Pennsylvania Act 1813-148 — PUBLIC LANDS - LAND OFFICE - PATENTS

Act text

AN ACT

For the sale and settlement of the undrawn donation land, the property of this Commonwealth.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the senate and house of representatives of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in general assembly met, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That any person who has previous to the passing of this act, made an improvement and actual settlement on a tract of donation land, which shall be and remain undrawn on the first day of October next, and has resided thereon with his family for three successive years, immediately preceding the passing of this act, and cleared, fenced, and cultivated at least ten acres thereof; and any person who shall, after the first day of October next, make an improvement and actual settlement on an undrawn tract of said land, by erecting thereon a dwelling house fit for the habitation of man, and shall reside thereon with a family for three years from the date of such settlement, and clear, fence, and cultivate at least ten acres thereof, and shall prove by the oaths or affirmations of two disinterested witnesses taken before a judge or justice of the peace of the county where the land lies, that the improvement, settlement, and residence as aforesaid, are completed, and pay into the state treasury one dollar and fifty cents per acre, with interest from three years after their settlement, with the usual fees of office, the secretary of the land office shall issue a patent for such tract; provided, that no patent shall issue unless the said applicant shall produce a certificate from the deputy-surveyor of the proper county, certifying the number of the tract, the number of acres in the same, and that said tract has been duly surveyed by him according to the original lines and boundaries marked on the same.

Compiler's Note: Section 28 of Act 207 of 2004 provided that any and all references in any other law to a "district justice" or "justice of the peace" shall be deemed to be references to a magisterial district judge.

Section 2. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the first settlement made and continued, or which hereafter shall be made and continued, shall give an inception of title to the person so settling the same.

Section 3. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That immediately after the passing of this act, it shall be the duty of the surveyor general to make out and transmit to the secretary of the land office a list of all the donation land which shall at that time remain undrawn, designating the districts, the number of the tract, and the number of acres therein contained, which shall be free to the examination of all persons concerned; and cause the same, together with this act to be published in one of the public papers printed at the seat of government, at Pittsburg, Mercer, Meadville, and Beaver, respectively, for three weeks successively after the passing of this act.