[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 43USC54]
TITLE 43--PUBLIC LANDS
CHAPTER 3--SURVEYS
Sec. 54. Completion of surveys; delivery to States
The Secretary of the Interior shall take all the necessary measures
for the completion of the surveys in the several surveying districts, at
the earliest periods compatible with the purposes contemplated by law;
and whenever the surveys and records of any such district are completed,
the Secretary of the Interior or such officer as he may designate shall
deliver over to the secretary of state of the respective States,
including such surveys, or to such other officer as may be authorized to
receive them, all the field notes, maps, records, and other papers
appertaining to land titles within the same.
(R.S. Sec. 2218; June 5, 1924, ch. 264, 43 Stat. 394; Mar. 3, 1925, ch.
462, 43 Stat. 1144; 1946 Reorg. Plan No. 3, Sec. 403, eff. July 16,
1946, 11 F.R. 7876, 60 Stat. 1100.)
Codification
The original text of R.S. Sec. 2218 provided for completion of
surveys ``in the several surveying-districts for which surveyors general
have been, or may be, appointed'' and also provided that ``the surveyor
general thereof shall be required to deliver over'' all papers
appertaining to land titles within the district, ``and the office of
surveyor general in every such district shall thereafter cease and be
discontinued.'' The references to the surveyors general were omitted in
view of act Mar. 3, 1925 (classified to section 51 of this title)
abolishing office of surveyor general and transferring its activities to
the Field Surveying Service, under the jurisdiction of the U.S.
Supervisor of Surveys. See, also, Transfer of Functions note below.
R.S. Sec. 2207, formerly cited as a credit to this section, which
provided for appointment of surveyors general, was superseded by act
Mar. 3, 1925 (classified to section 51 of this title) and repealed by
act Mar. 3, 1933, ch. 202, Sec. 1, 47 Stat. 1429.
Act June 5, 1924, appropriated funds for use in making the surveys
in twelve districts.
Act May 25, 1906, ch. 2554, 34 Stat. 199, provided for a survey,
pursuant to R.S. Sec. 2218, of unsurveyed lands in Louisiana, and was
omitted.
Provisions of act Oct. 2, 1888, ch. 1069, 25 Stat. 525, which
provided for transfer to State officials of field notes, maps, records
and other papers appertaining to land surveys in Nebraska and Iowa, were
omitted.
All records, etc., belonging to office of recorder of land titles
for Missouri were delivered to State upon discontinuance of office, by
provisions of act June 6, 1874, ch. 223, Sec. 3, and act July 31, 1876,
ch. 246.
R.S. Sec. 2218
