domain for or on behalf of the United States, to take title to or possession of or to expend money for or upon any land or interest in land, or to expend money as security for an ultimate award in advance of final judgment in any proceedings to determine just compensation; nor shall this Act be construed to preclude any acquiring agency from expending money for the erection of any preliminary and temporary structure upon any land.

"The head or other authorized officer of any department, independent establishment, or agency, shall procure any evidence of title which the Attorney General may deem necessary, and the expenses of procurement, except where otherwise authorized by law or provided by contract, may be paid out of the appropriations for the acquisition of land or out of the appropriations made for the contingencies of the acquiring department, independent establishment, or agency.

"The Attorney General may, in his discretion, base any opinion as to title required either by this Act or any other law upon either or both of the following: Certificates of title of title companies or such evidence of title as he may deem satisfactory.

"The foregoing provisions of this section shall not be construed to affect in any manner any existing provisions of law which are applicable to the acquisition of lands or interests in land by the Tennessee Valley Authority; and nothing in this section shall be construed to affect in any manner any authority which the Secretary of War, the Chief of Engineers, or the Secretary of the Interior have under the provisions of law in force on the date this section as amended takes effect with respect to the approval by them of title to land or interests in land acquired by the War Department or the Department of the Interior, as the case may be. Nor shall the foregoing provisions of this section, or the provisions of any other law, be construed to require any opinion of the Attorney General in connection with the acquisition or improvement of easements and rights-of-way for military or naval purposes; or for the acquisition or improvement of easements and rights-of-way by the Department of Agriculture for forest and other conservation purposes where the cost of any such easement of right-of-way acquired under a single instrument of conveyance and the cost of any improvement thereon does not exceed $2,500; and the Attorney General may, in his discretion, waive the requirement for his opinion in connection with the acquisition or improvement of easements and rights-of-way for other purposes when, in his opinion, such waiver will not jeopardize the interests of the United States. "Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the obtaining of exclusive jurisdiction in the United States over lands or interests therein which have been or shall hereafter be acquired by it shall not be required; but the head or other authorized officer of any department or independent establishment or agency of the Government. may, in such cases and at such times as he may deem desirable, accept or secure from the State in which any lands or interests therein under his immediate jurisdiction, custody, or control are situated, consent to or cession of such jurisdiction, exclusive or partial, not theretofore obtained, over any such lands or interests as he may deem desirable and indicate acceptance of such jurisdiction on behalf of

the United States by filing a notice of such acceptance with the Governor of such State or in such other manner as may be prescribed by the laws of the State where such lands are situated. Unless and until the United States has accepted jurisdiction over lands hereafter to be acquired as aforesaid, it shall be conclusively presumed that no such jurisdiction has been accepted."

Approved, October 9, 1940.

[CHAPTER 94-1ST SESSION]

[H. R. 3394]

AN ACT

To authorize the Attorney General to grant easements to States over lands belonging to the United States under his supervision and control.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Attorney General, whenever he deems it advantageous to the Government and upon such terms and conditions as he deems advisable, is hereby authorized on behalf of the United States to grant to any State, or any agency or political subdivision thereof, easements in and rights-of-way over lands belonging to the United States which are under his supervision and control. Such grant may include the use of such easements or rights-of-way by public utilities to the extent authorized and under the conditions imposed by the laws of such State relating to use of public highways. Such partial, concurrent, or exclusive jurisdiction over the areas covered by such easements or rights-of-way, as the Attorney General deems necessary or desirable, is hereby ceded to such State. The Attorney General is hereby authorized to accept or secure on behalf of the United States from the State in which is situated any land conveyed in exchange for any such easement or right-of-way, such jurisdiction as he may deem necessary or desirable over the land so acquired.

Approved, May 9, 1941.

[PUBLIC LAW 530-77TH CONGRESS]

[CHAPTER 249-2D SESSION]

[S. 2212]

AN ACT

To suspend during war or a national emergency declared by Congress or by the President the provisions of section 322 of the Act of June 30, 1932, as amended, relating to certain leases.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the provisions of section 322 of the Act of June 30, 1932 (47 Stat. 412), as amended by section 15 of the Act of March 3, 1933, (47 Stat. 1517), shall not apply during war or a national emergency declared by. Congress or by the President to such leases or renewals of existing leases of privately or publicly owned property as are certified by the Secretary of War or the Secretary of the Navy, or by such person or persons as he may designate, as covering premises for military, naval, or civilian purposes necessary for the prosecution of the war or vital in the national emergency.

Approved, April 28, 1942.

[CHAPTER 197-1ST SESSION]

[H. R. 6]

AN ACT

To authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to adjust titles to lands acquired by the United States which are subject to his administration, custody, or control.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That if the Secretary of Agriculture shall find within ten years after the acquisition by the United States of any land or interest therein which is subject to his administration, custody, or control, other than land acquired by exchange of public domain land or resources, that the title thereto is legally insufficient for the purposes for which such land or interest was acquired and no consideration therefor has been paid by the United States, or that title or color of title to such land or interest was acquired through mistake, misunderstanding, error, or inadvertence, he is hereby authorized to execute and deliver on behalf of and in the name of the United States to the person from whom the title was acquired or to the person whom he finds entitled thereto a quitclaim deed to such land or interest: Provided, however, That if the person to whom such deed is made is the same person from whom the United States acquired title, or his successor in interest, any consideration given by the United States for such land or interest shall be restored or, in lieu thereof, the value equivalent of such consideration as determined by the Secretary of Agriculture shall be paid to the United States; and any consideration or value equivalent so restored or paid shall, so far as is practicable, be restored to the jurisdiction, or deposited to the credit, of the department, agency, appropriation, or fund from which the consideration was transferred or paid at the time of the acquisition of title by the United States.

Approved July 8, 1943.

[CHAPTER 330-2D SESSION]

[H. R. 4623]

AN ACT

To authorize the use of space in the old post-office building in Portland, Oregon, by the State of Oregon for its use as a museum for relics from the battleship Oregon, together with all other historical documents, objects, and relics of Oregon and the Old Oregon Country held by the State for public display.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Commissioner of Public Buildings is authorized to lease, without regard to section 321 of the Act of June 30, 1932 (47 Stat. 412; 40 U. S. C. 303b), for temporary periods and revocable at any time, upon such terms and conditions as he may determine to be in the public interest, surplus space in the old post-office building at Portland, Oregon, situate on property bounded by southwest Morrison, Yamhill, Fifth, and Sixth Streets, to the State of Oregon, for the use of the Battleship Oregon Commission in storing, housing, and displaying to the public the relics and historical objects from the battleship Oregon, together with all other historical objects, and relics of Oregon and the Old Oregon Country in the custody of the Battleship Oregon Commission: Provided, That the activities of the Battleship Oregon Commission, while occupying such space, shall be subject to such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the Commissioner of Public Buildings.

Approved June 30, 1944.

(91)

81504-51-7