Additional compensation to two watchmen. Transportation of mails. From N. York to Bremen. ceived which were made up previous to eighteen hundred and forty-five, preserving the accounts current, and all vouchers accompanying such accounts, and to use such portion of the proceeds thereof as may be necessary to defray the cost of separating and disposing of the same. For additional compensation to two night watchmen in the General Post Office building from first July, eighteen hundred and forty-nine, to June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and fiftyone, so as to place them on the same footing as the watchmen in the other executive buildings, and to correct an error in the act making appropriations for the civil and diplomatic expenses of government for the year commencing first July, eighteen hundred and forty-nine, whereby one hundred and thirty dollars was appropriated for the messenger" instead of the two watchmen in the Post Office Department, (acts second session, thirtieth Congress, page 62,) two hundred and sixty dollars; and the said clause making an appropriation of additional compensation of one hundred and thirty dollars for messenger of Post Office Department is hereby repealed. 6: For transportation of the mails, including the service in California and Oregon, two million nine hundred and fifty thousand dollars. For transportation of the mails in two steamships from New York, by Southampton, to Bremen, at one hundred thousand dollars for each ship, under the contract with the Ocean Steam Navigation Company of New York; and for transportation by From N. York two ships, under the same contract, from New York to Havre, to Havre. Proviso. From Charleston to Havana. Across Isthmus of Panama. Compensation to postmasters. Ship, steam at seventy-five thousand dollars each, in addition to unexpended balance of former appropriations, sixty-six thousand six hundred and sixty-seven dollars: Provided, That the steamships to Havre shall be constructed according to the requirements of the act of third of March, one thousand eight hundred and forty-five, providing for the transportation of the mail between the United States and foreign countries, and shall perform with the speed required in the contract of second February, one thousand eight hundred and forty-seven; and that the two steamships to Bremen shall from and after the first June, one thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, comply, in all respects, with the requirements of said act of one thousand eight hundred and forty-five, and shall perform mail service with the speed required by the contract aforesaid. For transportation of the mails between Charleston and Havana, by way of Key West, calling at Savannah, under the contract with M. C. Mordecai, fifty thousand dollars. For transportation of the mails across the Isthmus of Panama, thirty-five thousand dollars. For compensation to postmasters, one million four hundred and fifty thousand dollars. For ship, steamboat and way letters, forty-five thousand dol boat, and way lars. letters. Wrapping pa- For wrapping paper, twenty-four thousand dollars. per. For office furniture, (in the post offices,) eight thousand dol- Office furniture. lars. For advertising, sixty-five thousand dollars. For mail bags, twenty-five thousand dollars. For blanks, twenty-eight thousand dollars. Advertising. Mail bags. Blanks. Locks, keys, and stamps. For mail locks, keys, and stamps, ten thousand dollars. dollars. For clerks for offices, (in the post offices,) three hundred and forty thousand dollars. For miscellaneous, seventy thousand dollars. agents. Clerks. Miscellaneous. For publishing new editions of the post office laws and reg. Publishing laws.› ulations, and of the table of post offices, eight thousand five hundred dollars. P. M. Gen. to pay balances due London. SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the Postmaster General be, and he is hereby, authorized to pay out of any Gen. P. O. of money in the Treasury at the credit of the Post Office Department, all such balances as have, or may hereafter become due to the General Post Office of London, upon the adjustment of the quarterly accounts arising out of the Postal Convention, concluded December fifteenth, eighteen hundred and forty-eight, between the United States and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Approved September 16, 1850. CHAP. 57.—AN ACT for the relief of Winthrop S. Harding. [SEC. 1.] Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress as- · sembled, That the notes or bonds against Winthrop S. Harding, To be credited one of the sureties of Benjamin Rush Gantt, be credited with with the sum of the sum of two thousand one hundred and ten dollars, being the amount of money received by the United States belonging to said Gantt, and which should be allowed him on said judg ment. $2,110. Exempt from interest. SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That said Harding be exempted from the payment of interest on the notes executed by the payment of him in favor of the United States for the balance due by him as surety of said Benjamin Rush Gantt: Provided said notes be punctually paid. Approved September 16, 1850. CHAP. 58.