[PUBLIC RESOLUTION-No. 24.]

JOINT RESOLUTION concerning certain lands granted to railroad companies in the States of Michigan and Wisconsin.

Be it resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That a failure to grade twenty miles of the roads within two years from the passage of the act entitled "An act to extend the time for the completion of certain railroads to which land grants have been made in the States of Michigan and Wisconsin," approved on the third day of March, anno Domini eighteen hundred and sixty-five, and twenty miles additional thereof in each year thereafter, as required by said act, shall not cause any forfeiture or reversion to the United States of any lands granted to the said States, or either of them, to aid in the construction of the railroads described: Provided, That said companies, or either of them, shall fully complete their said railroads in the manner required by law on or before the thirtyfirst December, anno Domini eighteen hundred and seventy-two, at which time a failure shall forfeit the lands to the United States: Provided, [That] the provisions of this section shall apply only to the chartered and projected line of railway from the city of Fond du Lac, in the State of Wisconsin, northerly to Esconaba, in the State of Michigan, and the chartered and projected line of railway from Marquette, in the State of Michigan, westerly to Ontonagon, in the same State: And provided further, That if the said Marquette and Ontonagon Railroad Company, in the State of Michigan, shall not have completed according to law ten additional miles of their railroad, on or before the first day of January, A. D. eighteen hundred and sixty-nine, and shall not in like manner complete ten miles of said railroad in each and every year thereafter, then it shall be lawful for the legislature of the said State of Michigan to declare the grant of lands to said company to be forfeited and to confer the said grant of lands upon some other company in the same manner as if the said grant was now for the first time made to the said State of Michigan.

SEC. 2. And be it further resolved, That the Commissioner of the General Land Office be, and he hereby is, authorized and directed to cause a patent, in due form of law, to be issued to the Chicago and Northwestern Railway Company, in pursuance of a resolution passed by Congress granting the same to the State of Wisconsin, approved April twenty-five, anno Domini eighteen hundred and sixty-two, and an act of the legislature of Wisconsin, approved June sixteen, anno Domini eighteen hundred and sixty-two, granting the same to said company for eighty acres of land of the Fort Howard military reserve, as the same was surveyed and approved by said commissioner on the eleventh June, anno Domini eighteen hundred and sixty-four.

[PUBLIC RESOLUTION-No. 25.]

JOINT RESOLUTION in relation to the breakwater at Portland, Maine.

Be it resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That so much of the unexpended balance of the appropriation for the breakwater in Portland harbor, Maine, as the chief engineer shall deem proper, may be expended under his direction in excavating the "middle ground near said breakwater, and in otherwise protecting the channel from injury by filling and improving the same.

Approved, June 5, 1868.

[PUBLIC RESOLUTION-No. 26.]

JOINT RESOLUTION to supply books and public documents to the National Asylum for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers.

Be it resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Representatives cause to be sent to the National Asylum for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, at Dayton, Ohio, and to the branches at Augusta, Maine, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and the Soldiers' Home at Knightstown Springs, near Knightstown, Indiana, each, one copy, each, of the following documents, namely: The journals of each house of Congress at each and every session; all laws of Congress; the annual messages of the President, with accompanying documents; and all other documents or books which may be printed and bound by order of either house of Congress, including the Congressional Globe; beginning with the thirty-seventh Congress. Approved, June 8, 1868.

[PUBLIC RESOLUTION-No. 27.]

JOINT RESOLUTION to provide for the removal of a suit pending in the circuit court of Jefferson county, West Virginia, to the circuit court of the United States.

Whereas a suit in ejectment is now pending in the circuit court of Jefferson county, in West Virginia, against the tenant in possession, to recover possession of the Harper's Ferry property, owned by the United States, and it is doubtful whether under any existing law of the United States the said suit can be removed to the circuit court of the United States: Therefore,

Be it resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That it shall be the duty of the circuit court of the United States for the district of West Virginia, if in session, or of the judge thereof in vacation, on the application of the defendant in said suit, showing that the property sought to be recovered by the said suit is owned, or claimed by the United States under color of title, and verifying the facts set out in such application by this [his] affidavit, to issue a writ by certiorari, directed to the said State court, directing it to send the record and proceedings in said suit to the said circuit court of the United States, a duplicate of which writ shall be delivered to the clerk of the said State court, or left at his office by the marshal of the said district, or his deputy or other person thereto duly authorized, and thereupon the said State court shall stay all further proceedings in said suit; and upon the return of the said writ, the said suit shall be docketed in the said circuit court of the United States, and there proceeded in according to law, and all further proceedings had therein in the said State court shall be null and void. Approved, June 10, 1868.

[PUBLIC RESOLUTION-No. 28.]

JOINT RESOLUTION authorizing the Secretary of War to furnish supplies to an exploring expedition.

Be it resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of War be, and he is hereby, authorized and empowered to issue rations for twenty-five men of the expedition engaged in the exploration of the river Colorado, under direction of Professor Powell, while engaged in that work: Provided, That such issue is not detrimental to the interests of the military service.

Approved, June 11, 1868.

[PUBLIC RESOLUTION-NO. 29.]

JOINT RESOLUTION requesting the President to intercede with her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain, to secure the speedy release of Reverend John McMahon, convicted on a charge of treason-felony, and now confined at Kingston, Canada West.

Be it resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the President of the United States be requested to intercede with her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, for the purpose of securing the speedy release of the Reverend John McMahon, of Indiana, convicted on a charge of treason-felony at Toronto, Canada West, in the fall of eighteen hundred and sixty-six, and now confined in the State prison, at Kingston, in said province.

Approved, June 19, 1868.

[PUBLIC RESOLUTION-NO. 30.]

JOINT RESOLUTION authorizing certain distilled spirits to be turned over to the Surgeon General for the use of the army hospitals.

Be it resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of the Treasury be, and he is hereby, authorized to deliver to the Surgeon General of the army all the distilled spirits produced during the experiments made by the late commission for testing meters for the internal revenue service to be used for the army hospitals, and to be paid for at a reasonable cost out of any moneys appropriated for the purchase of army hospital stores, the amount received to be applied toward the expenses of said commission.

Approved, June 25, 1868.

[PUBLIC RESOLUTION-NO. 31.]

A RESOLUTION authorizing a change of mail service between Fort Abercrombie and Helena.

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Postmaster General is hereby authorized to change the character of the mail service from Fort Abercrombie, Dakota Territory, to Helena, Montana Territory, to post coach service. Approved, June 25, 1868.

[PUBLIC RESOLUTION-No. 32.1

JOINT RESOLUTION to provide for the sale of the site of Fort Covington, in the State of Maryland.

Be it resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of War be, and he is hereby, authorized to sell in entirety or by subdivisions, at public auction to the highest bidder, after thirty days' notice in three daily newspapers in the city of Baltimore, one of which newspapers shall be published in the German language, a certain tract of land belonging to the United States, situate within the limits of the said city, on the Patapsco river, Maryland, known as the site

of Fort Covington, containing about two and three-quarters acres, more or less, with all the tenements, rights, and privileges pertaining thereto; and that the proceeds of such sale shall be paid into the treasury of the United States. Approved, June 25, 1868.

[PUBLIC RESOLUTION-No. 33.]

JOINT RESOLUTION directing the Secretary of State to present to George Wright, master of the British brigJ. and G. Wright," a gold chronometer, in appreciation of his personal services in saving the lives of three American seamen, wrecked at sea on board of the American schooner "Lizzie F. Choate," of Massachusetts.

Be it resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of State be, and he is hereby, authorized and directed to cause to be procured and presented to George Wright, master of the British brig "J. and G. Wright," of St. John, New Brunswick, a gold chronometer, in token of appreciation by the government of the United States of his humane and successful efforts in rescuing from death three American seamen on board of the wreck of the American schooner "Lizzie F. Choate," of Gloucester, Massachusetts, wrecked at sea on the fourteenth of February, eighteen hundred and sixty-eight.

Approved, June 25, 1868.

[PUBLIC RESOLUTION-No. 34.]

JOINT RESOLUTION to authorize the Secretary of War to place at the disposal of the Lincoln Monument Association damaged and captured ordnance.

Be it resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of War be, and he is hereby, authorized, at his discretion, to place at the disposal of the" Lincoln Monument Association," incorporated by an act of Congress entitled "An act to incorporate the Lincoln Monument Association," approved March thirtieth, eighteen hundred and sixty-seven, such damaged and captured bronze and brass guns and ordnance, out of which to cast the statues of the principal figures surmounting and to be incorporated in said structure: Provided, That no metal as aforesaid shall be thus appropriated until the voluntary contributions for said purpose, actually in the hands of the treasurer, shall amount to one hundred thousand dollars; and no more metal shall be thus appropriated than shall be actually used for the purpose of casting the figures as herein mentioned. Approved, June 25, 1868.

[PUBLIC RESOLUTION-No. 35.]

JOINT RESOLUTION donating to the Washington City Orphan Asylum the iron railing taken from the old hall of the House of Representatives.

Be it resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That there be donated to the Washington City Orphan Asylum the iron railing taken from the old hall of the House of Representatives, now in the Capitol grounds: Provided, That the same shall be taken away in ten days after the passage of this joint resolution.

Approved, June 25, 1868.

[PUBLIC RESOLUTION-No. 36.]

JOINT RESOLUTION extending the time for the completion of the Northern Pacific Railroad.

Be it resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That section eight of an act entitled "An act granting lands to aid in the construction of a railroad and telegraph line from Lake Superior to Puget Sound, on the Pacific coast," is hereby so amended as to read as follows: That each and every grant, right, and privilege herein, are so made and given to and accepted by said Northern Pacific Railroad Company upon and subject to the following conditions, namely: That the said company shall commence the work on said road within two years from and after the second day of July, eighteen hundred and sixty-eight, and shall complete not less than one hundred miles per year after the second year thereafter, and shall construct, equip, furnish, and complete the whole road by the fourth day of July, anno Domini eighteen hundred and seventy-seven. Approved, July 1, 1868.

[PUBLIC RESOLUTION-No. 37.]

A RESOLUTION donating certain captured ordnance for the completion of a monument to the memory of the late Major General John Sedgwick.

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of War be, and he is hereby authorized and required to place in charge of Major General H. G. Wright, Major General Frank Wheaton, Major General George W. Getty, and Major General Truman Seymour, three bronze cannon, captured by the sixth army corps in battle, for the construction of a statue of the late Major General John Sedgwick, to be placed on a monument erected to his memory by the sixth corps of the army of the Potomac.

Approved, July 3, 1868.

[PUBLIC RESOLUTION-No. 38.]

JOINT RESOLUTION relative to the pay of the assistant fibrarian of the House.

Be it resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That for the present Congress, commencing therewith, the Clerk is directed to pay from the contingent fund of the House, to the assistant librarian in charge of the hall library, the difference between his present pay and the pay of the file, printing, and engrossing clerks. Approved, July 3, 1868.

[PUBLIC RESOLUTION~No. 39.]

JOINT RESOLUTION to correct an act entitled "An act for the relief of certain exporters

of rum."

66

Be it resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the word "and" where it occurs in said act after the word "export " and before the words " actually contracted" be changed to "or" so that the corrected act shall read "intended for export or actually contracted for."

Approved, July 6, 1868.