Office may, in his discretion, allow the settler twelve months from the date of filing in which to commence his residence on said land under such rules and regulations as he may prescribe.

Approved, March 3, 1881. (21 Stat., 511.)

[No. 24.]

SPECIAL SURVEY DEPOSITS.

AN ACT making appropriations for sundry civil expenses of the Government for the fiscal year ending June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and eighty-three, and for other

Provided further, That no certificate issued for a deposit of money for the survey of lands under section twenty-four hundred and three of the Revised Statutes, and the act approved March third, eighteen hundred and seventy-nine, amendatory thereof, shall be received in payment for lands except at the land office in which the lands surveyed for which the deposit was made are subject to entry, and not elsewhere; but this section shall not be held to impair, prejudice, or affect in any manner certificates issued or deposits and contracts made under the provisions of said act prior to the passage of this act.

AN ACT in relation to certain fees allowed registers and receivers.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the fee allowed registers and receivers for testimony reduced by them to writing for claimants, in establishing preemption and homestead rights and mineral entries, and in contested cases, shall not be considered or taken into account in determining the maximum of compensation of said officers.

SEC. 2. That registers and receivers shall, upon application, furnish plats or diagrams of townships in their respective districts showing what lands are vacant and what lands are taken, and shall be allowed to receive compensation therefor from the party obtaining said plat or diagram at such rates as may be prescribed by the Commissioner of the General Land Office; and said cfficers shall, upon application by the proper State or Territorial authorities, furnish, for the purpose of taxation, a list of all lands sold in their respective districts, together with the names of the purchasers, and shall be allowed to receive compensation for the same not to exceed ten cents per entry; and the sums thus received for plats and lists shall not be considered or taken into account in determining the maximum of compensation of said officers.

Approved, March 3, 1883. (22 Stat., 484.)

SEC. 8. That the said district of Alaska is hereby created a land district, and a United States land office for said district is hereby located at Sitka. The commissioner provided for by this act, to reside at Sitka, shall be ex officio register of said land office, and the clerk provided for by this act shall be ex officio receiver of public moneys, and the marshal provided for by this act shall be ex officio surveyor-general of said district, and the laws of the United States relating to mining claims, and the rights incident thereto, shall, from and after the passage of this act, be in full force and effect in said. district, under the administration thereof herein provided for, subject to such regulations as may be made by the Secretary of the Interior, approved by the President: Provided, That the Indians or other persons in said district shall not be disturbed in the possession of any lands actually in their use or occupation or now claimed by them, but the terms under which such persons may acquire title to such lands is reserved for future legislation by Congress: And provided further, That parties who have located mines or mineral privileges therein under the laws of the United States applicable to the public domain, or who have occupied and improved or exercised acts of ownership over such claims, shall not be disturbed therein, but shall be allowed to perfect their title to such claims by payment as aforesaid: And provided also, That the land, not exceeding six hundred and forty acres, at any station now occupied as missionary stations among the Indian tribes in said section, with the improvements thereon erected by or for such societies, shall be continued in the occupancy of the several religious societies to which said missionary stations respectively belong until action by Congress. But nothing contained in this act shall be construed to put in force in said district the general land laws of the United States.

[No. 27.]

INDIAN HOMESTEADS.

AN ACT making appropriations for the current and contingent expenses of the Indian Department, and for fulfilling treaty stipulations with various Indian tribes, for the year ending June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and eighty-five, and for other purposes.

That such Indians as may now be located on public lands, or as may under the direction of the Secretary of the Interior, or otherwise, hereafter so locate may avail themselves of the provisions of the homestead laws as fully and to the same extent as may now be done by citizens of the United States; and to aid such Indians in making selections of homesteads and the necessary proofs at the proper land offices, one thousand dollars, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated; but no fees or commissions shall be charged on account

of said entries or proofs. All patents therefor shall be of the legal effect, and declare that the United States does and will hold the land thus entered for the period of twenty-five years, in trust for the sole use and benefit of the Indian by whom such entry shall have been made, or, in case of his decease, of his widow and heirs according to the laws of the State or Territory where such land is located, and at the expiration of said period the United States will convey the same by patent to said Indian, or his widow and heirs as aforesaid, in fee, discharged of said trust and free of all charge or incumbrance whatsoever.

Approved, July 4, 1884. (23 Stat., 96.)

[No. 28.]

SETTLERS WITHIN RAILROAD LIMITS.

AN ACT to protect homestead settlers within railway limits and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That all homestead settlers on public lands within the railway limits restricted to less than one hundred and sixty acres of land who have heretofore made or may hereafter make the additional entry allowed either by the act approved March third, eighteen hundred and seventy-nine, or the act approved July first, eighteen hundred and seventy-nine, after having made final proof of settlement and cultivation under the original entry shall be entitled to have the lands covered by the additional entry patented without any further cost or proof of settlement and cultivation. Approved, May 6, 1886. (24 Stat., 22.)

[No. 29.]

REGISTERS' AND RECEIVERS' FEES.-ACTS OF AUGUST 4, 1886, AND MARCH 3, 1887.

Hereafter all fees collected by registers or receivers, from any source whatever, which would increase their salaries beyond three thousand dollars each a year shall be covered into the Treasury, except only so much as may be necessary to pay the actual cost of clerical services employed exclusively in contested cases; and they shall make report quarterly, under oath, of all expenditures for such clerical services, with vouchers therefor.

Act approved August 4, 1886 (24 Stats., 239), and act approved March 3, 1887 (Id., 526).

[No. 30.]

