CHAPTER LXXVII.

AN ACT to provide for designating, surveying and granting the military bounty lands.

BE it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That the Lands set a President of the United States be, and he is fying military hereby authorised to cause to be surveyed a bounty quantity of the public lands of the United claims. States, fit for cultivation, not otherwise appropriated, and to which the Indian title is extinguished, not exceeding in the whole six millions of acres, two millions to be surveyed in the territory of Michigan, two millions in the Illinois territory, north of the Illinois river, and two millions in the territory of Louisiana, between the river St Francis, and the river Arkansas; the said lands to be divided into townships, and subdivided into sections and quarter sections, (each quarter section to contain, as near as possible, one hundred and sixty acres,) in the manner prescribed by law for surveying and subdividing the other public lands of the United States; the same price to be allowed for surveying as is fixed for surveying the other public lands in the same territory. And the lands thus surveyed, with the exception of the salt springs and lead mines therein, and of the quantities of land adjacent thereto, as may be reserved for the use of the same by the President of the United States, and the section number sixteen in every township to be granted to the inhabitants of such township for the use of public schools, shall be set apart and reserved

Warrants to be issued by

the Secretary of War.

Proviso.

determined

lot.

for the purpose of satisfying the bounties of one hundred and sixty acres, promised to the non-commissioned officers and soldiers of the United States, their heirs and legal representatives, by the act, entitled "An act for completing the existing military establishment," approved the twenty fourth day of December one thousand eight hundred and eleven, and by the act, entitled "An act to raise an additional military force," approved the eleventh day of January, one thousand eight hundred and twelve.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That the Secretary for the Department of War, for the time being, shall, from time to time, issue warrants for the military land bounties to the persons entitled thereto by the two last mentioned acts, or either of them: Provided alreays, That such warrants shall be issued only in the names of the persons thus entitled, and be by them or their representatives applied for within five years after the said persons shall have become entitled thereto; and the said warrants shall not be assignable or transferrable in any manner whatever.

Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That Claims to be every person in whose favor such warrants shall have been issued, shall, on delivery of the same at the office of the Secretary of the Treasury, or of such other officer as may at the time have, by law, the superintendence of the general land office of the United States at the seat of government, be entitled to draw by lot in such manner as the officer, at the head of the land office, under the direction of the President of the United States, may prescribe, one of the quarter sections surveyed by virtue of the first sec

tion of this act, in either of the said territories which the person in whose favor such warrant has issued may designate. And a patent shall thereupon be granted to such person, for such A patent to quarter section, without requiring any fee there- be granted.

for.

Claims for

military land assignable as

bounties not

Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That no claim for the military land bounties aforesaid shall be assignable or transferrable in any man ner whatever, until after a patent shall have such. been granted in the manner aforesaid. All sales, mortgages, contracts, or agreements, of any nature whatever, made prior thereto, for the purpose, or with intent of alienating, pledging or mortgaging any such claim, are hereby declared and shall be held null and void; nor shall any tract of land, granted as aforesaid, be liable to be taken in execution or sold on account of any such sale, mortgage, contract or agreement, or on account of any debt contracted prior to the date of the patent, either by the person originally entitled to the land or by his heirs or legal representatives, or by virtue of any process, or suit at law, or judg ment of court against a person entitled to receive his patent as aforesaid.

H. CLAY,

Speaker of the House of Representatives,

WM. H. CRAWFORD,

President of the Senate, pro-tempore.

May 6, 1812.

APPROVED,

JAMES MADISON,

CHAPTER LXXVIII.

AN ACT in addition to the act to regulate the laying out and making a road from Cumberland in the state of Maryland to the state of Ohio.

BE it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That in addition to the unexpended balance of the sum heretofore appropriated for laying out and making a road from Cumberland in the state of Maryland to the state of Ohio, the sum of thirty thousand dollars be, and the same is hereby appropriated, to be paid out of any mo ney in the Treasury not otherwise appropria ted, and to be expended, under the direction of the President of the United States, in making said road between Cumberland in the state of Maryland and Brownsville in the state of Pennsylvania, commencing at Cumberland; which sum of thirty thousand dollars, shall be paid out of the fund reserved for laying out and making roads to the state of Ohio, by virtue of the seventh section of an act passed on the thirtieth day of April, one thousand eight hundred and two, entitled "An act to enable the people of the eastern division of the territory north-west of the river Ohio, to form a constitution and state government and for the admission of such state into the Union on an equal footing with the original states, and for other purposes."

H. CLAY,

Speaker of the House of Representatives.
WM. H. CRAWFORD,
President of the Senate, pro-tempore.

May 6, 1812.

APPROVED,

JAMES MADISON.

CHAPTER LXXIX.

AN ACT for the relief of the citizens of Venezuela.

BE it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the President of the United States be, and he is hereby authorised to cause to be purchased such provisions as he shall deem advisable, and to tender the same in the name of the government of the United States to that of Venezuela, for the relief of the citizens who have suffered by the late earthquake.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That a sum not exceeding fifty thousand dollars be, and the same is hereby appropriated, to be paid out of any monies in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to carry into operation this

act.

H. CLAY,

Speaker of the House of Representatives.
WM. H. CRAWFORD,

President of the Senate, pro-tempore.

May 8, 1812.

APPROVED,

JAMES MADISON.

CHAPTER LXXX

AN ACT to alter and establish certain Post Roads.

BE it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the following post-routes be discontinued: