limits, that is to say: beginning at the mouth of the river Sabine; thence, by a line to be drawn along the middle of said river, including all islands, to the thirty-second degree of latitude; thence, due north, to the northernmost part of the thirty-third degree of north latitude; thence, along the said parallel of latitude, to the river Mississippi; thence, down the said river, to the river Iberville; and from thence, along the middle of the said river, and Lakes Maurepas and Ponchartrain, to the Gulf of Mexico; thence, bounded by the said gulf, to the place of beginning; including all is*Limits enlarged lands within three leagues of the coast; did, on the twenty-second day of January, one thousand eight hundred and twelve, form for themselves a constitution and State Government, and give to the said State the name of the State of Louisiana, in pursuance of an act of Congress entitled "An act to enable the people of the Territory of Orleans to form a constitution and State Government, and for the admission of the said State into the Union, on an equal footing with +Ante, chap. 113. the original States, and for other purposes" and the said constitution having been transmitted to Congress, and by them being hereby approved, therefore, See act of April 14, 1812. siana declared to ica, etc. dition upon which ana is incorporated that the river Mis * SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress asThe State of Loui sembled, That the said State shall be one, and is hereby debe one of the Uni-clared to be one, of the United States of America, and adted States of Amer-mitted into the Union on an equal footing with the original States, in all respects whatever, by the name and title of the Proviso; it is a con- State of Louisiana : Provided, That it shall be taken as a the State of Louisi- condition upon which the said State is incorporated in the into the Union, Union, that the river Mississippi, and the navigable rivers sissippi, etc. shall and waters leading into the same, and into the Gulf of Mexways, and forever ico, shall be common highways, and forever free, as well to free, etc., without the inhabitants of the said State as to the inhabitants of any toll, etc. other States, and the Territories of the United States, without any tax, duty, impost, or toll, therefor, imposed by the said State; and that the above condition, and also all other the conditions and terms contained in the third section of See ante, ch. 113. the act the title whereof is hereinbefore recited,‡ shall be considered, deemed, and taken, fundamental conditions and terms, upon which the said State is incorporated in the Union. be common high eral census, Loui oneRepresentative all the laws of the Until the next gen- SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That, until the next Siana entitled to general census and appointment of Representatives, the said in Congress, and State shall be entitled to one Representative in the House of United States, not Representatives of the United States; and that all the laws locally inapplica of the United States, not locally inapplicable, shall be exble, extended, etc. tended to the said State, and shall have the same force and effect within the same as elsewhere within the United States. Louisiana, etc. to be one judicial district, etc. SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That the said State, together with the residue of that portion of country which was comprehended within the Territory of Orleans, as constituted by the act entitled "An act erecting Louisiana into consist of a resi. ses sions of the court leans, as specified. The judge to exer two Territories, and providing for the temporary govern ment thereof," shall be one district, and be called the Lou- Chap. 70. isiana district; and there shall be established in the said district a district court, to consist of one judge, who shall re- A district court, to side therein, and be called the district judge; and there shall dent judge, etc. be, annually, four stated sessions of the said court held at Four stated the city of Orleans: the first to commence on the third annually, at OrMonday in July next, and the three other sessions, progressively, on the third Monday of every third calendar month thereafter. The said judge shall, in all things, have and cise the same juris exercise the same jurisdiction and powers which, by the act diction, etc. as givthe title whereof is in this section recited, were given to tioned to the disthe district judge of the Territory of Orleans; and he shall Territory of Orbe allowed an annual compensation of three thousand dol- ed $3,000 per an lars, to be paid quarter yearly, at the Treasury of the Uni- num. ted States. The said judge shall appoint a clerk of the said See chap. 70. court, who shall reside, and keep the records of the court, point a clerk, to in the city of Orleans, and shali receive for the services per- leans, etc. formed by him the same fees heretofore allowed to the clerk of the Orleans Territory.‡(1) en by the act men trict judge of the leans, and allow The judge to ap reside, etc. in Or See sec. 8, ch. 70. A district attorney paid $600 annually in addition to to be appointed, to be stated fees. SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That there shall be appointed, in the said district, a person learned in the law, to act as attorney for the United States, who shall, in addition to his stated fees, be paid six hundred dollars annually, as a full compensation for all extra services. There shall also be appointed a marshal for the said district, who shall a marshal to be perform the same duties, be subject to the same regulations be paid $200 annu and penalties, and be entitled to the same fees to which ally, besides the marshals in other districts are entitled for similar services; and shall, moreover, be paid two hundred dollars annually, as a compensation for all extra services. appointed, etc., to usual fees. sec. of the act for laying and collect ing duties on im ports and tonnage SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That nothing in this Nothing in this act act shall be construed to repeal the fourth section of an act to repeal the 4th entitled "An act for laying and collecting duties on imports and tonnage within the territories ceded to the United States by the treaty of the thirtieth of April, one thousand eight hundred and three, between the United States and the French republic, and for other purposes;" and that the collection district shall be and remain as thereby established. within the territories ceded, etc. SEC. 6. And be it further enacted, That this act shall com- This act to be in mence and be in force from and after the thirtieth day of force from the 30th April, eighteen hundred and twelve. Approved, April 8, 1812. (1) See Part II, No. 29. April, 1812. CHAP. 129.