private claims in the Mississippi
territory
9 Their powers and duties
10 For receiving such propositions
of compromise as may be offered
by the several companies, &c.
claiming public lands in the terri-
tory of the United States south of
Tennessee and west of the state
of Georgia
289, 290
11 Corapensation to the commmis-
sioners in the Mississippi territory ib.
12 To be appointed in the district
of Louisiana and the territory of
Orleans for ascertaining private
claims therein
Their duties and powers
13 Not to take cognizance of any
grant or incomplete title bearing
date subsequent to the first of Oc-
tober, 1800
14 To make report to the Secreta-
ry of the Treasury of claims re-
jected by them, with the substance
of the evidence, and remarks
thereon, to be laid before Con-
gress
15 Suspecting grants, &c. to be an-
tedated or otherwise fraudulent,
they may require other proofs of
their validity
16 Their compensation
17 To make a special report to the
Secretary of the Treasury of the
claims to, and value of the lead
mines in Louisiana, to be laid be-
fore Congress
18 They may direct such surveys to
be made as may be necessary for
their decision on claims presented
to them.
19 To be made at the expence of
the parties except in claims under
legal French or Spanish grants
completed prior to the 1st of Octo-
ber, 1800
ib.
20 Such surveys to be considered
as private surveys, as well as all
others, except in cases of such
complete tides, &c.
21 To enquire into the nature and
extent of the claims arising from
a supposed right to a double or
additional concession on the back
of grants or concessions hereto.
22 Or from grants, &c. heretofore
made to minors, and not embrac-
ed by the provisions of the act of
the 21st April, 1806
ib.
23 Or from grants, &c. made by
the Spanish government subse-
quent to the 1st April, 1800, for
lands actually settled and inhabit-
ed on the 20th December, 1803,
and make report, &c.
24 Daily allowance to the commis-
sioners in the territory of Orleans 314
25 Their boards may be reduced in
number by the President ... ib.
26 They may remove their sittings
or send one of their Boards to
such places in their respective dis-
tricts as they may think necessary
for the convenience of taking oral
testimony in relation to claims 314-15
27 Allowance to the commissioners
therefor
28 To conform in their proceedings
and decisons to such instructions
as the Secretary of the Treasury
with the approbation of the Presi
dent may transmit to them.
29 To decide according to the laws
and established usages of the
French and Spanish governments
on claims by persons who were on
the 20th December, 1803, inhabi-
tants of Louisiana
30 For tracts not exceeding in con-
tents a league square
And not including a lead mine or
salt spring
31 Such decisions to be final
32 To transmit to the Secretary of
the Treasury and Surveyor Gene-
ral, transcripts of their decisions
in favor of claims, and deliver to
the party a certificate that he is
entitled to a patent, &c.
33 They may direct re-surveys,
when necessary, at the expence of
the United States
318
34 To report to the Secretary of
the Treasury their opinions on all
claims of a certain kind not con-
firmed by them, to be laid before
Congress for their final determi-
nation thereon .
35 Salary of the said commisioners 319