CHAP. 332.-An act making appropriations for sundry civil expenses of the Government for the fiscal year ending June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and eighty-five, and for other pur Doses. * Be it enacted, &c., [Par. 1.] That hereafter it shall be the Light-house apduty of the Light-House Board to apply the money appropriated, propriations to e other than for surveys, as far as can be without detriment to the expended by coninterests of the Government, by contract. * * 1879, March 3, ch. 182, [Par. 2.] Hereafter revenue cutters shall be used exclusively for the public service, and in no way for private purposes. * tract. R. S., 4666. par. 1, ante, p. 250. Revenue cutters to be exclusively for public service. R. S., § 2758. Contracts for [Par. 3.] Hereafter whenever it is practicable contracts for the transportation of moneys, bullion, coin, notes, bonds, and other transportation of securities of the United States, and paper shall be let to the lowest moneys, &c., to be responsible bidder therefor, after notice to all parties having means of transportation. ** * let to the lowest R. S., § 3709. [Par. 4.] And the scientific employees of the Geological Survey shall be selected by the Director, subject to the approval of the ployees of GeologSecretary of the Interior exclusively for their qualifications as pro- ical Survey to be fessional experts. perts. Insane to admit professional ex1879, Mar. 3, ch. 182, § 1, par. 10, ante, p. 251. [Par. 5.] And in addition to the persons now entitled to admission Government to the Government Hospital for the Insane, any inmate of the Sol- Hospital for the diers' Home who is now or may hereafter become insane shall, upon insane of Soldiers' an order of the president of the Board of Commissioners of the Home. Soldiers' Home, be admitted to said hospital and treated therein; and the expenses of maintaining any such person shall be paid from the Soldiers' Home fund. R. S., § 4843. 1880, June 16, ch. 235, par. 2, ante, p. 298. Director of Na [Par. 6.] And the Director of the National Museum is hereby directed to report annually to Congress the progress of the museum tional Museum to during the year and its present condition. * * costs collected report to Congress. 1882, Aug. 7, ch. 433, par. 15 and note, ante, p. 382. [Par. 7.] That the clerk of the Supreme Court of the United States Clerk of Sushall, on the first day of January next, or within thirty days there- preme Court U. S. after, and annually thereafter, make to the Secretary of the Treas- to make return of ury a return of all costs collected by him in cases disposed of at the above his compreceding term or terms of said Supreme Court; and, after deduct- pensation. ing his compensation as provided by law, and the incidental expenses R. S., § 844. of his office, including clerk-hire, said expenses to be certified by the 1883, Mar. 3, ch. Chief Justice or a justice of said court, shall pay any surplus that 143, par.9, ante, p. may remain into the Treasury of the United States at the time of * * making said return. 42. [Par. 8.] That it shall not be lawful for the head of any Executive Public Printer Department or of any Bureau, branch, or office of the Government, not to print matto cause to be printed, nor shall the Public Printer print, any docu- by law or unneces ment or matter of any character whatever except that which is sary. authorized by law and necessary to administer the public business, R. S., § 3785. nor shall any Bureau officer embrace in his annual or other report to be printed any matter not directly pertaining to the duties of his ch. 455, par. 1, office as prescribed by law, * * [July 7, 1884.] CHAP. 333.-An act making appropriations for the consular and diplomatic service of the Government for the fiscal year ending June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and eighty-five and for other purposes. 1874, June 23, ante, p. 41. July 7, 1884. 23 Stat. L., 235. Consular reports not to discuss politics, religion, &c. Be it enacted, &c., ** * For printing and distributing the publications by the Department of State of the consular and other commercial reports, including circular letters to chambers of commerce, ** Provided, That no part of such reports discussing partisan 1880, June 16, political, religious, or moral questions shall be published. (1) * ch. 235, par. 4, [July 7, 1884.] NOTE. (1) This provision is repeated in the subsequent appropriation act (23 Stat. L., 324). * ante, p. 298. July 7, 1884. 23 Stat. L., 236. CHAP. 334.