Collapse to view only § 12. Seal, books, and records

§ 1. Repealed. Pub. L. 89–554, § 8(a), Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 632
§ 2. Duties concerning public lands

The Secretary of the Interior or such officer as he may designate shall perform all executive duties appertaining to the surveying and sale of the public lands of the United States, or in anywise respecting such public lands, and, also, such as relate to private claims of land, and the issuing of patents for all grants of land under the authority of the Government.

(R.S. § 453; Feb. 18, 1875, ch. 80, § 1, 18 Stat. 317; 1946 Reorg. Plan No. 3, § 403, eff. July 16, 1946, 11 F.R. 7876, 60 Stat. 1100.)
§ 3. Repealed. Pub. L. 89–554, § 8(a), Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 632, 636
§ 3a. Omitted
§§ 4, 5. Repealed. Pub. L. 89–554, § 8(a), Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 632, 641
§ 6. Duties of employees to certify, record, etc., patents

It shall be the duty of such officers or employees of the Bureau of Land Management as may be designated by the Secretary of the Interior, in pursuance of instructions from the Secretary of the Interior or such officer as he may designate, to certify and affix the seal of the office to all patents for public lands, and to attend to the correct engrossing, recording, and transmission of such patents. They shall prepare alphabetical indexes of the names of patentees, and of persons entitled to patents; and shall prepare such copies and exemplifications of matters on file or recorded in the Bureau of Land Management as the Secretary or such officer may from time to time direct.

(R.S. § 459; 1940 Reorg. Plan No. III, § 4, eff. June 30, 1940, 5 F.R. 2108, 54 Stat. 1232; 1946 Reorg. Plan No. 3, § 403, eff. July 16, 1946, 11 F.R. 7876, 60 Stat. 1100.)
§ 7. Repealed. Pub. L. 89–554, § 8(a), Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 632, 641
§ 8. Omitted
§ 9. Repealed. June 17, 1948, ch. 496, § 2(b), 62 Stat. 476
§ 10. Repealed. Pub. L. 89–554, § 8(a), Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 632, 645
§ 11. Restriction on officers, clerks, and employees

The officers, clerks, and employees in the Bureau of Land Management are prohibited from directly or indirectly purchasing or becoming interested in the purchase of any of the public land; and any person who violates this section shall forthwith be removed from his office.

(R.S. § 452; 1946 Reorg. Plan No. 3, § 403, eff. July 16, 1946, 11 F.R. 7876, 60 Stat. 1100.)
§ 12. Seal, books, and records

The Secretary of the Interior or such officer as he may designate shall retain the charge of the seal adopted for the Bureau of Land Management which may continue to be used, and of the records, books, papers, and other property appertaining to the Bureau of Land Management.

(R.S. § 454; 1946 Reorg. Plan No. 3, § 403, eff. July 16, 1946, 11 F.R. 7876, 60 Stat. 1100.)
§ 13. Original papers on file as evidence

Whenever the officer, as the Secretary of the Interior may designate, of any United States land office shall be served with a subpoena duces tecum or other valid legal process requiring him to produce, in any United States court or in any court of record of any State, the original application for entry of public lands or the final proof of residence and cultivation or any other original papers on file in the Bureau of Land Management of the United States on which a patent to land has been issued or which furnish the basis for such patent, it shall be the duty of such officer to at once notify the Secretary of the Interior, or such officer as he may designate, of the service of such process, specifying the particular papers he is required to produce, and upon receipt of such notice from any such officer of a United States land office the Secretary or such officer designated by him shall at once transmit to the officer of such land office the original papers specified in such notice, and which such officer is required to produce, and to attach to such papers a certificate, under seal of his office, properly authenticating them as the original papers upon which patent was issued; and such papers so authenticated shall be received in evidence in all courts of the United States and in the several State courts of the States of the Union: Provided, That the Secretary of the Interior shall make rules and regulations to secure the return of such documents to the Bureau of Land Management, after use in evidence, without cost to the United States.

(Apr. 19, 1904, ch. 1398, 33 Stat. 186; 1946 Reorg. Plan No. 3, § 403, eff. July 16, 1946, 11 F.R. 7876, 60 Stat. 1100.)
§ 14. Returns relative to lands

All returns relative to the public lands shall be made to the Secretary of the Interior or such officer as he may designate.

(R.S. § 456; July 31, 1894, ch. 174, § 7, 28 Stat. 207; 1946 Reorg. Plan No. 3, § 403, eff. July 16, 1946, 11 F.R. 7876, 60 Stat. 1100.)
§ 15. Issuance and signing of patents by Secretary of the Interior; delegation of authority; notice

All patents for public lands shall be issued and signed by the Secretary of the Interior in the name of the United States: Provided, That the Secretary may delegate his authority under this section to officers or employees of the Department of the Interior, but notice of any such delegation shall be given by publication in the Federal Register.

(June 17, 1948, ch. 496, § 1, 62 Stat. 476.)
§ 16. Engrossing and recording patents

The engrossing and recording of patents for public lands may be done by means of typewriters or other machines, under regulations to be made by the Secretary of the Interior and approved by the President.

(Mar. 2, 1895, ch. 177, § 3, 28 Stat. 807.)
§ 17. Plats of land surveyed

The Secretary of the Interior or such officer as he may designate shall, when required by the President or either House of Congress, make a plat of any land surveyed under the authority of the United States, and give such information respecting the public lands and concerning the business of the Bureau of Land Management as shall be directed.

(R.S. § 455; 1946 Reorg. Plan No. 3, § 403, eff. July 16, 1946, 11 F.R. 7876, 60 Stat. 1100.)
§ 18. Copies of papers filed

Whenever any person claiming to be interested in or entitled to land, under any grant or patent from the United States, applies to the Department of the Interior for copies of papers filed and remaining therein, in anywise affecting the title to such land, it shall be the duty of the Secretary of the Interior to cause such copies to be made out and authenticated, under his hand and the seal of the Bureau of Land Management, for the person so applying.

(R.S. § 460; 1946 Reorg. Plan No. 3, § 403, eff. July 16, 1946, 11 F.R. 7876, 60 Stat. 1100.)
§§ 19 to 21. Repealed. Dec. 16, 1930, ch. 14, § 1, 46 Stat. 1029
§ 22. Repealed. July 30, 1947, ch. 354, § 2, 61 Stat. 522
§ 23. Repealed. Pub. L. 86–649, title II, § 202(b), July 14, 1960, 74 Stat. 507
§ 24. Repealed. Pub. L. 89–554, § 8(a), Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 632, 646, 647
§§ 25 to 25b. Repealed. Oct. 25, 1951, ch. 562, § 1(25), 65 Stat. 639