Section 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That any person or persons, and the legal representative or representatives of any person or persons, who, before the first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred, had made any contract or contracts in writing, or by any note or memorandum thereof in writing, either with John Cleves Symmes, or with any of his associates, or who had made to him or them, any payment of money for the purchase of lands, situate between the Miami rivers, within the limits of a survey made by Israel Ludlow, in conformity to an act of Congress of the twelfth of April, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-two, and not comprehended within the limits of a tract of land, conveyed to John Cleves Symmes and his associates, by letters patent, bearing date the thirtieth of September, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-four, in the territory of the United States northwest of the Ohio, shall be entitled to a preference, in becoming the purchasers, from the United States, of all the lands so contracted for, at the price of two dollars per acre, exclusive of the surveying fees, and other incidental expenses; and payment may be made therefor, to the treasurer of the United States, or the receiver of public monies for the lands of the United States at Cincinnati, in like instalments, and under the same conditions, as directed by the act, intituled "An act to amend the act, intituled 'An act providing for the sale of the lands of the United States, in the territory of the United States northwest of the Ohio, and above the mouth of Kentucky river.'"Provided however, that no interest shall be charged upon any of the instalments until they respectively become payable.