OWNERSHIP OF REAL ESTATE IN THE TERRITORIES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

AN ACT to restrict the ownership of real estate in the Territories to American citizens, and so forth.

Territories.

Alien persons or corporaing real estate in.

Exception.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That it shall be unlawful for any person or persons not citizens of the United States, or who have not lawfully declared their intention to become tions prohibited from acquir- such citizens, or for any corporation not created by or under the laws of the United States or of some State or Territory of the United States, to hereafter acquire, hold, or own real estate so hereafter acquired, or any interest therein, in any of the Territories of the United States or in the District of Columbia except such as may be acquired by inheritance or in good faith in the ordinary course of justice in the collection of debts heretofore created: Provided, That the prohibition of this section shall not apply to cases in which the right to hold or dispose of lands in the United States is secured by existing treaties to the citizens or subjects of foreign countries, which rights, so far as they may exist by force of any such treaty, shall continue to exist so long as such treaties are in force, and no longer. SEC. 2. That no corporation or association more than Corporation having more twenty per centum of the stock of which is or may be held by aliens prohibited owned by any person or persons, corporation or corporafrom holding real estate. tions, association or associations, not citizens of the

Proviso

Treaty rights not impaired.

than 20 per cent. of stock

United States, shall hereafter acquire or hold or own any real estate hereafter acquired in any of the Territories of the United States or of the District of Columbia.

may be held by corporations.

SEC. 3. That no corporation other than those organized for the construction or operation of railways, canals, or turnpikes Maximum of land which shall acquire, hold, or own more than five thousand acres of land in any of the Territories of the United States; and no railroad, canal, or turnpike corporations shall hereafter acquire, hold, or own lands in any Territory, other than as may be necessary for the proper operation of its railroad, canal or turnpike, except such lands as may have been granted to it by act of Congress. But the prohibition of this section shall not affect the title to any lands now lawfully held by any such corporation.

Congressional grants.

Present titles not affected.

be forfeited.

Suits,

SEC. 4. That all property acquired, held, or owned in violation of the Property unlawfully held to provisions of this act shall be forfeited to the United States, and it shall be the duty of the Attorney-General to enforce every such forfeiture by bill in equity, or other proper process. And in any suit or proceeding that may be commenced to enforce the provisions of this act, it shall be the duty of the court to determine the very right of the matter without regard to matters of form, joinder of parties, multifariousness, or other matters not affecting the substantial rights either of the United States or of the parties concerned in any such proceeding arising out of the matters in this act mentioned.

Approved, March 3, 1887. (24 Stat., 476.)

[This act amended so that it shall not apply to or operate in the District of Columbia, so far as regards the ownership of legations, or the ownership of residences, by representatives of foreign Govermnents, or attachés thereof, by Act of March 9, 1888, 25 Stat., 45.]

[No. 31.]

RE-IMBURSEMENT FOR FAILURE OF TITLE IN NEBRASKA AND KANSAS.

AN ACT for the relief of settlers and purchasers of lands on the public domain in the States of Nebraska and Kansas.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That for the purpose of re-imbursing persons, and the grantees, heirs, and devisees of persons, who, under the homestead, pre-emption, or other laws, settled upon or pur chased lands within the grant made by an act entitled "An act for a grant of lands to the State of Kansas to aid in the construction of the Northern Kansas Railroad and Telegraph," approved July twenty-third, eighteen hundred and sixty-six, and to whom patents have been issued therefor, but against which persons, or their grantees, heirs, or devisees, decrees have been or may hereafter be rendered by the United States circuit courts on account of the priority of said grant made in the act above entitled, the sum of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, or so much thereof as shall be required for said purpose, is hereby appropriated: Provided, however, That no part of said sum shall be paid to anyone of said parties until he shall have filed with the Secretary of the Interior a copy of the said decree, duly certified, and also a certificate of the judge of said court rendering the same to the effect that such a decree was rendered in a bona fide controversy between a plaintiff showing title under the grant made in said act and a defendant holding the patent or holding by deed under the patentee, and that the decision was in favor of the plaintiff on the ground of the priority of the grant made by said act to the filing, settlement, or purchase by the defendant or his grantor; and said claimant shall also file with the said decree and certificate a bill of the costs in such case, duly certified by the judge and clerk of said court. Thereupon it shall be the duty of the Secretary of the Interior to adjust the amount due to each defendant on the basis of what he shall have paid, not exceeding three dollars and fifty cents per acre for the tract, his title to which shall have failed as aforesaid, and the costs appearing by the bill thereof so certified as hereinbefore provided. He shall then make a requisition upon the Treasury for the sum found to be due to such claimant, or his heirs and devisees or assigns, and shall pay the same to him, taking such release, acquittance, or discharge as shall forever bar any further claim against the United States on account of the failure of the title as aforesaid: Provided further, That when any person, his grantees, heirs, assigns, or devisees, shall prove to the satisfaction of the Secretary of the Interior that his case is like the case of those described in the preceeding portions of this act, except that he has not been sued and subjected to judgment as hereinbefore provided, and that he has in good faith paid to the person holding the prior title by the grant herein referred to the sum demanded of him, without litigation, such Secretary shall pay to such person such sum as he has so paid, not exceeding three dollars and fifty cents per acre, taking his release therefor as herein before provided.

SEC. 2. That the provisions of this act shall only apply to the actual and bona fide settlers on the lands herein referred to, his or their heirs, assigns, or legal representatives, and no one person shall be entitled to the benefits of this act for compensation for more than one hundred and sixty acres of land: Provided, That all other persons who purchased any part of said land at one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre, and