II. OF LANDS GRANTED FOR INTERNAL IMPROVE MENTS. ACT OF SEPT. 4, 1841-5 U. S. STATUTES AT LARGE, 453. AN ACT to appropriate the proceeds of the sale of public lands, and to grant preemption rights. Re it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That from and after the thirty-first day of December, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty-one, there be allowed and paid to each of the States of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Alabama, Missouri, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Michigan, over and above what each of the said States is entitled to by the terms of the compacts entered into between them and the United States, upon their admission into the Union, the sum of ten per centum upon the nett proceeds of the sales of the public lands, which, subsequent to the day aforesaid, shall be made within the limits of each of said States respectively: Provided, That the sum so allowed to the said States, respectively, shall be in no wise affected or diminished on account of any sums which have been heretofore, or shall be hereafter, applied to the construction or continuance of the Cumberland road, but that the disbursements for the said road shall remain, as heretofore, chargeable on the two per centum fund provided for by compacts with several of the said States. SEc. 8. And be it further enacted, That there shall be granted to each State specified in the first section of this act, five hundred thousand acres of land for purposes of internal improvement: Provided, That to each of the said States which has already received grants for said purposes, there is hereby granted no more than a quantity of land which shall, together with the amount such State has already received as aforesaid, make five hundred thousand acres, the selections in all of the said States, to be made within their limits respectively in such manner as the Legislatures thereof shall direct; and located in parcels conformably to sectional divisions and subdivisions, of not less than three hundred and twenty acres in any one location, on any public land except such as is or may be reserved from sale by any law of Congress or proclamation of the President of the United States, which said locations may be made at any time after the lands of the United States in said States respectively, shall have been surveyed according to existing laws. And there shall be and hereby is, granted to each new State that shall be hereafter admitted into the Union, upon such admission, so much land, including such quantity as may have been granted to such State before its admission, and while under a Territorial Government, for purposes of internal improvement as aforesaid, as shall make five hundred thousand acres of land, to be selected and located as aforesaid. SEC. 9. And be it further enacted, That the lands herein granted to the States above named shall not be disposed of at a price less than one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre, until otherwise authorized by a law of the United States; and the nett proceeds of the sales of said lands shall be faithfully applied to objects of internal improvement within the States aforesaid, respectively, namely: roads, railways, bridges, canals and improvement of water-courses, and draining of swamps; and such roads, railways, canals, bridges and water-courses, when made or improved, shall be free for the transportation of the United States mail, and munitions of war, and for the passage of their troops, without the payment of any toll whatever. Approved Sept. 4, 1841. LANDS DONATED TO MICHIGAN. ACT OF MAY 26, 1824-4 U. S. STATUTES AT LARGE, 50. 17 AN ACT granting to the counties or parishes of each State and Territory of the United States, in which the public lands are situated, the right of preemption to quarter sections of land, for seats of justice within the same. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That there be granted to the several counties or parishes of each State and Territory of the United States, where there are public lands, at the minimum price for which public lands of the United States are sold, the right of preemption to one quarter section of land, in each of the counties or parishes, of said States or Territories, in trust for said counties or parishes, respectively, for the establishment of seats of justice therein: Provided, The proceeds of the sale of each of said quarter sections shall be appropriated for the purpose of erecting public buildings in the county or parish for which it is located, after deducting therefrom the amount originally paid for the same: And provided, further, That the seat of justice for said counties or parishes, respectively, shall be fixed previously to a sale of the adjoining lands within the county or parish for which the same is located. SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That so much of such acts, heretofore passed, granting to States rights of preemption, for county or parish purposes, as require said seats of justice to be continued at or near the centre of each of said counties or parishes, be, and the same is hereby repealed. Approved May 26, 1824. [See 1 Comp. Laws Mich., 183.] ACT OF AUG. 3, 1851-10 U. S. STATUTES AT LARGE, 346. AN ACT to vest in the several States and Territories the title in fee of the Lands which have been or may be certified to them. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That in all cases where lands have been, or shall hereafter be, granted by any 3 18 U. S. LAWS RELATIVE TO LANDS DONATED TO MICHIGAN. law of Congress to any one of the several States and Territories; and where said law does not convey the fee-simple title of such lands, or require patents to be issued therefor; the lists of such lands which have been, or may hereafter be certified by the Commissioner of the General Land Office, under the seal of said office, either as originals, or copies of the originals or records, shall be regarded as conveying the fee simple of all the lands embraced in such lists that are of the character contemplated by such act of Congress, and intended to be granted thereby; but where lands embraced in such lists are not of the character embraced by such acts of Congress, and are not intended to be granted thereby, said lists, so far as these lands are concerned, shall be perfectly null and void, and no right, title, claim, or interest shall be conveyed thereby. Approved August 3, 1854. E III. OF THE SWAMP LANDS. ACT OF SEPT. 28, 1850-9 U. S. STATUTES AT LARGE, 519. AN ACT to enable the State of Arkansas and other States to reclaim the "Swamp Lands" within their limits. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That to enable the State of Aakansas to construct the necessary levees and drains to reclaim the swamps and overflowed lands therein, the whole of those swamp and overflowed lands, made unfit thereby for cultivation, which shall remain unsold at the passage of this act, shall be, and the same are hereby, granted to said State. SEC. 2 And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of the Secretary of the Interior, as soon as may be, practicable after the passage of this act, to make out an accurate list of the plats of the lands described as aforesaid, and transmit the same to the Governor of the State of Arkansas, and, at the request of said Governor, cause a patent to be issued to the State therefor; and on that patent, the fee simple to said lands shall vest in the said State of Arkansas, subject to the disposal of the Legislature thereof: Provided, however, That the proceeds of said lands, whether from sale or by direct appropriation in kind, shall be applied exclusively, so far as necessary, to the purpose of reclaiming said lands by means of the levees and drains aforesaid. SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That in making out a list and plats of the land aforesaid, all legal subdivisions, the greater portion of which is "wet and unfit for cultivation,” shall be included in said list and plats; but when the greater part of a subdivision is not of that character, the whole of it shall be excluded therefrom. SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That the provisions of this |