-An act for the relief of the officers and soldiers who served in the late campaign on the Wabash. SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That, to the heirs or sThe first four sec legal representatives of every person who was killed, and tons of this act ir relevant. sons killed, and who were chasers of public The heirs of per to every person who was wounded, in the said campaign, persons wounded, who were purchasers of public lands of the United States, in the campaign of the Wabash, and and whose lands had not, before the seventh of November, pur one thousand eight hundred and eleven, been actually sold lands, etc. allowed or reverted to the United States, for the non-payment of 3 years to com part of the purchase-money, a further time of three years shall be allowed, in addition to the time allowed by former laws, to complete their payments; which further time of three years shall commence from the respective times when their payments should have been completed according to former laws. Approved, April 10, 1812. a further time of plete their ments, etc. pay *See act of 27th Feb. 1813, chap. 151 lands in the east leans, being actual been filed, etc. al November, 1812, to CHAP. 130.-An act giving further time for registering claims to land in the castern district of the Territory of Orleans.* SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Repre sentatives of the United States of America in Congress asPersons claiming sembled, That every person or persons claiming lands in the ern district of Or- eastern district of the Territory of Orleans, who are actual settlers, and whose settlers on the land which they claim, and whose claims claims have not have not been heretofore filed with the register of the land lowed until the 1st office for the said district, shall be allowed until the first day deliver notices,etc. of November next to deliver notices in writing, and the written evidences of their claims, to the register of the land Notices, etc. de office at New Orleans; and the notices and evidences so detime limited by livered, within the time limited by this act, shall be recordcorded, etc. ed in the same manner, and on payment of the same fees, as if the same had been delivered before the first day of The rights of per- July, one thousand eight hundred and eight; but the rights deliver notice, etc. of such persons as shall neglect so doing, within the time to be barred, etc. limited by this act, shall, so far as they are derived from or livered within the this act, to be re sons neglecting to founded on any act of Congress, ever after be barred and become void, and the evidences of their claims never after admitted as evidence in any court of the United States, †See ante, sec. 5, against any grant derived from the United States.† chap. 91. The register and the same powerrs, etc. in relation to had been given SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the register and receiver at New receiver of public moneys of the said land office at New OrOrleans to have leans shall have the same powers, and perform the same the claims filed, duties, in relation to the claims thus filed before the first day etc. as if notice of November next, as if notice of the same had been given before the 1st July, before the first day of July, one thousand eight hundred and 1808, except, etc. eight, except that their decision shall be subject to the reThe register and vision of Congress. And it shall be the duty of the said to the Secretary of register and receiver to make to the Secretary of the Treasthe claims filed, ury a report of all the claims thus filed with the register of the land office, together with the substance of the evidence in support thereof, with their opinion and such remarks. thereon as they may think proper; which report, together the Treasury to lay with a list of the claims which, in the opinion of the register the report, etc. be and receiver, ought to be confirmed, shall be laid, by the receiver to report the Treasury all etc. The Secretary of fore Congress, etc. Secretary of the Treasury, before Congress, at their next receiver empow. etc. ceiver, and clerk, session, for their determination thereon. The said register The register and and receiver shall have power to appoint a clerk, whose du- ered to appoint a ties shall be the same, in relation to the claims filed as afore- clerk; his duties, said, as was required of the clerk to the board of commissioners for adjusting claims to lands in the said district; and The register, rethe said register, receiver, and clerk, shall each be allowed each, to be allow fifty cents for each claim filed according to this act, and on each claim filed, which a decision shall be made, whether such decision be in etc., in full, etc. favor of or against the claim; which allowance of fifty cents shall be in full compensation for their services under this act. Approved, April 14, 1812. [See Part II, No. 19.] ed 50 cents for CHAP. 131.-An act to authorize the Secretary for the Department of War to exchange lands with the Ursuline Nuns of the city of New Orleans. in New Orleans on hospital stands, SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary for the Department of War be, The Secretary of and he is hereby, authorized and empowered to exchange exchange the lot the lot of ground, situated in the city of New Orleans, on which the military which the military hospital of the United States stands, with with the Ursuline the Ursuline Nuns of said city, whose convent adjoins, or is Nuns, for another near the same, for such other lot or lots of ground, in said situated for a mili city of New Orleans or its vicinity, owned by the said Nuns, equal value, etc. as, in the opinion of said Secretary, shall be conveniently situated for a military hospital, and of equal value with the said lot on which the said hospital now stands, including the value of said hospital. lot, conveniently tary hospital, of War authorized to ing the use of the time as he may SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That, in case of such The Secretary of exchange, the Secretary for the Department of War is here- make and receive by authorized and empowered to make, execute, and deliver, deeds, etc. reserv. in behalf of the United States, to the said Ursuline Nuns, or hospital for such to such person or persons as they may designate, a deed, or deem necessary. other instrument in writing, therein and thereby conveying to them all the right and title of the United States, in and to the said lot of ground aforesaid, reserving, however, to the United States, the use of said hospital for such time as he shall judge necessary; and the Secretary for the Department of War is hereby also authorized to take and receive from the said Ursuline Nuns, or from such person or persons as may be authorized in their behalf for that purpose, a deed or deeds, or other instrument in writing, conveying to the United States a good and sufficient title to the lot or lots of ground which he may agree to take in exchange; and which deed or deeds, or other instrument in writing, shall contain the necessary covenants to secure to the United States in case of any failure of title thereto. Approved, April 23, 1812. [See Part II, No. 9.] ed to pers'ns whose claims to although the sur CHAP. 132.—An act to authorize the granting of patents for land, according to the surveys that have been made, and to grant donation rights to certain claimants of land in the district of Detroit, and for other purposes. SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress asPatents to be grant sembled, That patents shall be granted to the persons whose land claims to land have been confirmed in the district of Detroit, firmed in the dis- in conformity to the surveys which have been made under trict of Detroit, etc. the direction of the surveyor general, and the general plat veys do not corres- of which has been returned to the Secretary of the Treasury, notwithstanding the surveys shall not, in every respect, correspond with the description of the tracts as confirmed by the commissioners for adjusting land claims in the said district: Proviso; the con- Provided, That the confirmation of the commissioners and be, in every other certificate of the registers shall, in every other respect, be conformable to law. pond with the description, etc. firmation, etc. to respect, conformable, etc. Persons whose confirmed, etc. to dering on the De tract does not ex titled to a donation SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That every person claims have been whose claim has been confirmed, by the commissioners aforea tract of land bor said, to a tract of land bordering on the river Detroit, and troit, and whose whose tract, as confirmed, does not extend in depth eighty tend, etc., to be en- arpens, French measure, shall be entitled to a donation of of vacant adjacent any vacant tract of land adjacent to and back of the land land, etc., not ex- confirmed to him as aforesaid: Provided, That such donaceeding 40 arpens in depth, etc. tion shall not exceed forty arpens, French measure, in depth, nor in quantity of land that contained in the tract already confirmed to him, nor shall, in any case, the tract confirmed as aforesaid, and that allowed as a donation, together, exceed eighty arpens, French measure, in depth; and in all Where, from the cases where, by reason of bends in the said river, and of adetc., each claimant jacent prior claims, each claimant cannot obtain a tract equal tract equal in in quantity to the tract already confirmed to him, the vacant quantity, etc., the land applicable to the object shall be divided between the cable, etc. to be di- claimants in such manner as shall appear to the commissioners for adjusting the claims most equitable. bends in the river, cannot obtain a vacant land appli vided between the claimants, etc. Persons claiming a deliver a written ter on or before the come void. And every donation it virtue person claiming a donation in virtue of this section shall, on of this section, to or before the first day of December next, deliver to the notice to the regis- register of the land office at Detroit a notice, in writing, of 1st Dec. 1812, etc., the situation and extent of his claim, which he shall file in or their rights be his office on receiving twenty-five cents, from the party or parties, for each claim; and if such person shall neglect to deliver such notice within the time limited, his right to a donation, under this section, shall become void. And the The commission commissioners for adjusting claims to land in the said district ers for adjusting claims, etc. to ex- shall, as soon as may be after the first of December next, amine and decide, etc., give a certifi proceed to examine and decide, according to the provisions of this section, on the claims filed as aforesaid; and when it shall appear to the said commissioners that the claimant is entitled to a donation of land, they shall give a certificate, stating the circumstances of the case, and that the claimant is entitled to receive a patent for such a tract of land by virtue of this section, which tract shall be surveyed in conformity with the decision of the commissioners, at the ex cate, etc. |