1938 ARTICLE 54.

under the authority of this State to preserve and sell British confiscated
property, the title to which still remains in the State, and praying that
title thereto may be granted to him, and upon satisfactory proof submitted
to the commissioner of the land office that such applicant is entitled to
receive title thereto, the said commissioner shall issue a patent for "such
land to the person appearing to him to be entitled thereto.

For a case involving proof of qualification of commissioners mentioned in this

section, and the validity of a deed executed by them, see Hutchings v. Talbot, 3 H.

& J. 378. .
As to confiscation of .British property, see Smith v. State, 2 H. & J. 471; Hall v.

Gittings, 2 H. & J. 112; Owings v. Norwood, 2 H. & J. 96; Ringgold v. Malott, 1 H.

& J. 317; Gassaway v. Dorsey, 4 H. & McH. 405; Smith v. Maryland, 6 Cranch, 289.

An. Code, sec. 21. 1904, sec. 20. 1888, sec. 18. 1852, ch. 361, sec. 1.

20. Before issuing any patent under the preceding section the said
commissioner shall order the party applying therefor to cause to be inserted
in one or more newspapers published in the county or city where the land
lies, if there be a newspaper published therein, at least once a week for
three successive weeks, an advertisement setting forth the object of the
application and describing therein by metes and bounds and such other
description of the land for which the patent is sought as he may direct,
so that the land may be known, and also particularly describing the claim
of the applicant for such patent, and containing a notification of the day
and hour on which the applicant will apply to the commissioner to issue
such patent, which day shall be at least sixty days from the day of filing
the application, and warning all parties interested to appear before said
commissioner on the day and hour therein designated to show cause, if
any they have, why such patent should not be issued.

An. Code, sec. 22. 1904, sec. 21. 1888, sec. 19. 1852, ch. 361, sec. 1.

21. If no person appears to contest the said application on the day so
appointed, a patent shall issue to the applicant; but if opposition be made
to the issue of such patent, the party making such opposition shall, by a
day to be designated by the commissioner of the land office, not exceeding
thirty days, file in the land office his objections in writing to the issue of
said patent.

An. Code, sec. 23. 1904, sec. 22. 1888, sec. 20. 1852, ch. 361, sec. 1.

22. The said commissioner shall fix some day, not less than ten nor
more than twenty days after the objections are filed, to hear such application
and shall then hear the respective parties, if they appear before him, and
if not, he shall proceed to determine ex parte the rights of the parties
claiming to be interested and shall, within thirty days after such hearing,
decide in favor of or reject the application as to him shall seem right and
proper, filing his reasons therefor in writing.

An. Code, sec. 24. 1904, sec. 23. 1888, sec. 21. 1781, ch. 20, sec. 6. 1789, ch. 35, sec. 4.

23. The said commissioner shall have full power and authority to hear
and determine all disputes which may arise concerning the validity of
surveys made under warrants or orders issued by him; and also all disputes