Public Acts of Congress. manner, as the President of the United States shall direct, for the maintaining the inhabitants of said territories in the free enjoyment of their liberty, property, and religion; and the laws of the United States, relative to the collection of revenue, and the importation of persons of color, shall be extended to the said territories; and the President of the United States shall be, and he is hereby, authorized, within the term aforesaid, to establish such districts for the collection of the revenue, and, during the recess of Congress, to appoint such officers, whose commissions shall expire at the end of the next session of Congress, to enforce the said laws, as to him shall seem expedient. SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That the sum of twenty thousand dollars is hereby appropriated for the purpose of carrying this act into effect, to be paid out of any moneys in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, and to be applied under the direction of the President of the United States. SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That this act shall take effect and be in force whenever the aforesaid treaty, providing for the cession of said territories to the United States, shall have been ratified by the King of Spain, and the ratifications exchanged, and the King of Spain shall be ready to surrender said territory to the United States, according to the provisions of said treaty. Approved, March 3, 1819. An Act concerning the allowance of pensions upon a relinquishment of bounty lands. Be it enacted, &c., That the second section of the act making further provision for military services during the late war, and for other purposes; approved April sixteenth, one thousand eight hundred and sixteen, and so much of the act to amend the same, approved March third, one thousand eight hundred and seventeen, as relates to the subject of that section, shall be continued in force for the term of three years from and after the passing of this act: Provided, nevertheless, That no pension shall be granted under the said acts after the sixteenth day of April next, unless, at the time of relinquishing the bounty land, in the manner therein described, the children, for whose benefit the same may be granted, or one of them, shall be under sixteen years of age: And provided, also, That the pensions shall commence at the date of the relinquishments respectively. Approved, March 3, 1819. the said State: Provided, That such selection shall be made before the public sale of the adjoning public lands shall have taken place. Approved, March 3, 1819. An Act authorizing the purchase of fire engines, and for building houses for the safekeeping of the same. Be it enacted, &c., That the President of the United States be, and he is hereby, authorized and requested to cause to be purchased two fire engines, of the first class, with proper copper suetion pipes, and six hundred feet of rivet leathern hose, for the purpose of protecting the public and other buildings in the city of Washington from fire. SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the President of the United States cause to be built two good and sufficient houses, for the safekeeping of the said engines; one to be located on the Capitol Hill, near the Capitol, and one near the President's house and public offices. SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That, for defraying the expenses of the same, the sum of four thousand five hundred dollars be, and is hereby, appropriated, out of any unappropriated money in the Treasury. Approved, March 3, 1819. An Act to continue in force an act regulating the cur rency within the United States of the gold coins of Great Britain, France, Portugal, and Spain, and the crowns of France and five-franc pieces. Be it enacted, &c., That the gold coins of Great shall be a legal tender in the payment of all debis, Britain and Portugal, of their present standard, seven grains, or eighty-eight cents and eightat the rate of one hundred cents for every twentyninths per penny weight: the gold coins of France, of their present standard, at the rate of one hundred cents for every twenty-seven and a balf grains, or eighty-seven and a quarter cents per pennyweight: the gold coins of Spain at the rate of one hundred cents for every twenty-eight and until the first day of November next: and that, a half grains, or eighty-four cents per penny weight, from and after that day, foreign gold coins shail cease to be a tender within the United States, for the payment of debts or demands. much of the act entitled "An act regulating the SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That so currency within the United States of the gold coins of Great Britain, France, Portugal, and Spain," passed on the twenty-ninth day of April, eighteen hundred and sixteen, as relates to foreign Il-silver coins, shall be, and the same is hereby, continued in force for two years from and after the twenty-ninth day of April next, and no longer. Approved, March 3, 1819. An Act granting a donation of land to the State of An Act providing for the correction of errors in mak ing entries of land at the land offices. Be it enacted, &c., That in every case of a purchaser of public lands, at private sale, having entered at the land office a tract different from Public Acts of Congress. that he intended to purchase, and being desirous of having the error in his entry corrected, he shall make his application for that purpose to the register of the land office; and if it shall appear, from testimony satisfactory to the register and receiver of public moneys, that an error in the entry has been made, and that the same was occasioned by original incorrect marks made by the surveyor, or by the obliteration or change of the original marks and numbers at the corners of the tract of land; or that it has in any otherwise arisen from