—An act making appropriations to supply deficiencies in the appropriations for the fiscal year ending June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and eighty-four, and for prior years, and for those certified as due by the accounting officers of the Treasury in accordance with section four of the act of June fourteenth, eighteen hundred and seventy-eight (1), heretofore paid from permanent appropriations, and for other purposes. * Be it enacted, &c. Consular officers * [Par. 1.] And hereafter it shall not be not to appropriate lawful for any consular officer to appropriate to his own use or exor expend fees in pend from the amount received from the fees of his office any sum excess of allowin excess of the allowance of salary and fees directly authorized by ance authorized by law. law, and consular officers paid exclusively by fees and consuls paid in part by salary and in part by fees, shall only appropriate to their own use or expend such portion of the fees as is authorized by law. * * R. S., § 1729. 24 C. Cls., 1. 133 U. S., 273. Claims allowed to be reported to p. 18. 1878, June 14, ch, 191, ante, p. 180. Estimates of ap transmitted to [Par. 2.] That the Secretary of the Treasury shall, at the commencement of each session of Congress, report the amount due each claimant whose claim has been allowed in whole or in part to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the presiding officer of the Senate, who shall lay the same before their respective Houses for consideration. And hereafter all estimates of appropriations and estimates of propriations to be deficiencies in appropriations intended for the consideration and Congress through seeking the action of any of the committees of Congress shall be the Secretary of transmitted to Congress through the Secretary of the Treasury, and in no other manner; the Treasury. to be indexed, printed, &c. Secretary of scribe rules for And the said Secretary shall first cause the same to be properly classified, compiled, indexed, and printed, under the supervision of the chief of the division of warrants, estimates, and appropriations of his Department. SEC. 3. * * That the Secretary of the Treasury may prescribe Treasury may pre- rules and regulations governing the recognition of agents, attorneys, practice of agents, or other persons representing claimants before his Department, and may require of such persons, agents and attorneys, before being recognized as representatives of claimants, that they shall show that they are of good character and in good repute, possessed of the necessary qualifications to enable them to render such claimants valuable service, and otherwise competent to advise and assist such claimants in the presentation of their cases. attorneys, &c. 1884, July 4, ch. 181, § 5, ante, p. 453. 14 How., 575. may disbar for incompetency, fraud, &c. And such Secretary may after due notice and opportunity for hearing suspend, and disbar from further practice before his Department any such person, agent, or attorney shown to be incompetent, disreputable, or who refuses to comply with the said rules and regulations, or who shall with intent to defraud, in any manner willfully and knowingly deceive, mislead, or threaten any claimant or prospective claimant, by word, circular, letter, or by advertisement. ** [July 7, 1884.] NOTE.-(1) Ch. 191, ante, p. 180. February 1, 1884. 23 Stat. L., 266. House Commit tee on RESOLUTIONS. NUMBER 4.—Joint resolution authorizing the Secretary of the Interior to detail from that department two clerks to act as assistant-clerks to certain House Committees Resolved, &c., That the Secretary of the Interior, be, and is hereby Pensions authorized, if in his opinion the public interests will not suffer sions to have de- thereby, upon the request of either of the Committees hereinafter tail of clerk from named, to detail from that department, one clerk to act as assistantInterior Depart- clerk to the House Committee on Pensions, and one clerk to act as assistant-clerk to the House Committee on Invalid Pensions. [February 1, 1884.] ment. FORTY EIGHTH CONGRESS-SECOND SESSION IN THE YEARS 1884-1885. CHAP. 7.-An act detaching Grundy County, Tennessee, from the southern division of the district of East Tennessee and attaching it to the middle district of said State, and for other purposes. Be it enacted, &c., That hereafter the County of Grundy, in the State of Tennessee. shall be detached from the southern di vision of the District of East Tennessee and be attached to the middle district of Tennessee and that all process hereafter issuing except as hereinafter provided against citizens of said county of Grundy from the district or circuit courts of said State shall be returnable before the district or circuit courts for the middle district of Tennessee; And that any case now pending in the district or circuit court of the United States for the southern district of East Tennessee against citizens of said county of Grundy may, at their election, be transferred to the district or circuit court for the middle district of Tennessee at Nashville. Dec. 27, 1884. 