-AN ACT for the relief of Skelton Felton. [SEC. 1.] Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of the Interior be required to place the name of Skelton Felton upon the roll of invalid pensioners, lowed him. and that the said Felton be entitled to receive the sum of ten A pension of $10 per month al dollars per month during his natural life, to commence on the first day of January, eighteen hundred and fifty. Approved September 16, 1850. dae to her de ceased husband, pension and land granted her. CHAP. 59.-AN ACT for the relief of Sarah Jane West. [SEC. 1.] Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress asExtra pay, etc., sembled, That Sarah Jane West, the widow of Gardiner West, who was a musician in Captain Patrick H. Gardner's company of volunteers, (company K of Col. William's regiment of Kentucky volunteers,) be paid three months extra pay, and two and a half months pay, to which her deceased husband was entitled at the time of his death; and the Commissioner of Pensions is directed to issue to her a certificate for one hundred and sixty acres of land, and to place her name upon the pension roll, and allow the five years pension, payable to the widows of deceased soldiers who served in the war with Mexico, by virtue of the act of July twenty-one, eighteen hundred and forty-eight, commencing at that time. Approved September 16, 1850. CHAP. 60.-AN ACT to amend, and supplementary to, the act entitled “An act respecting fugitives from justice, and persons escaping from the service of their masters," approved February twelfth, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-three. [SEC. 1.] Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress asCommissioners. sembled, That the persons who have been, or may hereafter be, appointed commissioners, in virtue of any act of Congress, by the circuit courts of the United States, and who, in consequence of such appointment, are authorized to exercise the powers that any justice of the peace, or other magistrate of any of the United States may exercise in respect to offenders for any crime or offence against the United States, by arresting, imprisoning, or bailing the same under and by virtue of the thirty-third section of the act of the twenty-fourth of September, seventeen hundred and eighty-nine, entitled "An act to establish the judicial courts of the United States," shall be, and are hereby, authorized and required to exercise and discharge all the powers and duties conferred by this act. To be appoint er of each Territory. SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the superior court ed by the super of each organized Territory of the United States shall have the same power to appoint commissioners to take acknowledgments of bail and affidavits and to take depositions of witnesses in civil causes which is now possessed by the circuit court of the United States; and all commissioners who shall hereafter be appointed for such purposes by the superior court of any organized Territory of the United States, shall possess all the powers, and exercise all the duties conferred by law upon the commissioners appointed by the circuit courts of the United States for similar purposes, and shall moreover exercise and discharge all the powers and duties conferred by this act. Powers and duties. Courts authorized to enlarge commissioners. SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That the circuit courts of the United States, and the superior courts of each organized the number of Territory of the United States, shall from time to time enlarge the number of Commissioners, with a view to afford reasonable facilities to reclaim fugitives from labor, and to the prompt discharge of the duties imposed by this act. Jurisdiction of commissioners concurrent with that of judges, certificates to fugitives from service. shals and depu Penalty cute the same. for SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That the commissioners above named shall have concurrent jurisdiction with the judges of the circuit and district courts of the United States, in and shall grant their respective circuits and districts within the several States, and the judges of the superior courts of the Territories, severally and collectively, in term-time, and vacation; and shall grant certificates to such claimants, upon satisfactory proof being made, with authority to take and remove such fugitives from service or labor, under the restrictions herein contained, to the State or Territory from which such persons may have escaped or fled. SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty Duty of mar of all marshals and deputy marshals to obey and execute all war- ties. rants and precepts issued under the provisions of this act, when to them directed; and should any marshal or deputy marshal refuse to receive such warrant or other process when tendered, or to use all proper means diligently to execute the same, he shall on conviction thereof be fined in the sum of one thousand dollars to the