the sections shall be numbered, respectively, beginning with the number one in the northeast section, and proceeding west and east townships to be with different marks, &c. One half the town ships to be subdivided into sections of 640 acres, &c. 10, 1800, chap. 51, 25, 1804, chap. 69. See act of May and act of March The sections to numbered, &c. be section and of the &c. note the corner townships to be di &c. ed on trees, and chains, &c. with alternately, through the township, with progressive numbers, till the thirty-sixth be completed. And it shall be the duty The number of the of the deputy surveyors, respectively, to cause to be mark- township to be ed on a tree near each corner made as aforesaid, and within marked on a tree, the section, the number of such section, and over it the number of the township within which such section may be ; and the said deputies shall carefully note, in their respective The deputies to field books, the names of the corner trees marked, and the trees, &c. numbers so made. The fractional parts of townships shall Fractional parts of be divided into sections, in manner aforesaid, and the frac- vided into sections, tions of sections shall be annexed to, and sold with, the adjacent entire sections. All lines shall be plainly marked Lines to be markupon trees, and measured with chains, containing two measured perches of sixteen feet and one half each, subdivided into twenty-five equal links, and the chain shall be adjusted to a standard to be kept for that purpose. Every surveyor shall Surveyors to note note in his field book the true situations of all mines, salt salt licks, mill licks, salt springs, and mill seats, which shall come to his knowledge; all watercourses over which the line he runs shall pass; and also the quality of the lands. These field Field books to be books shall be returned to the surveyor general, who shall surveyor general, therefrom cause a description of the whole lands surveyed to be made out and transmitted to the officers who may superintend the sales. He shall also cause a fair plat to be The surveyor genmade of the townships and fractional parts of townships plat to be made of contained in the said lands, describing the subdivisions townships, &c. thereof, and the marks of the corners. This plat shall be The plat to be rerecorded in books to be kept for that purpose; a copy thereof shall be kept open at the surveyor general's office for public information; and other copies sent to the places of sale, and to the Secretary of the Treasury. situations of mines. seats, &c. returned to the &c. eral to cause a fair corded, &c. tions, &c. reserved SEC. 3. Be it further enacted, That a salt spring(1) Salt springs, sec. lying upon a creek which empties into the Sciota river, on for the future disthe east side, together with as many contiguous sections as States, &c. shall be equal to one township, and every other salt spring (1) This salt spring, and also those near the Muskingum river, have been given to the State of Ohio, by the act of the 30th of April, 1802. See the 2d proposition of the 7th section of chap. 59, post. The section No. 16, which is one of the four central sections, was also, by the act of 30th April, 1802, granted to the inhabitants of every township in the State of Ohio. See the 1st proposition of the 7th section of chap. 59, post. And by the act of the 3d of March, 1803, (chap. 61,) and of 2d March, 1807, (chap. 88,) certain quarter townships were granted, in lieu of that section, for the use of schools, in the military tract, in the Connecticut Reserve, and in the Virginia military tract, where the section No. 16 had not originally been reserved. The same reservation of No. 16, for the use of schools, has been made in all the subsequent laws for the sale of public lands, wherever situated. The reservation of the three other central sections has not been made in the Mississippi, Orleans, (now the State of Louisiana,) and Louisiana (now Missouri) Territories, nor in any tracts of land north of the river Ohio, to which the Indian title has been extinguished subsequent to the treaty of Greenville: that is to say, from the year 1795. And the sale of those reserved sections, as well as those reserved by the ordinance of the 20th of May, 1785, (see chap. 14,) is authorized by the 7th section of the act of 3d of March, 1805, (chap. 76,) and by act of 29th February, 1808, (chap. 96.) posal of the United |