Act of Dec. 19, 1809, ch. 3. Certain mili tary warrants may be issued by the Secretary of War. STATUTE I. July 13, 1813. Prize money to the officers and crew of the Hornet, and to Lieutenant Elliott, his officers and companions. or shall, before the first day of March, one thousand eight hundred and sixteen, produce to him satisfactory evidence of the validity of their claims; which warrants, with those heretofore issued and not yet satisfied, shall and may be located in the name of the holders or proprietors thereof, prior to the first day of October, one thousand eight hundred and sixteen, on any unlocated parts of the fifty quarter townships, and the fractional quarter townships reserved by law for original holders of military land warrants. And patents shall be granted for the land located under this act, in the same manner as is directed by former acts for granting military lands. APPROVED, July 5, 1813. CHAP. VIII.-An Act to reward the officers and crew of the sloop of war Hornet; and Lieutenant Elliott and his officers and companions. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representaties of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the President of the United States be, and he is hereby authorized to have distributed as prize money to Captain James Lawrence, late of the sloop of war Hornet, his officers and crew, or their widows and children, the sum of twentyfive thousand dollars, for the capture and destruction of the British brig Peacock; and to Lieutenant Elliott, and his officers and companions, or their widows and children, the sum of twelve thousand dollars, for the capture and destruction of the British brig Detroit; and that the sum of thirty-seven thousand dollars be, and the same is hereby appropriated to the purpose aforesaid, to be paid out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated. APPROVED, July 13, 1813. STATUTE I. July 13, 1813. Privilege of franking to superintendent general of military supplies. CHAP. IX.-An Act freeing from postage all letters and packets to and from the superintendent general of military supplies. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That all letters and packets to and from the superintendent general of military supplies, which relate to his official duties, shall be free from postage. APPROVED, July 13, 1813. STATUTE I. July 13, 1813. [Obsolete.] Claim of the United States to British goods relinquished in cases where they have been condemned for the captors, &c. the benefit of CHAP. X.-An Act to relinquish the claims of the United States to certain goods, wares, and merchandise, captured by private armed vessels. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That all right and claim which may have accrued to the United States, under an act, entitled "An act to prohibit the commercial intercourse between the United States and Great Britain and France and their dependencies, and for other purposes," and an act, entitled (a) “An act concerning the commercial intercourse between the United States and Great Britain and France, and their dependencies, and for other purposes," (a) and an act supplementary to the last mentioned act,(a) to goods, wares, and merchandise, being the property of British subjects, and shipped from the ports of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, since the declaration of war by the United States against that (a) Act of March 1, 1809, chap. 24. Suits on behalf of the United States to be discontinu Kingdom, which have been captured by private armed vessels of the SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That no decision which may hereafter be made by the Secretary of the Treasury, under the act, entitled "An act directing the Secretary of the Treasury to remit fines, forfeitures and penalties in certain cases," shall be held as affecting the claim of any person or persons claiming as captors any goods, wares, or merchandise, the forfeiture of which to the United States shall have been remitted by such decision. Where not condemned for the benefit of the captors, the rights of the United States to remain. Decision of Secretary of affect claims of captors, &c. Act of Jan. 2, 1813, chap. 7. Act of June SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That all goods, wares, and merchandise, captured and libelled as aforesaid, shall pay the same duties, to be secured and collected in the same manner as is provided by the act "concerning letters of marque, prizes and prize goods," with respect 26, 1812, chap. to the like goods, wares, and merchandise, when captured from the enemy, and made prize of war. APPROVED, July 13, 1813. 107. STATUTE I. CHAP. XI.—An Act to incorporate a company for making a certain turnpike road July 13, 1813. in the county of Alexandria. for Commissionappointed receiving subscriptions, &c. &c. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That William Robin- ers son, Charles Lee, Charles Alexander, Thomas Swan, Robert Conway and Philip Richard Fendal, be, and they are hereby appointed a board of commissioners, a majority of whom to constitute a quorum, with full power to receive and enter in such book or books as they may deem proper, by themselves or their agents, subscriptions for raising a capital stock Proviso. Annual meetings for the choice of directors, officers, &c. &c. Printed certi ficates of shares to be delivered to stockholders. Such certifi cates made transferable. of eight thousand dollars, in shares of fifty dollars each, for the purpose of opening, gravelling and improving a road in the county of Alexandria, iŋ the District of Columbia, from the intersection of West street and Pendleton street, in the town of Alexandria, to the boundary line of the District of Columbia, in the most direct and practicable route towards Leesburg, conforming as nearly as shall be found advantageous and convenient to the present main road leading from the said intersection towards Leesburg, and through the county of Alexandria aforesaid: Provided, That no subscription shall be received unless the sum of five dollars be first paid into the hands of such agent or other