use of such claimant, on the motion of such claimant, by the cir- refusing to execuit or district court for the district of such marshal and after arrest of such fugitive by such marshal or his deputy or whilst at any time in his custody under the provisions under this act should such fugitive escape whether with or without the assent of such marshal or his deputy, such marshal shall be liable on his official bond to be prosecuted for the benefit of such claimant, for the full value of the service or labor of said fugitive in the State, Territory, or District whence he escaped: and the better to enable the said commissioners, when thus appointed, to execute their duties faithfully and efficiently, in conformity with the requirements of the Constitution of the United States and. of this act, they are hereby authorized and empowered, within their counties respectively, to appoint, in writing under their hands, any one or more suitable persons, from time to time, to execute all such warrants and other process as may be issued by them in the lawful performance of their respective duties;. with authority to such commissioners, or the persons to be appointed by them, to execute process as aforesaid, to summon and call to their aid the bystanders, or posse comitatus of the proper county, when necessary to insure a faithful observance of the clause of the Constitution referred to, in conformity with the provisions of this act; and all good citizens are hereby commanded to aid and assist in the prompt and efficient execution der aid. of this law, whenever their services may be required, as afore Liable for value of a fugitive es caping after his arrest. Commissioners authorized to ap point persons to issued by them. execute warrants Citizens to ren Fugitives from service reclaimed for the ized agent, by judge, or commissioner for apprehension. sioner in cases of trial. said for that purpose, and said warrants shall run, and be executed by said officers anywhere in the State, within which they are issued. SEC. 6. And be it further enacted, That when a person may be held to service or labor in any State or Territory of the United owner or author States, has heretofore or shall hereafter escape into another warrant of court, State or Territory of the United States, the person or persons to whom such service or labor may be due, or his, her, or their agent or attorney, duly authorized, by power of attorney, in writing, acknowledged and certified under the seal of some legal officer or court of the State or Territory in which the same may be executed, may pursue and reclaim such fugitive person, either by procuring a warrant from some one of the courts, judges, or commissioners aforesaid, of the proper circuit, district, or county for the apprehension of such fugitive from service or labor, or by seizing and arresting such fugitive, where the same can be done without process, and by taking, or causing such person to be taken, forthwith before such court, Duties of court, judge, or commissioner, whose duty it shall be to hear and dejudge, or commis termine the case of such claimant in a summary manner; and upon satisfactory proof being made, by deposition or affidavit, in writing, to be taken and certified by such court, judge or commissioner, or by other satisfactory testimony, duly taken and certified by some court, magistrate, justice of the peace, or other legal officer authorized to administer an oath and take depositions under the laws of the State or Territory from which such person owing service or labor may have escaped, with a certificate of such magistracy or other authority, as aforesaid, with the seal of the proper court or officer thereto attached, which seal shall be sufficient to establish the competency of the proof, and with proof, also by affidavit, of the identity of the person whose service or labor is claimed to be due as aforesaid, that the person so arrested does in fact owe service or la bor to the person or persons claiming him or her, in the State or Territory from which such fugitive may have escaped as aforesaid, and that said person escaped, to make out and deliver to such claimant his or her agent or attorney, a certificate setting forth the substantial facts as to the service or labor due from such fugitive to the claimant, and of his or her escape from the State or Territory in which such service or labor was due, to the State or Territory in which he or she was arrested, with authority to such claimant, or his or her agent or attorney, to use such reasonable force and restraint as may be necessary, under the circumstances of the case, to take and remove such fugitive person back to the State or Territory whence he or Testimony of she may have escaped as aforesaid. In no trial or hearing fugitive not ad- under this act shall the testimony of such alleged fugitive be admitted in evidence; and the certificates in this and the first section mentioned, shall be conclusive of the right of the person or persons in whose favor granted, to remove such fugitive to the State or Territory from which he escaped, and shall prevent mitted.. |