shall be established at Lexington, in the county of Lillard, for the disposal thereof. receiver to be 2. That there shall be a register and receiver appointed to A register and the said office, to superintend the sales of the public lands in appointed. the said district, who shall reside at the place where said office is established, give security in the same manner and sums, and whose compensation, emoluments, duties, and authorities, shall, in every respect, be the same, in relation to the lands to be disposed of at their offices, as are, or may be, by law, provided in relation to the registers and receivers of public moneys in the several offices established for the sale of the public lands. next there between the 3. That, from and after the first day of April next, the di- From 1st April vision line between the St. Louis and the Jackson land districts, shall be a new in the state of Missouri, shall be the township line between the township line townships number thirty-seven and thirty-eight; any thing in townships No. the former acts, creating land districts in the state of Missouri, 37 and 38. to the contrary notwithstanding. [Approved, March 3, 1823.] CHAP. 196. An act to confirm certain claims to lots in the village of Peoria, in the state of Illinois. to lots in the § 1. Be it enacted, &c. That there is hereby granted to each Certain claims of the French and Canadian inhabitants and other settlers in the village of Peovillage of Peoria, in the state of Illinois, whose claims are con- ria confirmed. tained in a report made by the register of the land office at Edwardsville, in pursuance of the act of congress, approved May the fifteenth, one thousand eight hundred and twenty, and who had settled a lot in the village aforesaid, prior to the first day of January, one thousand eight hundred and thirteen, and who have not heretofore received a confirmation of claims, or donation of any tract of land or village lot from the United States, the lot. so settled upon and improved, where the same shall not exceed two acres, and where the same shall exceed two acres, every such claimant shall be confirmed in a quantity not exceeding ten acres: Provided, Nothing in this act contained shall be so Proving. construed as to affect the right, if any such there be, of any other person or persons to the said lots, or any part of them, derived from the United States, or any other source whatever, or as a pledge on the part of the United States, to make good any deficiency occasioned by any other interfering claim or claims. lots to be sur 2. That it shall be the duty of the surveyor of the public The several lands of the United States for that district, to cause a survey to veyed. be made of the several lots, and to designate on a plat thereof the lot confirmed and set apart to each claimant, and forward the same to the secretary of the treasury, who shall cause patents to be issued in favor of such claimants, as in other cases. [Approved, March 3, 1823.] CHAP. 197. An act concerning the lands to be granted to the state of Missouri, for the purposes of education, and other public uses. Certain lands to be granted to the state of § 1. Be it enacted, &c. That, in all cases in which section number sixteen, in any township within the state of Missouri, has been sold, or otherwise disposed of, it shall be the duty of the Missouri, for register, and receiver of the respective land office in whose dis- schools. Certain lands granted to salt springs. Provisions of the act of 1st ransom of American captives, extended. ch. 202. trict such land may lie, so soon after the passage of this act as may be, to select the like quantity of other lands equivalent thereto, from any of the unappropriated lands of the United States in that state, including the residue of such section, where only a part of it has been disposed of, and the value of the residue is not materially diminished by such disposition, and is nearly contiguous to such sixteenth section as may be; and a descriptive entry of such selected lands shall be made on the books of the register, specifying as well the township in which, as that for the use of which, the selection shall have been made; and the lands thus selected and located, are hereby granted to the said state, for the use of the inhabitants of the respective townships, for the use of schools, instead of such sixteenth sec tions so sold or otherwise disposed of. § 2. That, in all cases in which the general assembly of the state of Missouri has selected, or shall hereafter select, a salt spring, for the use of the state, according to the provisions of an act of congress of the sixth of March, one thousand eight hundred and twenty, and the six sections of unappropriated lands cannot be found adjoining to such spring, agreeably to the provisions of said act, the deficiency shall be supplied by the selection of other sections equivalent thereto, and not further distant