person as the said commissioners may authorize to receive it. The times, places and manner of receiving and entering subscriptions shall be prescribed by the said commissioners, and advertised in such gazettes as they may deem expedient; and whenever one hundred shares or more shall be subscribed, the commissioners, or a majority of them, shall give notice in some newspaper printed in the said District of a time and place, to be by them appointed, for the subscribers to proceed to organize the corporation by an election of officers; and all persons who may then be or thereafter may become the proprietors of shares in the said capital stock, either as subscribers for the same or as the legal representatives, successors or assignees of such subscribers, shall become one body politic and corporate, in deed and in law, by the name and style of the " Alexandria and Leesburg Turnpike Company," and by the same name shall have perpetual succession and all the privileges belonging to a corporation; and shall be capable of taking and holding their said capital stock and the profits thereof, and of enlarging the same by new subscriptions if found necessary to fulfil the intent of this act; and of purchasing, taking and holding to them and their successors and assigns in fee simple, or for any lesser estate, all such lands, tenements and hereditaments and estate, real and personal, as shall be necessary and useful in the prosecution of their work; and of suing and being sued, of having a common seal, and of doing all and every other matter and thing concerning the subject aforesaid, which a corporation or body politic may do. SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the said company shall meet on the third Monday in March in every year, at such place as shall be fixed by their by-laws, for the purpose of choosing such officers as aforesaid for the ensuing year, in manner aforesaid, and at such other times as they shall be summoned by the president and directors aforesaid; at which annual or special meetings they shall have full power and authority to do and perform any act by law allowed and pertaining to the affairs of said company; and the president and directors for the time being shall hold their offices until others shall be appointed in their places; and the said corporation shall not be deemed to be dissolved by reason of any defect of officers, but if it should happen that there should be no president or directors competent to call a meeting of the stockholders, the same may be called by any stockholder for the purpose of electing such officers, giving thirty days' notice of the time and place of such meeting, by advertisements in a newspaper printed in the District of Columbia. SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That the president and directors shall procure printed certificates for all the shares of said stock, and shall deliver one such certificate signed by the president, to each person for every share by him or her subscribed and held, which certificate shall be transferable at his or her pleasure, in person or by attorney, in the presence of the president, clerk or treasurer of said company, who shall witness the same; subject however, to all payment due or to grow due thereupon; and the assignee holding any such certificate, having caused the assignment to be entered in a book of the company to be kept for that purpose, shall be a member of said company; and for every certifi Stockholders, forfeit their first payments in certain cases. Instalments, recovera cate by him held shall be entitled to one share in the capital stock and estate of said company. And if any stockholder, after thirty days' public notice in a newspaper printed in the District of Columbia, of the time delinquent, to and place appointed for the payment of any portion or dividend of the sum subscribed in said stock, shall neglect to pay the same for the space of thirty days after the time so appointed, the share or shares on which such delinquency has taken place, may be sold at public auction, and transferred by them to any person or persons willing to purchase for such price as can be obtained; or in case any proprietor shall fail to pay any instalment which shall be duly assessed, such instalment, or any part how thereof, that shall remain deficient or unpaid, may be recovered of the ble, &c. &c. person or persons so failing to pay, by warrant from a justice of the peace, if the amount shall not exceed twenty dollars; and if the sum so due shall exceed twenty dollars, the same may be recovered by motion, in the name of the said company, on ten days' notice, or by action at law in the usual course of judicial proceedings, in any court of record in the District of Columbia; and in all instances where the person so failing to pay his instalment cannot be found in the said District, then recovery shall be had against him by such mode of judicial proceeding as is authorized by the laws of the country where such defaulter shall be found; and in all such warrants, motions or actions, the certificate of the clerk, or recording officer of the said company shall be conclusive evidence of the defendant's being a member of the company, and prima facie evidence of the amount due on the share or shares held by such defendant. President and directors to have stated meetings. SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That the said president and directors shall meet at such times and places as shall be agreed upon for transacting their business; at which meetings any three members shall form a quorum, who, in the absence of the president may choose a chairman, and shall keep minutes of all their transactions fairly entered in a book; and a quorum being met, they shall have full power and authority to appoint a treasurer and all other officers necessary and convenient, and agree with and appoint all such surveyors, intendants, artists or other agents, as they shall judge necessary to carry on the intended works, and to fix their salaries, wages or compensation; to direct and order the times, manner, and proportions, when and in which the