Special tax for public schoolhouses and schools for Laws regulating price of labor at government printingoffice repealed. Price how determined. Payments to sachusetts, un settlers. SEC. 8. And be it further enacted, That the city of Georgetown, the city of Washington, and the levy court of the county of Washington, District of Columbia, be, and they are hereby, authorized to levy and collect a special tax on the taxable property within their respective jurisdictions, for the erection of school-houses and the support of public schools, not exceeding fifty cents on each one hundred dollars for any one year, to be assessed and collected as other taxes. SEC. 9. And be it further enacted, That all laws and parts of laws that regulate the prices of labor in the government printing office be, and the same are hereby, repealed; and it shall be the duty of the congressional printer to contract with the persons in that employment at such prices as are for the interest of the government, and are just to those employed. SEC. 10. And be it further enacted, That for the purpose of executing Maine and Mas- the fourth article of the treaty of Washington, concluded on the ninth der treaty of day of August, eighteen hundred and forty-two, the Secretary of the Washington, for Treasury is hereby authorized and directed to pay to the State of Maine land assigned to for ninety-one thousand one hundred and twenty-five acres of land asVol. viii. p. 574. signed by said State to settlers under said article, a sum equal to one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre; and to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for twenty-six thousand one hundred and fifty acres of land a sum equal to one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre: Provided, That before said sums are paid the States of Maine and Massachusetts shall Settlers to be agree with the United States that the settlers upon their public lands in first quieted in the late disputed territory in Maine entitled to be quieted in their possestheir possession. sion, as ascertained by commissions heretofore instituted by said States, shall have been or shall be quieted by a release of the title of the said States. Penitentiary in Colorado. Proviso. July 20, 1868. $50,000 to be tlement of claims accepted in set of the United the estate of James C. Clapp, and the sureties on his bond, after release, &c.; SEC. 11. And be it further enacted, That the Secretary of the Interior, in his discretion, is authorized to expend the appropriation heretofore made for the purpose of erecting a penitentiary for the Territory of Colorado, on the site belonging to and provided by the said Territory for the purpose: Provided, That no part of this property shall be sold or transferred without the consent of the United States first had and received. APPROVED, July 20, 1868. CHAP. CLXXVIII. -An Act to facilitate the Settlement of certain Prize Cases in the Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of the Treasury is hereby authorized and directed, upon the execution and delivery to him by the administratrix of the estate of James C. Clapp, States against deceased, late United States marshal for the southern district of Florida, of a proper written release of all claims and demands for, or on account of, all costs, charges, fees, and expenses due, or claimed to be due, the said Clapp as marshal aforesaid, or to his estate, in any prize or other cases in said district, to accept from said administratrix the sum of fifty thousand dollars in full satisfaction of all claims and demands of the United States against the estate of the said James C. Clapp, and against the sureties in said Clapp's official bond, and that said sum of fifty thousand dollars when paid, together with the sums now on deposit with the assistant treasurer in New York to the credit of the said Clapp and to the credit of the United States district court for the southern district of Florida, shall be deposited with the assistant United States treasurer at Washington, District of Columbia, subject to the order of the United States district court for the southern district of Florida, for the purpose of meeting decrees of distribution or restitution in the following prize causes pending in said district: Schooner Lucy No. 1, the cargo of the steamer to be with other sums deposited with assistant treasurer at Washington to meet decrees of distribution in certain prize causes. Adela, schooner Alicia and cargo, schooner Isabel and cargo, the steamer James Battle, schooner Diana and cargo, schooner Sea Lion and cargo, the cargo of the steamer Nita, steamer Pearl and cargo, schooner Teresa No. 2, steamer Union, steamer Victor and cargo, and schooner John Williams. Names of causes. Secretary of into naval ser SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the Secretary of the Navy is hereby authorized and directed to deposit with the assistant United States Navy to deposit appraised value treasurer at Washington, District of Columbia, the appraised values of the of certain prize prize steamers Adela and Nita, condemned in said district court, and steamers taken taken into the naval service, and, after deducting all proper charges and vice. expenses, a moiety of the same shall be distributed under the decree of Amounts, how the said district court, according to law, among the captors entitled to to be distributed. share in said prizes, the steamers Adela and Nita respectively, and the remaining moiety of the same shall be subject to the order of the said district court, as hereinafter provided. tained to await balance, with, tributed among Interest of the United States relinquished. SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That of the moneys mentioned in Sufficient the first section of this act, when deposited as herein provided, there shall fund to be rebe retained by the said district court a sufficient fund to await final final decrees; decrees in those of the cases enumerated in the first section of this act, wherein appeals have been taken to the Supreme Court of the United States, and that the balance of said moneys, together with one half of the appraised values of the prize steamers Adela and Nita, mentioned in the &c. to be dissecond section of this act, shall be distributed as prize-money among the captors. captors in those of the cases enumerated in the first section of this act, in which final decrees of condemnation have been entered and which are ready for distribution, without reference to the interest of the United States in any and all of the said cases, which said interest of the United States in each of the said cases, and the proceeds for distribution therein, as well as the interest of the United States in the appraised value of the prize steamers Adela and Nita, is hereby relinquished for distribution to the captors in those of the cases enumerated and mentioned in the first section of this act wherein decrees of condemnation have been or shall be entered, and for payment to the claimants in those of said cases wherein final decrees of restitution have been or may be passed; and that in each of said cases wherein final decrees of condemnation and distribution have been or shall be entered, the sum to be paid into the treasury of the United States for distribution to the captors shall be one half of the gross proceeds of sale in said cases, less the costs taxed and allowed by the court: Provided, That any sum or sums remaining after execution of all decrees of distribution and restitution as hereinbefore provided, be paid into the treasury of the United States to the credit of the navy pension fand: And provided further, That nothing herein contained shall be deemed an admission on the part of the United States of any liability for the defalcation of the said Clapp as marshal aforesaid. APPROVED, July 20, 1868. What sum to be paid into treasury in each case. Certain sums credit of navy pension fund. to be paid to the United States not liable for Clapp's defalcation. CHAP. CLXXIX. - An Act authorizing the Construction of a Bridge across the Mis- July 20, 1868. souri River, upon the military Reservation at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Kansas and Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That it shall be lawful for the Kansas and Missouri Bridge Company, a corporation having authority Missouri Bridge Company may from the State of Kansas, to build a railroad, transit, and wagon bridge build bridge across the Missouri River upon or near the military reservation of Fort across Missouri Leavenworth; and that when constructed all trains of all roads terminating at the Missouri River at or near the location of said bridge, shall be allowed to cross said bridge for a reasonable compensation to be paid to the owners thereof. And in case of any litigation arising from any obstruction or alleged obstruction to the free navigation of said river, the gation, where river ; what trains may cross. In case of liti causes may be tried. Height of bridge. Spans and piers. Right of way through Fort Leavenworth military reserva tion. Bridge made a post-road. Act may be altered, &c. the Missouri at St. Joseph. cause may be tried before the district court of the United States of any State in which any portion of said obstruction or bridge touches. SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That any bridge built under the provisions of this act shall not be in any case of less elevation than fifty feet above extreme high-water mark, as understood at the point of location, to the bottom chord of the bridge; nor shall the spans be of less than two hundred and fifty feet in length, in the clear, and the piers of said bridge shall be parallel with the current of the river, and the main span shall be over the main channel of the river, at low water. SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That for the use of railroads leading to said bridge from either side of the river there is hereby granted a right of way through said Fort Leavenworth military reservation not exceeding for all of said roads three hundred feet in width: Provided, That said roads do not in any way interfere with the public buildings on said military reservation. SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That the Kansas and Missouri bridge be, and the same is hereby, established as a post-road, and that said bridge company shall have the right to take from said reservation, at such places as shall be designated by the Secretary of War, all stone, timber, and earth necessary to use in the construction of said badge. SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That the right to alter or amend this act, so as to prevent or remove all material obstructions to the navigation of said river by the construction of bridges, is hereby expressly reserved. St. Joseph & SEC. 6. And be it further enacted, That it shall be lawful for the Saint Denver City R. R. Co. may bridge Joseph and Denver City Railroad Company, a corporation created by the laws of the State of Kansas, to build a bridge over and across the Missouri River at Saint Joseph, Missouri; and all the rights and privileges conferred by sections 1, 2, 4, and 5 of this act are hereby extended, so far as they are applicable, to the Saint Joseph and Denver City Railroad Company, and the restrictions, limitations, and conditions contained in said sections are hereby made applicable to said company. APPROVED, July 20, 1868. Rights, restrictions, &c. July 20, 1868. Certificates of registry or enrolment to issue to certain foreign built vessels. Tax to be paid on vessels equal to internal revenue tax, &c. CHAP. CLXXX. An Act for the Registration or Enrolment of certain foreign Vessels. Be it enacted 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 and directed to issue certificates of registry or enrolment and license to the schooner "Bob," of St. Andrew, New Brunswick; and to the following-named Canadian-built vessels, to wit: The schooner "Royal Albert," of Oakville; the bark "John Breden," the schooner "Prince Alfred," and the brigantine “Orkney Lass," all of Kingston; the schooner "George Henry," of Toronto; the schooner " Annexation," of Port Hope; and the schooner" Emperor," of St. Catherines; also the barges "Champlain" and " Hochelega," of Quebec; the bark “ Monarch," the brig "Sea Gull," and the schooner 66 "Smith & Post," all of Oakville; the schooner " Welland," of St. Catherines; the schooner "Governor," of Montreal; the schooner "L. S. Shicklana," of St. Catherines; the schooner "Victoria," of Toronto; said vessels being owned by citizens of the United States, and having been at all times employed upon the waters of the lakes: Provided, That there shall be paid upon each of said foreign-built vessels a tax equal to the internal revenue tax upon the materials and construction of similar vessels of American build. APPROVED, July 20, 1868. CHAP. CLXXXI. An Act concerning the Tax Commissioners for the State of July 20, 1868. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the acts and proceedings Certain proceedings of tax which have been had or performed by any two of the tax commissioners, commissioners in and for the State of Arkansas, shall have the same force and effect as of Arkansas if had and performed by all three of said commissioners. APPROVED, July 20, 1868. CHAP. CLXXXII. — An Act amendatory of an Act approved July twenty-six [five], eighteen hundred and sixty-six, entitled "An Act to authorize the Construction of certain Bridges, and to establish them as Post-Roads." WHEREAS the St. Louis and Illinois Bridge Company, organized under the laws of the State of Missouri, and the Illinois and St. Louis Bridge Company, organized under an act of the general assembly of the State of Illinois, have been consolidated, in pursuance of the authority granted to the said Illinois and St. Louis Bridge Company, in their act of incorporation, and the authority granted to the St. Louis and Illinois Bridge Company, by an act of the general assembly of the State of Missouri, approved March nineteenth, eighteen hundred and sixty-eight: Therefore, ratified. _July 20, 1868. 1866, ch. 246. Vol. xiv. p. 244. Preamble. rights and Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the company formed by Illinois & St. this consolidation, under the name and style of the Illinois and St. Louis Louis Bridge Co. may build bridge Bridge Company, is hereby recognized and declared to be a corporation across the Misby that name, with full power and authority to construct a bridge across sissippi, oppothe Mississippi River opposite the city of St. Louis, in conformity to the site St. Louis; act of which this act is amendatory, with all the rights, privileges, and powers granted and conferred by the several acts of the general assemblies privileges; of the States of Illinois and Missouri to the respective companies by the consolidation of which the said Illinois and St. Louis Bridge Company was formed, and not inconsistent with the provisions of the act to which this act is amendatory: And provided further, That in constructing said bridge there shall be one span of at least five hundred feet clear between piers. SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the said corporation may execute a mortgage and issue bonds payable, principal and interest, in gold, and their bridge across the Mississippi River and approaches thereto, when constructed, shall be a post-road to carry the mails of the United States, and enjoy the rights and privileges of other post-roads. spans. Corporation may execute mortgage and issue bonds. Bridge to be a post-road. Meetings of Directors. tion. SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That said corporation may hold their meetings in either the State of Illinois or the State of Missouri, as the corporation. board of directors may elect, and the directors may be citizens of any of the United States; and said corporation may sue and be sued in any circuit court of the United States: Provided, That nothing in this act or in against corpora any previous legislation affecting the premises shall be so construed as to deprive the legislatures of the States of Illinois and Missouri of the right to regulate the tolls and fares which may be charged by said company for the use of such bridge: Provided further, That the tolls now fixed by the legislatures of Illinois and Missouri shall not be increased. APPROVED, July 20, 1868. Tolls and fares. CHAP. CLXXXIII. — An Act providing for the Sale of a Portion of the Fort Gratiot July 20, 1868. military Reservation in St. Clair County, in the State of Michigan. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of War Fort Gratiot be, and he is hereby, authorized to sell, at such times as he may deem military resermost advantageous to the interests of the government, and in such man- sold. vation may be Portion of reservation to be divided into blocks, &c. and sold by lots at public auction. Notice. ner as hereinafter provided, all that portion of the military reservation known as Fort Gratiot, in St. Clair County, in the State of Michigan, which lies south of a line running due west from the south end of the Grand Trunk railroad wharf, on the St. Clair river, until it intersects the road known as the Lexington road, and all that portion which lies west of said Lexington road. SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That all that portion of the abovedescribed lands which lies east of a line running due south from the point of intersection with the Lexington road, mentioned in the foregoing section of this act, shall be divided into blocks and lots of convenient size for building purposes, with public streets conforming as near as may be, without detriment to the interests of the government or the State, to the public streets of the city of Port Huron, adjoining such ground, and sold by lots at public auction, at the city of Port Huron, to the highest bidder, public notice of such sale having first been given for thirty days by advertisement in all the papers published in the city of Port Huron, and in Plat of divis- at least two papers published in the city of Detroit, Michigan. A plat of this division, made in accordance with the laws of the State of Michigan, shall be filed with the register of deeds of the county of St. Clair, Rest of reser- State of Michigan. The remaining portion of said military reservation, vation to be sold for the sale of which provision is made in the first section of this act, shall be sold at public auction at the city of Port Huron, after due notice, as prescribed in the foregoing paragraph, at such times and in such parcels as may be deemed most advantageous to the interests of the government, by the Secretary of War. ion. when and how. Proceeds of sales. SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That the proceeds arising from the sale herein provided for, shall be paid into the treasury of the United States in the same manner as the proceeds from the sale of other public lands. APPROVED, July 20, 1868. July 20, 1868. CHAP. CLXXXIV. Right of way, materials, &c. may be taken in making inprovements at Moines or Rock Island An Act to aid the Improvement of the Des Moines and Rock Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That whenever in the prosecution of the improvements of the Mississippi River, at either the Des Moines or Rock Island rapids therein, it becomes necessary or proper to take possession of the right of way over any lands, or to use any earth, quarries, or other material lying adjacent or near to either of said works, and needful for its prosecution, the officer in charge of said work, or his assistant, may, in the name of the United States, take possession of and value to be first use the same, after having first paid, or secured to be paid, the value paid or secured. thereof, which may have been ascertained in the mode provided by the laws of the State wherein such property or material lie[s], for adjudging the value of private property which may be needed for any public improvement: Provided, however, That when the owner of such property or material shall fix a price for the same, which, in the opinion of the said officer in charge, shall be reasonable, he may take the same at such price without further delay. Proviso. Part of appro SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That a portion of the appropriations priation may be made or to be made for the prosecution of the improvements aforesaid, applied, &c. not exceeding fifty thousand dollars in amount, may be applied in payment of the property or material taken and used as aforesaid. APPROVED, July 20, 1868. |