mistake or error of the surveyor, or officers of the land office; the said register and receiver of public moneys shall report the case, with the testimony, and their opinion thereon, to the Secretary of the Treasury, who shall have power to direct, if in his opinion it shall be proper, that the purchaser shall be at liberty to withdraw the entry so erroneously made, and that the moneys which had been paid, shall be applied in the purchase of other lands in the same district, or credited in the payment for other lands which shall have been purchased at the same office. Approved, March 3, 1819. An Act concerning Invalid Pensions. Be it enacted, &c., That the Secretary of War be, and he is hereby, directed to place the following named persons on the pension list of invalid pensioners of the United States, who shall be entitled to and receive pensions, according to the rates, and commencing at the times, hereinafter mentioned; that is to say: Benijah Abro, at the rate of four dollars per month, to commence on the eleventh of October one thousand eight hundred and seventeen. plied, under the direction of the Secretary for the Department of War, in the education of the said William, at the Connecticut asylum for the education and instruction of deaf and dumb persons, for a period not exceeding five years, at the rate of two hundred and fifty dollars per annum. John Low, at the rate of eight dollars per month, to commence on the twentieth day of January, one thousand eight hundred and seventeen. Jeremiah Burnham, at the rate of eight dollars per month, to commence on the twentieth day of January, one thousand eight hundred and seventeen. John Sargent, of Vermont, at the rate of four dollars per month, to commence on the sixth day of March, one thousand eight hundred and eighteen. Peter Francisco, of Virginia, at the rate of eight dollars per month, to commence on the first day of January, one thousand eight hundred and nineteen. SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the pensions of the following named persons, already placed on the pension list of the United States, be increased to the sums herein respectively affixed to their names; the said increase to commence at the time hereinafter mentioned, and be in lieu of pensions they at present receive; that is to say: Benjamin Merrill, at the rate of eight dollars per month, to commence on the twenty-eighth of November, one thousand eight hundred and seventeen. month, to commence on the eighteenth of April, Timothy Mix, at the rate of eight dollars per one thousand eight hundred and seventeen. John Wright, at the rate of six dollars per month, to commence on the fourth of February, one thousand eight hundred and eighteen. lars per month, to commence on the tenth day of Samuel Key Kendall, at the rate of twenty dolMarch, one thousand eight hundred and eighteen. William Lackin, at the rate of six dollars per Robert Craighead, at the rate of four dollars per month, to commence on the thirty-first of month, to commence on the eighteenth of FebJanuary, one thousand eight hundred and eighteen.ruary, one thousand eight hundred and seventeen. Solomon Van Renssallaer, at the rate of thirty dollars per month, to commence on the thirteenth day of October, in eighteen hundred and twelve, and the sum of two thousand five hundred and eighty dollars, the amount of pension to him at the rate of twenty dollars per month, commenc. ing on the thirtieth of January, one thousand eight hundred and two, and ending on the thirteenth of October, one thousand eight hundred and twelve, in consequence of wounds received while serving as a captain of dragoons under General Wayne, in a battle with the Indians, on the twentieth of August, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-four. Thomas Bailey, at the rate of eight dollars per month, to commence on the ninth December, one thousand eight hundred and seventeen. James Campbell, at the rate of six dollars per month, to commence on the thirtieth of September, one thousand eight hundred and seventeen. Philip Krugh, at the rate of eight dollars per mouth, to commence on the fifth of June, one thousand eight hundred and seventeen. George Pierson, at the rate of eight dollars per month, to commence on the tenth of September, one thousand eight hundred and seventeen. John Long, at the rate of eight dollars per month, to commence on the twenty-eighth of February, one thousand eight hundred and seventeen. Benjamin Pincin, at the rate of eight dollars per month, to commence on the seventeenth of Thomas McBarney, at the rate of eight dolMarch, one thousand eight hundred and eighteen.lars per month, to commence on the twelfth of Caleb J. Whaley, at the rate of six dollars and September, one thousand eight hundred and sevfifty cents per month, to commence on the thirti- enteen. eth of December, one thousand eight hundred and thirteen. William Earnest, whose father died of wounds received in battle during the late war, to be ap William Simpson, at the rate of eight dollars per month, to commence on the fifth of September, one thousand eight hundred and seventeen. James C. Wingard, at the rate of eight dollars Public Acts of Congress. per month, to commence on the thirtieth of November, one thousand eight hundred and sixteen. William Arnold, at the rate of seven dollars and fifty cents per month, to commence on the first day of April, one thousand eight hundred and eighteen. Joseph S. Van Driesen, at the rate of twenty dollars per month, to commence on the tenth day of January, one thousand eight hundred and eighteen. John Tilton, at the rate of thirteen dollars per month, to commence on the thirtieth day of January, one thousand eight hundred and eighteen. Joseph Westcott, at the rate of twenty dollars per month, to commence on the twentieth day of October, one thousand eight hundred and sev enteen. States, or right derived from the United States: And that