Pennsylvania Act 1795-1853 (session 3) — LAND OFFICE - PUBLIC LANDS - GRANTS AND PATENTS

Act text

AN ACT

To provide for the payment of clerks in the offices of the Surveyor-General, Receiver-General, and Secretary of the Land-Office, and for other purposes therein mentioned.

Section 3. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That from and after the passing of this act, it shall be the duty of the Surveyor-General to cause to be entered, in a book to be kept for that purpose, the name of each person applying for a patent or patents, the number of patents applied for by him, and the time when such application is made, which book shall be open to the inspection of any person applying to view the same; and the Surveyor-General, Receiver-General and Secretary of the Land-Office are hereby enjoined to cause the said patents to be made out, and the business thereof completed, as it respects their respective offices, agreeably to the priority of applications for the same, without respect to persons, unless the issuing of such patents is stayed by caveat being entered against the title of the person applying for the same, or other legal objections: Provided always, That if any citizen of this commonwealth, who shall reside at any distance not less than one hundred miles from the city of Philadelphia, shall apply for any number of patents not exceeding three, he shall be entitled to a preference, but that preference shall not be granted twice to the same person.

Section 4. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That if any person employed as a clerk, in either of the offices aforesaid, shall take or receive any fee, gratuity, or sum of money whatever, for doing or transacting any business relating to the said office, whether in either of the said offices, or any other place, such persons shall, on conviction, forfeit and pay the sum of one hundred dollars for every such offense, to be recovered by action of debt, one-half of which shall be for the benefit of the informer, and the remainder to the use of this commonwealth; and the person so offending shall not be permitted to service as a clerk in either of the offices aforesaid.