stockholders shall pay moneys due on their respective shares; to draw orders on the treasurer for all moneys due from the said company, and, generally, to do and transact all such other matters, acts, and things as by the bylaws, rules, and regulations of said company, shall be required or permitted. SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That upon application of the said president and directors of the said company, to the circuit court of the District of Columbia, or to the judges thereof out of court, the said court, or the judges, or any two of the judges thereof out of court, shall appoint three commissioners, not interested in any of the lands through which the said road may be laid out, nor interested in the stock of the company hereby created, nor in the stock of any other turnpike company, who shall each receive from the said president, directors, and company, two dollars for every day they shall respectively be actually necessarily employed in or about the affairs of the said company. And each of the said commissioners, before he proceeds to act as such, shall take and subscribe on oath, or solemn affirmation, in the presence of a justice of the peace, that he will well, faithfully and impartially, according to the best of his skill and judgment, and without unnecessary delay, execute and perform all the duties required of him as a commissioner under the sixth section of the act of Congress, entitled "An act to incorporate a company for making certain turnpike roads in the District of Columbia;" which oaths or affirmations so subscribed and certified by the justice, in 21. whose presence they shall be severally taken and subscribed, shall be Commissioners for ascer taining value of land to be appointed. Act of April 25, 1810, chap. How they are to proceed. commissioners last mentioned. filed in the office of the clerk of the said circuit court, and enrolled among the land records of the county of Alexandria. And the said commissioners, or any two of them, being qualified as aforesaid, shall, upon the request of the said president and directors, cause to be surveyed, laid out and ascertained described and marked, by certain metes and bounds, of the aforesaid turnpike road, described in the first section Duty of the of this act, not less than sixty feet in breadth, in such routes, tracts or courses, for the same respectively as, in the best of their judgment, will combine shortness of distance with the most convenient ground, and the smallest expense of money; and for this purpose it shall be lawful for them, and such agents, assistants, servants or attendants as they may think proper to employ, to enter upon any of the lands through or near which the said road may be laid out, having first given twenty days' public notice in some public newspaper, printed in the District of Columbia, of the time and place of their entering on the said business of surveying and laying out each road respectively. And if any proprietor of any part of the lands through which the said road may be laid out, shall require compensation for so much of his or her said land as may be occupied by the said road, or shall claim damages for or on account of the opening or laying out the said road through his or her land, and if the said president and directors cannot agree with such proprietors respecting the same, then the said commissioners, at the request of either party, shall appoint a day and place to hear and decide upon such claim, and the amount of compensation and damages which such proprietor shall be entitled to receive from the said president, directors and company therefor, first giving twenty days' notice to the adverse party, his or her agent, or attorney in fact, or other legal representative, if either shall be within the District of Columbia, and if the party so notified shall fail to attend, or if the party shall be an infant under age, non compos Duty of com- mentis, feme covert, or absent out of the District of Columbia, and have no known agent or legal representative therein, then the said commissioners may proceed ex parte to hear and decide the same; and the award of them, or any two of them made in writing, signed by them or any two of them, shall by them be returned to the office of the clerk of the said court for the county of Alexandria, within ten days after such hearing, and a copy thereof shall, within ten days after such return, be served upon such of the parties as are resident in the District of Columbia; and if such award be not, at the session of the said circuit court, in the county of Alexandria, next after such return of the said award to the clerk's office, set aside on account of fraud or partiality in the said commissioners, or other cause deemed sufficient in the opinion of the court, the same shall be final and conclusive between the parties, and shall be recorded by the said clerk; and the sum so awarded being paid to the said clerk, for the use of the person entitled to receive the same, the said land mentioned and described in the said award, shall and may be taken and occupied as a turnpike road and public highway forever. And the said commissioners, upon completing the said survey of the said road, shall return a plat and certificate of such survey to the said clerk, and the same being accepted by the said court, shall be recorded by the said clerk, and thereupon the road so laid out shall be taken, used, and occuRoad, how to pied as a turnpike road and public highway forever; and the said presibe constructed, dent, directors and company may thereupon proceed to enter upon the same, and shall cause at least twenty-four feet in breadth throughout the whole length thereof, to be made an artificial road of stone, gravel, or other hard substance, of sufficient depth or thickness to secure a solid and firm road, with a surface as smooth as the materials will admit, and so nearly level that it shall in no case rise or fall more than an angle of four degrees with a horizontal line, and the said road shall thereafter be kept in good and perfect repair; and wheresoever upon the said road any missioners. &c. &c. |