all claims founded on British grants, contained in the said reports, which have been sold and conveyed according to the provisions of the treaty of peace between Great Britain and Spain, of the third of September, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-three, by which that part of Louisiana, lying east of the island of Orleans, was ceded to Spain, under the denomi nation of West Florida, or which were settled and cultivated by the person having the legal title therein, at the date of said treaty, are recognised as valid and complete titles against any claim on the part of the United States, or derived from the United States. SEC. 2. And be it further enacted That all claims, reported as aforesaid, and contained in the several reports of the said commissioners, founded on any order of survey, requette, permission to Aaron Stafford, at the rate of ten dollars per month, to commence on the twentieth day of February, one thousand eight hundred and eigh-settle, or any written evidence of claim, derived teen. from the Spanish authorities, which ought, in the opinion of the commissioners, to be confirmed, and which, by the said reports, appear to be derived from the Spanish Government before the twentieth day of December, one thousand eight hundred and three, and the land claimed to have been cultivated and inhabited on or before that day, shall be confirmed in the same manner as if the title had been completed: Provided, That, in all such claims where the plat and certificate of survey made prior to the fifteenth day of April, one thousand eight hundred and thirteen, under the authority of the Spanish Government, in par SEC. 8. And be it further enacted, That all suance of such claim, has not been filed with the persons entitled to pensions in conformity with said commissioners, such claim shall not be conthe provision of the act, entitled "An act to pro-firmed to any one person for more than twelve vide for persons disabled by known wounds during the Revolutionary war," passed April the eighteenth, eighteen hundred and six, and also, the fourth section of an act, entitled "An act concerning invalid pensioners," passed the twentyfifth of April, one thousand eight hundred and eight, may be placed on the pension list by the Secretary of War without reporting the same to Congress. SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That any pension granted by this act, or any other act hereafter to be passed, to any officer, soldier, or marine, who served in the Revolutionary war, shall cease and be discontinued, in case the individual to whom the same may be granted hath availed himself, or shall hereafter avail himself, of the provisions of an act, passed the eighteenth day of March, one thousand eight hundred and eighteen, entitled "An act to provide for certain persons engaged in the land and naval service of the United States, in the Revolutionary war." Approved, March 3, 1819. hundred and eighty acres; and that for all the other claims to land comprised in the reports aforesaid, and which ought, in the opinion of the commissioners, to be confirmed, the claimant to such lands shall be entitled to a grant therefor as a donation: Provided, That such grant, as a donation, shall not be made to any one person more than twelve hundred and eighty acres; which confirmation of the said incomplete titles and grants of donations, hereby provided to be made, shall amount only to a relinquishment for ever, on the part of the United States, of any claim for An Act for adjusting the claims to land, and estab-whatever to the tract of land so confirmed of lishing land offices in the districts east of the island of New Orleans. Be it enacted, &c., That all the claims to land founded on complete grants from the Spanish Government, reported to the Secretary of the Treasury by the commissioners from the districts east and west of Pearl river, appointed under the authority of an act, entitled "An act for ascertaining the titles and claims to lands in that part of Louisiana, which lies east of the river Mississippi and island of New Orleans," which are contained in the several reports of the commissioners, and which are, in the opinion of the commissioners, valid, agreeably to the laws, usages, and customs of the said Government, be, and the same are hereby, recognised as valid and complete titles, against any claim on the part of the United granted: And provided, also, That no such claim shall be confirmed to any person to whom the title to any tract of land shall have been recog nised under the preceding provisions. SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That every person, or his or her legal representative, whose claim is comprised in the lists or register of claims, reported by the said commissioners, and the per sons embraced in the list of actual settlers, or their legal representatives, not having any writ ten evidence of claim reported as aforesaid, shall, where it appears, by the said reports, or by the said lists, that the land claimed or settled on bad been actually inhabited or cultivated, by such person or persons in whose rights he claims, on or before the fifteenth day of April, one thousand eight hundred and thirteen, be entitled to a grant Public Acts of Congress. for the land so claimed, or settled on, as a dona- and whose claim has not been recommended for tion: Provided, That not more than one tract confirmation, shall be allowed until the first day shall be thus granted to any one person, and the of July, one thousand eight hundred and twenty, same shall not contain more than six hundred and to deliver written evidence, or other testimony, forty acres; and that no lands shall be thus grant-in support of his or their claim, the notice of which ed which are claimed or recognised by the pre- had been filed as aforesaid, to the register of the ceding sections of this act. land office at St. Helena, for lands lying in the district west of Pearl river, and to the register of the land office at Jackson Courthouse, for the lands lying in the district east of Pearl river; and the evidence of claims, the notice whereof had been filed, as aforesaid, for lands lying in the said district, delivered, within the time limited by this section, to the said registers, shall be recorded by them, respectively, in the same manner as was directed by former acts, on receiving the same fees allowed by said acts, for recording evidence of claims to lands in the same districts. SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That every 2. person comprised in the said list of actual settlers, not having any written evidence of claim to land in said districts, and who, on the twelfth day of April, one thousand eight hundred and fourteen, shall have inhabited or cultivated a tract of land in either of the said districts, not claimed by virtue of either of the preceding sections of this act, shall be entitled to a preference, on becoming a purchaser, from the United States, of such tract of land, on the same terms and conditions, and at the same price, for which the other public lands are sold at private sale: Provided, That the first instalment of the purchase money shall be paid to the receiver of public moneys of the district within which the land lies, within two years after the opening of the land office for such district. SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That, for the purpose of adjusting the titles and claims to lands in the districts aforesaid, and for the disposal of the lands which may remain the property of the United States therein, a land office shall be established in each of the said districts, to be kept for the western district, at St. Helena Courthouse, and, for the eastern district, at Jackson Courthouse; and a register and receiver of public moneys shall be appointed for each of the said land offices, who shall give security in the same manner, and in the same sums, and whose compensation, duties, and authority, shall, in every respect, be the same, in relation to the lands which shall hereafter be disposed of, at their respective offices, as are by law provided in relation to the other registers and receivers of public moneys for the several land offices of the United States. SEC. 6. And be it further enacted That every person or persons, claiming lands in either of the said districts, whose claims have not heretofore been filed with the commissioner of the land office, of the district wherein the lands lie, shall be allowed until the first day of July, one thousand eight hundred and twenty, to deliver notices in writing, and the evidences of their claims, in the said districts, respectively, to the register of the land office at Jackson Courthouse and at St. Helena Courthouse; and the notices and evidences so delivered, within the time limited by this act, shall be recorded in the same manner, and on the payment of the same fees, as if the same had been delivered before the commissioners closed their said registers. SEC. 8. And be it further enacted, That the register and receiver of public moneys of the said respective land offices, at Jackson Courthouse and at St. Helena Courthouse, shall have the same powers, and perform the same duties, in every respect, in relation to the claims that may be filed in virtue of the sixth section of this act, and in relation to the claims, the notices of which had been filed under former acts, as well as to the additional evidence which shall be adduced in support thereof, agreeably to the seventh section of this act, as the commissioners for the districts east and west of Pearl river would have had, or should have performed, if such notices had been filed, and such evidence adduced, before the said commissioners closed their registers. SEC. 9. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of the register of each of the said land offices, respectively, to make, to the Commissioner of the General Land Office, a report of all the claims filed with the register aforesaid, with the substance of the evidence in support thereof; and of the claims formerly filed, in support of which additional evidence shall have been received, with the substance of such evidence; and also their opinion, and such remarks respecting the claim as they may think proper to make; which report, together with a list of the claims, which, in the opinion of the register and receiver, ought to be confirmed, and also a list of actual settlers, prior to the passage of this act, noting the time of their respective settlements, shall be laid, by the Commisioner of the General Land Office, before Congress, at their next session, for their determination thereon. SEC. 10. And be it further enacted, That the said registers and receivers shall, respectively, have power to appoint a clerk, who shall be a person capable of translating the French and Spanish languages, and who shall perform the duty of translator, when required by said registers and receivers; and each of the said registers SEC. 7. And be it further enacted, That every and receivers shall be allowed, as a compensation person or persons, who had filed his or their notice for their services in relation to the said claims, of claims to land, within either of the said dis- at the rate of fifteen hundred dollars a year; and tricts, with the commissioner of the land office, each of the clerks at the rate of one thousand according to the former laws, but have not ex-dollars a year: Provided, That not more than hibited sufficient testimony in support of the same, eighteen months' compensation be thus allowed Public Acts of Congress. to the register, receiver, and clerk, for the district east of Pearl river; nor more than eighteen months' compensation be allowed to the register, receiver, and clerk, of the district west of Pearl river. SEC. 11. And be it further