The public lands shall be divided by north and south lines run according to the true meridian, and by others crossing them at right angles, so as to form townships of six miles square, unless where the line of an Indian reservation, or of tracts of land surveyed or patented prior to May 18, 1796, or the course of navigable rivers, may render this impracticable; and in that case this rule must be departed from no further than such particular circumstances require.

Second. The corners of the townships must be marked with progressive numbers from the beginning; each distance of a mile between such corners must be also distinctly marked with marks different from those of the corners.

Third. The township shall be subdivided into sections, containing, as nearly as may be, six hundred and forty acres each, by running parallel lines through the same from east to west and from south to north at the distance of one mile from each other, and marking corners at the distance of each half mile. The sections shall be numbered, respectively, beginning with the number one in the northeast section and proceeding west and east alternately through the township with progressive numbers, until the thirty-six be completed.

Fourth. The deputy surveyors, respectively, shall cause to be marked on a tree near each corner established in the manner described, and within the section, the number of such section, and over it the number of the township within which such section may be; and the deputy surveyors shall carefully note, in their respective field books, the names of the corner trees marked and the numbers so made.

Fifth. Where the exterior lines of the townships which may be subdivided into sections or half-sections exceed, or do not extend six miles, the excess or deficiency shall be specially noted, and added to or deducted from the western and northern ranges of sections or half-sections in such township, according as the error may be in running the lines from east to west, or from north to south; the sections and half-sections bounded on the northern and western lines of such townships shall be sold as containing only the quantity expressed in the returns and plats respectively, and all others as containing the complete legal quantity.

Sixth. All lines shall be plainly marked upon trees, and measured with chains, containing two perches of sixteen and one-half feet each, subdivided into twenty-five equal links; and the chain shall be adjusted to a standard to be kept for that purpose.

Seventh. Every surveyor shall note in his field book the true situations of all mines, salt licks, salt springs, and mill-seats which come to his knowledge; all watercourses over which the line he runs may pass; and also the quality of the lands.

Eighth. These field books shall be returned to the Secretary of the Interior or such officer as he may designate, who shall cause therefrom a description of the whole lands surveyed to be made out and transmitted to the officers who may superintend the sales. He shall also cause a fair plat to be made of the townships and fractional parts of townships contained in the lands, describing the subdivisions thereof, and the marks of the corners. This plat shall be recorded in books to be kept for that purpose; and a copy thereof shall be kept open at the office of the Secretary of the Interior or of such agency as he may designate for public information, and other copies shall be sent to the places of the sale, and to the Bureau of Land Management.

The system of public land surveys is extended to the Territory of Alaska.

The Secretary of the Interior or such officer as he may designate, shall furnish the land offices at Nome and Fairbanks a sufficient quantity of numbers to be used in the different classes of official surveys that may be made in the Nome and Fairbanks land districts to meet the requirements thereof, and upon application by any person desiring to have an official survey made such officers as the Secretary of the Interior may designate shall furnish a number or numbers for such survey or surveys, together with an order directing a qualified deputy surveyor to make the same, and such application, order, and the fee required to be paid shall be transmitted to the Secretary of the Interior or such officer as he may designate: Provided, That all surveys thus made shall be approved by the Secretary of the Interior or such officer as he may designate.

The boundaries and contents of the several sections, half-sections, and quarter-sections of the public lands shall be ascertained in conformity with the following principles:

First. All the corners marked in the surveys, returned by the Secretary of the Interior or such agency as he may designate, shall be established as the proper corners of sections, or subdivisions of sections, which they were intended to designate; and the corners of half- and quarter-sections, not marked on the surveys, shall be placed as nearly as possible equidistant from two corners which stand on the same line.

Second. The boundary lines, actually run and marked in the surveys returned by the Secretary of the Interior or such agency as he may designate, shall be established as the proper boundary lines of the sections, or subdivisions, for which they were intended, and the length of such lines as returned, shall be held and considered as the true length thereof. And the boundary lines which have not been actually run and marked shall be ascertained, by running straight lines from the established corners to the opposite corresponding corners; but in those portions of the fractional townships where no such opposite corresponding corners have been or can be fixed, the boundary lines shall be ascertained by running from the established corners due north and south or east and west lines, as the case may be, to the watercourse, Indian boundary line, or other external boundary of such fractional township.

Third. Each section or subdivision of section, the contents whereof have been returned by the Secretary of the Interior or such agency as he may designate, shall be held and considered as containing the exact quantity expressed in such return; and the half sections and quarter sections, the contents whereof shall not have been thus returned, shall be held and considered as containing the one-half or the one-fourth part, respectively, of the returned contents of the section of which they may make part.

In every case of the division of a quarter section the line for the division thereof shall run north and south, and the corners and contents of half quarter sections which may thereafter be sold, shall be ascertained in the manner and on the principles directed and prescribed by section 752 of this title, and fractional sections containing one hundred and sixty acres or upwards shall in like manner as nearly as practicable be subdivided into half quarter sections under such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the Secretary of the Interior, and in every case of a division of a half quarter section, the line for the division thereof shall run east and west, and the corners and contents of quarter quarter sections, which may thereafter be sold, shall be ascertained as nearly as may be, in the manner, and on the principles, directed and prescribed by the section preceding; and fractional sections containing fewer or more than one hundred and sixty acres shall in like manner, as nearly as may be practicable, be subdivided into quarter quarter sections, under such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the Secretary of the Interior.

An accurate account shall be kept by the Secretary of the Interior or such officer as he may designate of the cost of surveying and platting every private land claim to be reported to the Bureau of Land Management with the map of such claim; and a patent shall not issue nor shall any copy of any such survey be furnished for any such private claim until the cost of survey and platting shall have been paid into the Treasury of the United States by the party or parties in interest in said grant or by any other party.

In all cases of the survey of private land claims the cost of the same shall be refunded to the Treasury by the owner before the delivery of the patent.

When the settlers in any township not mineral or reserved by the Government, or persons and associations lawfully possessed of coal lands and otherwise qualified to make entry thereof, or when the owners or grantees of public lands of the United States, under any law thereof, desire a survey made of the same under the authority of such agency as the Secretary of the Interior may designate and shall file an application therefor in writing, and shall deposit in a proper United States depository to the credit of the United States a sum sufficient to pay for such survey, together with all expenditures incident thereto, without cost or claim for indemnity on the United States, it shall be lawful for such agency, under such instructions as may be given by the Secretary of the Interior or such officer as he may designate, and in accordance with law, to survey such township or such public lands owned by said grantees of the Government, and make return therefor to the general and proper local land office: Provided, That no application shall be granted unless the township so proposed to be surveyed is within the range of the regular progress of the public surveys embraced by existing standard lines or bases for township and subdivisional surveys.

The deposit of money in a proper United States depository, under the provisions of section 759 of this title, shall be deemed an appropriation of the sums so deposited for the objects contemplated by said section, and the Secretary of the Treasury is authorized to cause the sums so deposited to be placed to the credit of the proper appropriations for the surveying service; but any excesses in such sums over and above the actual cost of the surveys, comprising all expenses incident thereto, for which they were severally deposited, shall be repaid to the depositors respectively.

The Secretary of the Treasury is authorized and directed to pay, out of the moneys heretofore or hereafter covered into the Treasury from deposits made by individuals to cover cost of work performed and to be performed in the offices of such agency as the Secretary of the Interior may designate in connection with the survey of mineral lands, any excess in the amount deposited over and above the actual cost of the work performed, including all expenses incident thereto for which the deposits were severally made or the whole of any unused deposit; and such sums, as the several cases may be, shall be deemed to be annually and permanently appropriated for that purpose. Such repayments shall be made to the person or persons who made the several deposits, or to his or their legal representatives, after the completion or abandonment of the work for which the deposits were made, and upon an account certified by the office of such agency of the district in which the mineral land surveyed, or sought to be surveyed, is situated and approved by the Secretary of the Interior or such officer as he may designate.

Where settlers or owners or grantees of public lands make deposits in accordance with the provisions of section 759 of this title, certificates shall be issued for such deposits which may be used by settlers in part payment for the lands settled upon by them, the survey of which is paid for out of such deposits, or said certificates may be assigned by indorsement and may be received by the Government in payment for any public lands of the United States in the States where the surveys were made, entered or to be entered under the laws thereof.

Such sums as have been or may be deposited for surveys in Louisiana by actual settlers, under sections 759, 760, and 762 of this title, may be, in whole or in part, employed in making such resurveys as may be necessary in the discretion of the Secretary of the Interior or such officer as he may designate.

There shall be no further geological survey by the Government, unless authorized by law. The public surveys shall extend over all mineral lands; and all subdividing of surveyed lands into lots less than one hundred and sixty acres may be done by county and local surveyors at the expense of claimants; but nothing in this section contained shall require the survey of waste or useless lands.

The Secretary of the Interior may, by regulation, provide that departures may be made from the system of rectangular surveys whenever it is not feasible or economical to extend the rectangular surveys in the regular manner or whenever such departure would promote the beneficial use of lands.

The Secretary of the Interior may, as of March 3, 1909, in his discretion cause to be made, as he may deem wise under the rectangular system on that date provided by law, such resurveys or retracements of the surveys of public lands as, after full investigation, he may deem essential to properly mark the boundaries of the public lands remaining undisposed of: Provided, That no such resurvey or retracement shall be so executed as to impair the bona fide rights or claims of any claimant, entryman, or owner of lands affected by such resurvey or retracement.

Upon the application of the owners of three-fourths of the privately owned lands in any township covered by public-land surveys, more than 50 per centum of the area of which townships is privately owned, accompanied by a deposit with the Secretary of the Interior, or such officer as he may designate, of the proportionate estimated cost, inclusive of the necessary work, of the resurvey or retracement of all the privately owned lands in said township, the Secretary, or such officer as he may designate, shall be authorized in his discretion to cause to be made a resurvey or retracement of the lines of said township and to set permanent corners and monuments in accordance with the laws and regulations governing surveys and resurveys of public lands. The sum so deposited shall be held by the Secretary of the Interior or such officer as he may designate, and may be expended in payment of the cost of such survey, including field and office work, and any excess over the cost of such survey and the expenses incident thereto shall be repaid pro rata to the persons making said deposits or their legal representatives. The proportionate cost of the field and office work for the resurvey or retracement of any public lands in such township shall be paid from the current appropriation for the survey and resurvey of public lands, in addition to the portion of such appropriation otherwise allowed by law for resurveys and retracements. Similar resurveys and retracements may be made on the application, accompanied by the requisite deposit, of any court of competent jurisdiction, the returns of such resurvey or retracement to be submitted to the court. The Secretary of the Interior is authorized to make all necessary rules and regulations to carry this section into full force and effect.

Whenever the President is satisfied that forcible opposition has been offered, or is likely to be offered, to any surveyor or deputy surveyor in the discharge of his duties in surveying the public lands, it may be lawful for the President to order the marshal of the State or district, by himself or deputy, to attend such surveyor or deputy surveyor with sufficient force to protect such officer in the execution of his duty, and to remove force should any be offered.