Papers Of Abraham Lincoln

29th CONGRESS,

1st Session. S. 15. (Pri.)

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES.
December 16, 1845.

Agreeably to notice, Mr. Woodbridge asked and obtained leave to bring in the following bill; which was read twice, and referred to the Committee on Private Land Claims.

June 29, 1846.

Reported without amendment, and accompanied by a special report, (No 413.)

A BILL
To amend an act confirming certain land claims in the State of Michigan.

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11 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives
of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That
the act of the seventeenth of April, one thousand eight hundred
and twenty-eight, entitled “An act to confirm certain claims to
land in the Territory of Michigan,” be construed to extend to
those cases in which the commissioners of private land claims,
under the acts therein cited, have recommended ^any land claim or^ confirmation of
other lands in lieu of those claimed, but which had been pre-
viously sold or otherwise disposed of by law; and that such
other tracts be selected under the direction of the Secretary of
the Treasury.

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3 Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That in all cases where
tracts of land were confirmed by the commissioners aforesaid,
to individuals, and were sold at the land offices between the

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16 time of such confirmation and the passage of the act of the
seventeenth of April, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-
eight aforesaid, ratifying the same, ^or at any other time^ or were otherwise disposed
of by law during that time, the individuals in whose favor such
confirmations were made shall be, and they are hereby, severally
authorized to select, in lieu thereof, according to any legal sub-
divisions of sections, and in a manner to be prescribed by the
Secretary of the Treasury, any of the public lands of the United
States in the State of Michigan which may be subject to entry
at private sale, not exceeding in quantity the number of acres
which were confirmed to them respectively; and when such
selections shall have been made as aforesaid, the claimants shall
be entitled to patents for the same from the United States.

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12 Sec. 3 And be it further enacted, That in all cases where,
by subsequent surveys or otherwise, it has been found that the
said commissioners have confirmed, or recommended for con-
firmation, the same tract or part of the same tract of land to dif-
ferent claimants, but for which a patent was issued only to one
of said claimants, the claimant who failed to obtained the patent
shall be authorized to make a selection from the public lands
of the United States in the State of Michigan, upon the terms
and qualifications provided in the second section of this act.
And in all cases where said commissioners have confirmed, or
recommended for confirmation, certain tracts of land, with a
specified measure in acres or arpens, but for which the claim

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31 ant has obtained a patent for a less quantity than the specified
measure, owing to the curves or bends in the rivers of lakes,
such claimant shall be authorized to make a selection from the
public lands of the United States in the State of Michigan, upon
the like terms and qualifications aforesaid: Provided, however,
That the claimant shall be authorized to select only so many
acres or arpens as the tract patented shall have fallen short of the
tract confirmed, or recommended for confirmation. And in all
cases where claimants were by the former acts of Congress en-
titled to the back concessions in the rear of the tracts confirmed,
or recommended for confirmation, and usually called the front
concessions, but where no application was made by the claim-
ants entitled to such back concessions, they being at the time
minors, or casually away from the Territory, the claimants so
entitled shall be authorized to select from the public lands of
the United States in the State of Michigan, upon the like terms
and qualifications aforesaid, such tracts as shall be equal to the
back concessions to which they were severally entitled under
said former acts of Congress.

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6 Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That the provisions of
this act shall be so construed as to extend to and comprehend all
such claims as are comprehended within the provisions of an act
entitled “An act regulating the grants of land in the Territory
of Michigan,” approved third March, eighteen hundred and
seven, and of the several acts of Congress subsequently passed

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10 relating to the same subject, (anything therein contained to the
contrary notwithstanding;) which shall inure to the benefit of
the said claimants, their heirs, assigns, and legal representatives,
to whom, respectively, patents shall accordingly issue.

[ docketing ]
Woodbridge’s bill for land to be confmned &c

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139

[ docketing ]
A Bill
to amend an act confirming certain land claims in the state of Michigan

[ docketing ]
Refer to com on Public Lands.

[ docketing ]
12 R

[ docketing ]
R. M^cClelland

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H R 139

[ docketing ]
January 31, 1848
M^r M^cClelland, on leave introduced the following bill, which was read twice, and referred to the Committee on Public Lands.

[ docketing ]
A Bill
to amend an act Confirming Certain land claims in the State of Michigan

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the act of the seventeenth of April, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-eight, entitled “An act to confirm certain claims to land in the Territory of Michigan,” be construed to extend to those cases in which the commissioners of private land claims, under the acts therein cited, have recommended ^any land claim or^ confirmation of other lands in lieu of those claimed, but which had been pre- viously sold or otherwise disposed of by law; and that such other tracts be selected under the direction of the Secretary of the Treasury.
1 2 3	Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That in all cases where tracts of land were confirmed by the commissioners aforesaid, to individuals, and were sold at the land offices between the
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4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16	time of such confirmation and the passage of the act of the seventeenth of April, one thousand eight hundred and twenty- eight aforesaid, ratifying the same, ^or at any other time^ or were otherwise disposed of by law during that time, the individuals in whose favor such confirmations were made shall be, and they are hereby, severally authorized to select, in lieu thereof, according to any legal sub- divisions of sections, and in a manner to be prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury, any of the public lands of the United States in the State of Michigan which may be subject to entry at private sale, not exceeding in quantity the number of acres which were confirmed to them respectively; and when such selections shall have been made as aforesaid, the claimants shall be entitled to patents for the same from the United States.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12	Sec. 3 And be it further enacted, That in all cases where, by subsequent surveys or otherwise, it has been found that the said commissioners have confirmed, or recommended for con- firmation, the same tract or part of the same tract of land to dif- ferent claimants, but for which a patent was issued only to one of said claimants, the claimant who failed to obtained the patent shall be authorized to make a selection from the public lands of the United States in the State of Michigan, upon the terms and qualifications provided in the second section of this act. And in all cases where said commissioners have confirmed, or recommended for confirmation, certain tracts of land, with a specified measure in acres or arpens, but for which the claim
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13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31	ant has obtained a patent for a less quantity than the specified measure, owing to the curves or bends in the rivers of lakes, such claimant shall be authorized to make a selection from the public lands of the United States in the State of Michigan, upon the like terms and qualifications aforesaid: Provided, however, That the claimant shall be authorized to select only so many acres or arpens as the tract patented shall have fallen short of the tract confirmed, or recommended for confirmation. And in all cases where claimants were by the former acts of Congress en- titled to the back concessions in the rear of the tracts confirmed, or recommended for confirmation, and usually called the front concessions, but where no application was made by the claim- ants entitled to such back concessions, they being at the time minors, or casually away from the Territory, the claimants so entitled shall be authorized to select from the public lands of the United States in the State of Michigan, upon the like terms and qualifications aforesaid, such tracts as shall be equal to the back concessions to which they were severally entitled under said former acts of Congress.
1 2 3 4 5 6	Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That the provisions of this act shall be so construed as to extend to and comprehend all such claims as are comprehended within the provisions of an act entitled “An act regulating the grants of land in the Territory of Michigan,” approved third March, eighteen hundred and seven, and of the several acts of Congress subsequently passed
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7 8 9 10	relating to the same subject, (anything therein contained to the contrary notwithstanding;) which shall inure to the benefit of the said claimants, their heirs, assigns, and legal representatives, to whom, respectively, patents shall accordingly issue.