enacted, That the surveyor for the lands south of the State of Tennessee shall, with the consent and approbation of the President of the United States, appoint a principal deputy surveyor for the lands within the said districts, who shall receive an annual salary of five hundred dollars, and, in addition thereto, the following fees; that is to say for examining and recording the surveys executed by any of the deputies, at the rate of twenty-five cents for every mile of the boundary line of such survey; and for a certified copy of any plat of a survey in the office, twenty-five cents; and whose duty it shall be to survey, or cause to be surveyed, by his other deputies, the lands, the claims to which are confirmed, and that are directed to be granted as donations, where the same have not been already surveyed, and the lands which may be claimed by right of pre-emption, whenever directed by the register and receiver, and to execute such other surveys as may be necessary for the ascertainment of the lands, the title or claim to which is embraced in the report of the commissioners aforesaid. And the said principal deputy surveyor shall make out particular plats of the surveys directed by this act, which he shall return to the register of the proper district; and also, a general and connected plat, which he shall return to the surveyor of the lands south of the State of Tennessee; and the expense of surveying shall be paid by the United States: Provided. The same shall not exceed, in the whole, four dollars a mile, for every mile which shall be actually surveyed and marked. tricts in the recess of the Senate, who shall be nominated to them at their next meeting. Approved, March 3, 1819. An Act in addition to the acts prohibiting the Slave Be it enacted, &c., That the President of the United States be, and he is hereby, authorized, whenever he shall deem it expedient, to cause any of the armed vessels of the United States to be employed to cruise on any of the coasts of the United States, or Territories thereof, or of the coast of Africa, or elsewhere, where he may judge attempts may be made to carry on the slave trade by citizens or residents of the United States, in contravention of the acts of Congress prohibiting the same, and to instruct and direct the commanders of all armed vessels of the United States, to seize, take, and bring into any port of the United States, all ships or vessels of the United States, wheresoever found, which may have taken on board, or which may be intended for the purpose of taking on board, or of transporting, or may have transported, any negro, mulatto, or person of color, in violation of any of the provisions of the act, entitled "An act in addition to an act to prohibit the importation of slaves into any port or place within the jurisdistion of the United States, from and after the first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eight, and to repeal certain parts of the same," or of any other act or acts prohibiting the traffic in slaves, to be proceeded against according to law. And the proceeds of all ships and vessels, their tackle, apparel, and furniture, and the goods and effects on board of them, which shall be so seized, prosecuted, and condemned, shall be divided equally between the United States and the officers and men who shall seize, take, or bring, SEC. 12. And be it further enacted, That the the same into port for condemnation, whether books of the former commissioners, in which the such seizure be made by an armed vessel of the claims, and evidence of claims, are recorded, shall United States or revenue cutter thereof. And be lodged with the registers of the land office, for the same shall be distributed in like manner as is the respective districts; and the register and re- provided by law for the distribution of prizes ceiver of public moneys, in each respective district, taken from an enemy. Provided, That the offishall have power to examine the claims recog- cers and men, to be entitled to one half of the nised, confirmed, or provided to be granted, by proceeds aforesaid, shall safe keep every negro, the provisions of this act, as also, claims to the mulatto, or person of color, found on board of right of pre-emption; and they shall make out to any ship or vessel so seized, taken, or brought each claimant, entitled, in their opinion, thereto, into port, for condemnation, and shall deliver a certificate, according to the nature of the case, every such negro, mulatto, or person of color, to under such instructions as they may receive from the marshal of the district in which they are the Commissioner of the General Land Office; brought, if into a port of the United States, or, if and on presentation at the General Land Office elsewhere, to such person or persons as shall be of such certificate for a confirmed claim, or for a lawfully appointed by the President of the United donation, according to the provisions of this act; States, in the manner hereinafter directed, transand where it shall appear, to the satisfaction of mitting to the President of the United States, as the Commissioner of the General Land Office, soon as may be after such delivery, a descriptive that the certificate has been fairly obtained, ac- list of such negroes, mulattoes, or persons of cording to the true intent and meaning of this color, that he may give directions for the disact, then, and in that case, a patent shall be grant-posal of them. And provided further, That the ed, in like manner as for other lands of the United States. SEC. 13. And be it further enacted, That the President shall have power to appoint the register and receiver of public moneys for the said dis commanders of such commissioned vessels do cause to be apprehended, and taken into custody, every person found on board of such vessel, so seized and taken, being of the officers or crew thereof, and him or them convey, as soon as con |