23 Stat. L., 280. Grundy County, Tenn., added to middle judicial district. R. S., § 547. SEC. 2. That the county of Fentress in the middle District of Fentress CounTennessee be detached therefrom and added to the southern division ty.Tenn., added to southern division of the District of East Tennessee; and hereafter all process issuing of district of East except as hereinafter provided against citizens of the county of Fen- Tennessee. tress from the District and Circuit Courts of the United States shall be returnable before said court at Chattanooga in said State: Provided, That causes now pending in the middle District of Tennessee from Fentress county shall be determined where pending, except in cases where both parties consent to removal: And provided further, That all prosecutions for crimes or offenses heretofore committed in either of said counties, shall be commenced and proceeded with as if this act had not been passed. [December 27, 1884.] R.S., § 547. CHAP. 25.-An act to provide for the ascertainment of claims of American citizens for spolia- January 20, 1885. tions committed by the French prior to the thirty-first day of July, eighteen hundred and one. (1) 23 Stat. L., 283. Claims for indemnity on Be it enacted, &c., That such citizens of the United States, or their legal representatives, as had valid claims to indemnity upon France for illegal the French Government arising out of illegal captures, detentions, France for illegal seizures, condemnations, and confiscations prior to the ratification or to July 31, 1801. captures, &c., priof the convention between the United States and the French Republic referred to Court concluded on the thirtieth day of September, eighteen hundred, the of Claims. ratifications of which were exchanged on the thirty-first day of July Sept. 30, 8 Stat. L., following, may apply by petition to the Court of Claims, within two years from the passage of this act, as hereinafter provided: Treaty, 1800, 21 C. Cls., 340. 22 C. Cls., 1, 408. 23 C. Cls., 201, 226, 277, 431. 24 C. Cls., 31, 74, 198. NOTE.-(1) On the jurisdiction of the Court of Claims, see note to 1887, March 3, ch. 359, post, p. 559. 471 -certain exceptions. Treaty, 1803, Provided, That the provisions of this act shall not extend to such claims as were embraced in the convention between the United States April 30, 8 Stat. and the French Republic concluded on the thirtieth day of April, eighteen hundred and three; L., 200. Treaty, 1819, Feb. 22, 8 Stat. L., 252. Treaty, 1831, July 4, 8 Stat. L., 430. Court may make rules. Validity, &c., of claims to be deter mined. Nor to such claims growing out of the acts of France as were allowed and paid, in whole or in part, under the provisions of the treaty between the United States and Spain concluded on the twentysecond day of February, eighteen hundred and nineteen; Nor to such claims as were allowed, in whole or in part, under the provisions of the treaty between the United States and France concluded on the fourth day of July, eighteen hundred and thirty-one. SEC. 2. That the court is hereby authorized to make all needful rules and regulations, not contravening the laws of the land or the provisions of this act, for executing the provisions hereof. SEC. 3. That the court shall examine and determine the validity and amount of all the claims included within the description above 1891, March 3, mentioned, together with their present ownership, and, if by asch. 540, § 4, post, signee, the date of the assignment, with the consideration paid p. 925. Proceedings and evidence. 25 C. Cls., 110. Attorney-General to appear and resist claims. Documents and therefor: Provided, That in the course of their proceedings they shall receive all suitable testimony on oath or affirmation, and all other proper evidence, historic and documentary, concerning the same; and they shall decide upon the validity of said claims according to the rules of law, municipal and international, and the treaties of the United States applicable to the same, and shall report all such conclusions of fact and law as in their judgment may affect the liability of the United States therefor. SEC. 4. That the court shall cause notice of all petitions presented under this act to be served on the Attorney-General of the United States, who shall be authorized, by himself or his assistant, to examine witnesses, to cause testimony to be taken, to have access to all testimony taken under this act, and to be heard by the court. He shall resist all claims presented under this act by all proper legal defenses. SEC. 5. That it shall be the duty of the Secretary of State to proevidence from cure, as soon as possible after the passage of this act, through the abroad to be ob- American minister at Paris or otherwise, all such evidence and doctained, used, &c. uments relating to the claims above mentioned as can be obtained from abroad; which, together with the like evidence and documents on file in the Department of State, or which may be filed in the Department, may be used before the court by the claimants interested therein, or by the United