than six miles therefrom, of unappropriated lands of the United States in that state, and as nearly adjoining to such spring as may be, shall be subject to the selection of the legislature of the state for the use thereof; and such sections, when so selected and located, are hereby granted according to the provisions of said act and authenticated copies of the selections made by the register and receiver, under the provisions of this act, shall be furnished the state, and returns transmitted to the secretary of the treasury, of the selections now made, and of those to be made, immediately after such selections shall have been made, either by the register and receiver or by the legislature of the state. [Approved, March 3, 1823.] NOTE. In the printed pamphlet copy of the laws, the latter part of this act has been incorrectly printed, by an erroneous transposition of the lines by the printer. - CHAP. 198. An act supplementary to “ An act relating to the ransom of American captives of the late war.' $ 1. Be it enacted, fc. That the act, entitled ، An act relatMarch, 1817, ing to the ransom of American captives of the late war," passed respecting the the first day of March, one thousand eight hundred and seventeen, be so construed as to embrace within its provisions all officers, soldiers, and persons, attached to, and followers of, the arAct of 1817, my of the United States, who were captured and made prisoners by the enemy, and who were ransomed during the late war with Great Britain; and that the proper accounting officer of the war department be, and he is hereby, authorized and required to adjust and settle the accounts of any person, his assigns or his legal representatives, who may have purchased and ransomed from captivity any citizen, officer, soldier, or other person aforesaid, upon equitable principles: Provided, The evidence produced in support of such accounts shall be the best in the power of the Proviso. claimant, and sufficient to satisfy the accounting officer of the officer author counts. § 2. That it shall be the duty of such accounting officer, and Accounting he is hereby authorized and required, to adjust and settle the ized to adjust accounts of any person, his assigns, or his legal representatives, and settle acwho shall have furnished proper and necessary articles of clothing to, and for the use of, any citizen, officer, soldier, or other person, purchased and ransomed from captivity during the late war with Great Britain, aforesaid: Provided, It shall be satis- Proviso. factorily proved, and made to appear to such accounting officer, that the apparel and clothing so furnished were necessary, at the time, to the safety, support and comfort, of the person ransomed; and that the articles charged were applied to the clothing of such prisoners, and to no other purpose whatever. treasury. 3. That all sums of money to be audited and allowed un- Sums to be der this act, and the act to which this is an amendment, shall be paid out of the paid out of any money, in the treasury, not otherwise appropriated. [Approved, March 3, 1823.] CHAP. 200. An act respecting the punishment of piracy. § 1. Be it enacted, &c. That, from and after the passage of this act, the district courts of the United States, in districts where no circuit courts are holden, shall have cognizance of all cases arising under an act of congress, approved May fifteenth, one thousand eight hundred and twenty, entitled "An act to continue in force an act to protect the commerce of the United States, and punish the crime of piracy; and, also, to make further provision for punishing the crime of piracy," and shall have the same power and jurisdiction therein, as the circuit courts of the United States, under the same act. [Approved, March 3, 1823.] Vol. iii. p. 1798. District courts to take cognizance of pira cy. Passed at the first session, which was begun and held at the City of Washington, in the District of Columbia, on Monday, the 1st day of December, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-three. JAMES MONROE, President. DANIEL D. TOMPKINS, Vice President, and President of the Senate. JOHN GAILLARD, President of the Senate, pro tempore. HENRY CLAY, Speaker of the House of Representatives. Vol. i. p. 715. CHAP. 3. An act supplementary to the act, entitled "An act for the relief of persons imprisoned for debt.* The oath pre scribed by the be administer uary, 1800, to ed by any judge of the supreme court, &c. § 1. Be it enacted, &c. That the oath prescribed by the act, act of 6th Jan- entitled "An act for the relief of persons imprisoned for debt," passed on the sixth day of January, anno domini one thousand eight hundred, may be, in all cases, administered to the person entitled to take the same, either by any judge of the supreme court of the United States, or by the district judge for the district within which such person may be, or by any person or persons commissioned by any judge of the supreme court, or the said district judge, for that purpose. [Approved, January 7, 1824.] Vol. ii. p. 1939. 1959. Vol. i. p. 106. of the several duties of ton CHAP. 4. An act concerning discriminating duties of tonnage and impost. § 1. Be it enacted, &c. That, from and after the first day of ter the 1st Jan. January, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-four, during 1824, so much the continuance of this act, and under the limitations hereinafacts imposing ter mentioned, so much of the several acts imposing duties on discriminating the tonnage of vessels in the ports of the United States, as imnage on for- poses a discriminating duty between foreign vessels and vessels eign vessels of the United States, is hereby suspended, so far as respects vesed as respects sels truly and wholly belonging to subjects or citizens of the the Nether kingdom of the Netherlands; of Prussia; of the Imperial Han- seatic cities of Hamburg, Lubeck, and Bremen; of the dukedom of Oldenburg; of the kingdom of Norway; of the kingdom of Sardinia, and of the empire of Russia. to be suspend the kingdom of lands, &c. Discriminating duties of impost on foreign vessels to be 2. That so much of the several acts imposing duties on goods, wares, and merchandise, imported into the United States, as imposes a discriminating duty between goods imported into respects the the United States in foreign vessels, and in vessels of the United suspended, as States, be, and the same is hereby, suspended, so far as the same produce, &c. respects the produce or manufactures of the territories in Eu- of the territo ries in Europe, rope, of any of the above mentioned nations, or such produce and of any of the manufactures as can only be, or most usually are, first shipped above menfrom a port or place in the said territories in Europe, of either of them, respectively, the same being imported in vessels truly and wholly belonging to the subjects or citizens of each of the said nations, respectively, the vessels of each nation importing its own produce and manufactures as aforesaid. tioned nations. This suspen of the United their cargoes 3. That the suspension of the discriminating duties of ton-ion to connage and impost, in the two preceding sections of this act pre- tinue so long scribed, shall continue, in behalf of each of the above mention- as the vessels ed nations, on condition that, and so long as, the vessels of the States and United States, and truly wholly belonging to the citizens there- shall be exof, and all goods and merchandise, of the produce and manu- empt from like facture of the United States, laden therein, and imported into duties in their discriminating any of the ports of the said nations in Europe, respectively, shall ports. be exempted from all and every discriminating duty of impost or tonnage, direct or indirect, whatsoever, other or higher than is levied upon the vessels and merchandise therein imported, belonging to the subjects or citizens of each of the said nations, respectively. But if, in any of the territories in Europe, of either of the said nations, any such discriminating duty shall, at any time, be imposed or levied on vessels wholly belonging to citizens of the United States, or on the merchandise imported as aforesaid in them, then, and from that time, the said suspension herein prescribed shall cease, and determine, so far as respects the vessels, and merchandise imported into the United States in them, of such nations and all the provisions of the acts imposing discriminating foreign tonnage and impost duties in the United States, shall revive and be in full force, with regard to the said nation. emption on minating du the United 4. That, upon satisfactory evidence being given to the The president preto issue a prosident of the United States, by the government of any foreign clamation of nation, that no discriminating duties of tonnage or impost are reciprocal eximposed or levied within the ports of the said nation, upon ves- evidence of sels wholly belonging to citizens of the United States, or upon nation abolany foreign merchandise, the produce or manufacture thereof, imported in ishing discrithe same, the president is hereby authorized to issue his pro- ties on vessels clamation, declaring that the foreign discriminating duties of and goods of tonnage and impost within the United States, are, and shall be, States. suspended and discontinued, so far as respects the vessels of the said nation, and the merchandise of its produce or manufacture, imported into the United States in the same: the said suspension to take effect from the time of such notification being given to the president of the United States, and to continue so long as the reciprocal exemption of vessels, belonging to citizens of the United States, and merchandise as aforesaid, thereon laden, shall be continued, and no longer. [Approved, January 7, 1824.] VOL. III. 223 |