The Clerk read as follows: “I. The land included in these caseswas.for noon siderabloLperiod regarded bymany as a ranch, and designate th Soscol ranch.’ As such it wasclaimed by Don Mariano Guadaln c Valli Jo. underanalleged grant from the Mexican government. "On the other liiind there were those who contended that the claim of Vallejo wasfraudulent and that the land waspart of the public domain of the U.S. "2. The contestat length passedinto the SCOTUS and at the December from 1861i, t.s decisionwasrendered adverseto Val and to put entered on the 24thof March in favor of the U.S. “8. The immediate effect of this decismnwas to remove or destroy the claim of Valli Jo and those holding underhim. It in fact declaredthat all along the land belonged to the U.S and asusue ad con and must continue to be. opento precmption under the general acts of Congress.asany other part of the pubie land. "4. t therefore follows that any person having the requisite qualifications.who s etted as a precmptor on this land prior to the adjudicatiopof the Supreme Court or subsequentthereto and prior to the special act of 3dof March. 1863 and who hasproperly kept up by inaugurated claim. possesses a vested right of which he cannot be deprived by any legislation of Congress. it is indeednot to be presumedthat congrossdesignedto disturb such rights by the specialact. “5. his special notis in the natureot‘an enabling or remain, itive nct. mid appears to be intended to cVoamllemjo mtoarteta.hselaloirsasssuwsatasipnreodpbeyr, the m claismpaunrteshuansders, from him. in consequence of the decision of the Supr“e1m;.eCourt. It thi refore requiresthat. in order to establish a "ltlllll under the act, it inu:=tfiist of all appear iitTii inritivelythat they are bonajidepurchasersfrom Va“llejo or his assigns. This implies 2 things.a valuable consideration and tlluIubSODOoBf noticeof avalid adverse preemption claim. “7. such purchasers in the absenceof valid adverse claims. may be allowed the land originally claimed by them to the extent to which they show that they rave reduced it. to possession.upon pro ducing evidenceof compliance with the other provisions of the law. This may include the who 0 of the original purchase, or only the part actuallyoccupied or possessed. “S. This occu anev or possessionrelates back to the Zlith01More 1.1862t, hat being the period of adjudication by the Supreme Court or the date of the entry 01the decree. "'Ihe possession must then have existed; subse quept.‘reduotion to possession cannot be considerer. “The fact itself may’be established by proof of actual occupancyor use of the land at that (late or the eral ileumof dwellings improvements of inclosures within lilnfkt‘tflfCCS stakes stones fences, or pther visible lines or indications of claims to special racis. "‘J. In addition to proofof bonufiilepurchase and ofrednctiiin to pomossionJheremustbeproot'ofset tleinent. “By settlement is meant a residencewithin the ex"terior limits of the ranchor original Vallejo cluiin. ‘liis settlementiiiustneccssarilybe on a particu lnr t act and must be continued until the presentation of the claim atthelocal office or nntilproven up. “Abandonment.of a tract after the adjudication of the SupremeCourtmr beforeproving up.would be a fo"rfeiture of a claim. The clniiii of a non-resident cannot be approved. “ The laptot residenceon onetract would.however, we conditional validity to a claim for other tracts. once. a claimant establishing a right to a single tract may be allowed additional tracts if it appears ahsespigunrsc.hased themin good faith fromVallejo or his and withoutnoticc of an adversevalid claim, and that bycinployesortenants liehail redueed them to possessionat the date of the adjudication of the Su‘p1roem. eCourt. Contermine usclaims maybe allowed. These must come.in all other respects.within the requirementsof the act of March 3.1863. "11. The 1st section of the specialact rmered it lvaewyteudl for me to cause the Soscol ranch to hesur and havethe plats returned to the local otiicc upon the payment of the expensesthereof by the settlers.accordingto the provisionsof the 10th section of the wt of Congress of 30thof May. 1862.‘to reducethe expensesof the survey and sale of public lands in the U.S.’ "The required paymentwascommenced9th Orto ber. 1863.($100.)rind completed November 23, 1863, and the platereturned tot 0 local oliice in September. October and December 1863. I "11 It. mustappearthat the claims under the special not were presented to the local officc within tiLclve months after the return of the plats thereto. which took place as follows. namely."