States, but the same shall not be removed from the files of the court; Court to report And after the hearings are closed the record of the proceedings of the court and the documents produced before them shall be deposited in the Department of State. SEC. 6. That on the first Monday of December in each year the to Congress an- court shall report to Congress, for final action, the facts found by it, nually. and its conclusions in all cases which it has disposed of and not previously reported. Claims not presented in two years barred. United States Such finding and report of the court shall be taken to be merely advisory as to the law and facts found, and shall not conclude either the claimant or Congress; And all claims not finally presented to said court within the period of two years limited by this act shall be forever barred; And nothing in this act shall be construed as committing the not committed to United States to the payment of any such claims. [January 20, payment. 1885.] CHAP. 43.-An act making additional appropriations for the naval service for the fiscal year January 30, 1885. ending June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and eighty-five, and for other purposes. 23 Stat. L., 287. Enlisted men and boys in Navy and naval cadets to have rations or Be it enacted, &c., * * [Par. 1.] That all enlisted men and boys in the Navy, attached to any United States vessel or station and doing duty thereon, and naval cadets, shall be allowed a ration, or commutation thereof in money, under such limitations and regulations as commutation. the Secretary of the Navy may prescribe. * * R. S., SS 1577, 1585. 1889, Mar. 1, ch. 331, post, p. 669. [Par. 2.] And from and after the passage of this act there shall Appointments be no appointments, except by promotion, to fill vacancies occurring in the Marine in the list of commissioned officers of the Marine Corps until the Corps limited. 1876, June 30, number of such officers shall have been reduced, by casualties or ch. 159, (19 Stat. otherwise, below seventy-five as fixed by the act approved June L., 71). thirtieth, eighteen hundred and seventy-six; and after the number of officers shall be reduced as above provided, the whole number of commissioned officers on the active list in the Marine Corps shall not exceed seventy-five. [Par. 3.] Marine Corps. shall be paid. (1) * * * * * That no commutation for forage No commutation of forage in Marine Corps. R. S., §§ 1270, 1272, 1612. Secretary of SEC. 3. That the Secretary of the Navy is hereby directed to report to Congress, at its next and each regular session thereafter, the Navy to report details of certain examount expended during the prior fiscal year, from the appropria- penditures at each tions for the pay of the Navy, Bureaus of Navigation, Ordnance, session of ConEquipment and Recruiting, Yards and Docks, Medicine and Sur- gress. gery, Provisions and Clothing, Construction and Repair, and Steam- R.S., § 429. Engineering, for civilians employed on clerical duty, or in any other 389, § 4, ante, p. 1882, Aug. 5, ch. capacity than as ordinary mechanics and workingmen, and to sub- 374. mít, under the estimates for pay of the Navy and for the respective 1878, June Bureaus enumerated above, specific estimates for such civilian em- ch. 311, ante, p. ployees for the fiscal year eighteen hundred and eighty-seven, and 193. each fiscal year thereafter. [January 30, 1885.] NOTE. (1) This paragraph is repeated in 1885, March 3, ch. 344, § 1 (23 Stat., 432). 12. CHAP. 50.-An act relative to the Inspector-General's Department of the Army. February 5, 1885. 23 Stat. L., 297. Inspector-Gen constituted. Be it enacted, &c., That the Inspector-General's Department of the Army shall hereafter consist of one Inspector-General, with rank, eral's Department pay, and emoluments of brigadier-general; two inspectors-general, of the Army, how with the rank, pay, and emoluments of colonel; two inspectors-general, with the rank, pay, and emoluments of lieutenant-colonel; and 1874, April 20, two inspectors-general, with the rank, pay, and emoluments of ch. 117, ante, p. 9. major: 1883, March 3, R. S., § 5431. Provided, That the offices restored to the Inspector-General's De- ch. 130, § 2, ante, partment, or added thereto, by this act, shall be filled by promotion P. 410. of the officers now in that department: 1193, 1204. And that thereafter appointments to fill vacancies in the Inspector- Appointments General's Department, and promotions therein, shall be made in con- and promotions. formity with sections eleven hundred and twenty-nine, eleven hun- R. S. § 1129, dred and ninety-three, and twelve hundred and four of the Revised Statutes of the United States, and in the same manner as in the other staff departments of the Army. And all laws or parts of laws conflicting with this act are hereby repealed. [February 5, 1885.] 1890, Oct. 1, ch. 1941. post, p.811. Repeal. |