ART. 3. ] JURISDICTION OF THE UNITED STATES.

25

the said land lies, or for any other cause are incapable of making a

perfect title to said lands, the United States, by any agent author-

ized under the hand and seal of any member of the President's

Cabinet, may apply by petition in writing to the Circuit Court for

the county where the land lies; which petition shall be filed with

Application by

the clerk of said court, to have the said land condemned for the use

petition.

and benefit of the United States; and any such agent of the United

States may, for the purpose of ascertaining its bounds and quan-

tity, enter upon the lands, without injury thereto, which the United

States may desire to purchase for any of the purposes aforesaid.

2. Said petition shall state the bounds and quantity of the land

Id s 2

to which the United States desires to obtain title and the public

What petition
to state

purposes for which said land is desired; and the names of the

owner or owners thereof, and where they respectively reside, and

whether they are adults or under age, and whether married or

single, compos, vel non compos mentis; if said facts are known to

the agent filing said petition, or if said agent does not know any

fact which he is hereinbefore required if known to him to state, he

shall state in said petition that he does not know said fact.

3. Every such petition must be verified by an affidavit to be

Id. s 3

taken before the clerk of said court, and annexed thereto, of the

How to be veri-
fied

said agent of the United States, that the statements therein con-

tained are true to the best of his knowledge and belief, and where

said petition shall state that it is unknown where any such owner

resides or whether he is an adult or under age, married or single,

compos, vel non compos mentis; the said agent shall further make

affidavit that he has used all reasonable efforts to ascertain the fact

or facts stated in said petition to be unknown by him and has failed

so to do.

4. Upon the said petition, verified as aforesaid, being filed in the

Id s 4

office of said clerk, it shall be the duty of said clerk to give notice

Publication of
substance and

of the substance and object of said petition by printed notice, to be

object of peti-
tion

published once a week for three months, in some newspaper printed

in the city of Baltimore, and also by like notice, to be published as

aforesaid, in one newspaper printed and published in the county

where the land lies, if any newspaper be so printed and published;

such notice shall contain an accurate description of the land to

which the United States desire to obtain title, and shall state the

names of the owner or supposed owners thereof, and the place or

supposed places of their residence, or that said places are unknown,

and whether said owners or any of them are feme covert, under age,

or non compos mentis, if such facts are known to the agent filing

such petition, and the public uses to which the United States desire

to put the said land, and shall require all persons interested in the

said land to come forward on a day to be specified in said notice,

and file their objections, if any they have, to the proposed condem-

nation of said land.

Id s 5

5, At the time specified in said notice, or at the earliest conve-

Court to deter-
mine upon peti-
tion.