PUBLIC ACTS OF THE FORTY-FOURTH CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES, Passed at the second session, which was begun and held at the city of Washington, in the District of Columbia, on Monday, the fourth day of December, 1876, and ended on Saturday, the third day of March, 1877. ULYSSES S. GRANT, President. THOMAS W. FERRY was chosen President of the Senate pro tempore on the nineteenth of March, 1875, in special session, and continued to act as such throughout the second session, and from the beginning of the third session on the fourth of December, 1876, until its termination on the third day of March, 1877. SAMUEL J. RANDALL was elected Speaker of the House of Representatives on the fourth of December, 1876, and continued to act as such until the end of the session. Dec. 18, 1876. Appropriation. CHAP. 1.—An act to provide for the payment of the Electoral messengers. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That for payment of the messengers of the respective States for conveying to the seat of Government the votes of the electors of said States for President and Vice-President toral messengers. of the United States at the rate of twenty-five cents for every mile of the estimated distance by the most usual road traveled, from the place of meeting of the Electors to the seat of Government of the United States; computed for the one distance only, the sum of Twenty thou sand dollars be, and the same is hereby, appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated. Approved, December 18, 1876. CHAP. 7.—An act to authorize the Secretary of the Treasury to issue a register and change the name of the brig "A. S. Pennell" to the "City of Moule." Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the owners of the brig "A. S. Pennell" of Portland, Maine, be, and they are hereby, authorized to change the name of said brig to that of the "City of Moule," and the Secretary of the Treasury is hereby authorized and directed to issue a register for the same. Approved, December 22, 1876. Dec. 22, 1876. Name of brig A.S. Pennell changed. CHAP. 9.—An act to provide for the expenses of certain Special Committees of the Dec. 23, 1876. Appropriations. committees ou House special Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the sum of thirty five thousand dollars or so much thereof as may be necessary, be, and the same is hereby, appropriated from any moneys in the Treasury not otherwise elections. appropriated to defray the actual expenses necessarily incurred of the three Special Committees from the House of Representatives, charged respectively with the investigation of the recent elections in the States of Louisiana, of South Carolina, and of Florida, and of the committee of five appointed to proceed to the cities of New York, Philadelphia, Brooklyn, and Jersey City, to examaine into any alleged fraudulent reg 220 Report. istration and fraudulent voting for Presidential Electors and Represent atives in Congress; said appropriation to be added to the contingent How disbursed. fund of the House of Representatives, and to be disbursed upon vouchers approved by the chairmen of the respective committees, and the clerk of the House shall pay such parts of the sum above appropriated as the chairmen of the said committees, respectively, shall in writing direct for the purposes aforesaid, to the sergeant at-arms of the House, who shall as soon thereafter as practicable, make report in writing to the House of the manner in which the sums thus paid to him have been expended, accompanied with vouchers in detail, which report and vouchers when examined and approved by the Committee of Accounts of the House shall be deemed a sufficient settlement of his accountability for the money thus paid to him; and any unexpended balance remaining in the hands of the sergeant at arms after such settlement shall be paid by him into the Treasury of the United States to the credit of the fund for which it was appropriated. Surplus. Senate Commit and Elections. SEC. 2. That the sum of thirty five thousand dollars or so much thereof tee on Privileges as may be necessary, be, and the same is hereby, appropriated from any moneys in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to defray the actual and necessary expenses of the Committee on Privileges and Elections and other expenses necessarily incurred in making the investigations directed by Senate resolution of December fifth, eighteen hundred and seventy six, in the several states named therein; said appropriation to be paid into the contingent fund of the Senate; and the disbursing officer How drawn and of the Senate shall advance such parts of the sum above appropriated to the sergeant at arms of the Senate, as the chairman of said committee expended. shall in writing direct for the purposes aforesaid; and the sergeant at arms shall, as soon as practicable, make a detailed report of the expenditures thereof, with proper vouchers, which, when so made, shall be received by said disbursing officer and returned with his accounts to the proper officer of the Treasury Department. Approved, December 23, 1876. Dec. 27, 1876. CHAP. 10.—An act changing the name of the First National Bank of Amesbury to the First National Bank of Merrimac. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United Name of First States of America in Congress assembled, That the name of the First National Bank of National Bank of Amesbury, located in the town of Merrimac, in the Amesbury chang- County of Essex, and State of Massachusetts, shall be changed to the ed. Liabilities to follow change. Dec. 28, 1876. Portrait of Hon. H. H. Starkweather, deceased. First National Bank of Merrimac whenever the board of directors of said bank shall accept the new name by resolution of the board, and cause a copy of said resolution, duly authenticated, to be filed with the Comptroller of the Currency: Provided, That such acceptance be made within nine months after the passage of this act; and that all expense incident to such change, including engrossing, shall be borne and paid by said bank. SEC. 2. That all the debts, demands, liabilities, rights, privileges, and powers of the First National Bank of Amesbury shall devolve upon and inure to the First National Bank of Merrimac whenever such change of name is effected. Approved, December 27, 1876. CHAP. 12.—An act to provide for engraving and printing the portrait of the late Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That such sum as may be nec essary, be, and the same is hereby appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to enable the Secretary of the Treasury to have engraved and printed a portrait of Hou. Heury H. Starkweather of Connecticut, deceased, late a member of the House of Representatives as authorized by the resolution of the House of Representatives of May fifth, eighteen hundred and seventy-six, and concurred in by the Senate May twentieth eighteen hundred and seventysix; said portraits to accompany the eulogies ordered to be printed by the same resolution. SAM' J. RANDALL Speaker of the House of Representatives President of the Senate pro tempore. Received by the President December 16, 1876. [NOTE BY THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE.-The foregoing act having been presented to the President of the United States for his approval, and not having been returned by him to the house of Congress in which it originated within the time prescribed by the Constitution of the United States, has become a law without his approval.] CHAP. 18.—An act providing for the sale of Saline lands. Jan. 12, 1877. Saline lands to To be offered at Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That whenever it shall be made appear to the register and the receiver of any land office of the United be examined and States that any lands within their district are saline in character, it shall reported on. be the duty of said register and said receiver, under the regulations of the General Land office, to take testimony in reference to such lands to ascertain their true character, and to report the same to the General Land office; and if, upon such testimony, the Commissioner of the General Land office shall find that such lands are saline and incapable of being purchased under any of the laws of the United States relative to the public domain, then, and in such case, such lands shall be offered for sale by public auction at the local land office of the district in which public auction. the same shall be situated, under such regulations as shall be prescribed by the Commissioner of the General Land office, and sold to the highest bidder for cash, at a price not less than one dollar and twenty five cents per acre; and in case said lands fail to sell when so offered, then the same shall be subject to private sale, at such land office, for cash, at a price not less than one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre, in the private sale. same manner as other lands of the United States are sold, Provided, That the foregoing enactments shall not apply to any State or Territory which has not had a grant of salines by act of Congress, nor to any State which may have had such a grant, until either the grant has been fully satisfied, or the right of selection thereunder has expired by efflux of time. But nothing in this act shall authorize the sale or conveyance of any title other than such as the United States has, and the patents issued shall be in the form of a release and quit-claim of all title of the United States in such lands. SEC. 2. That all executive proclamations relating to the sales of Public Lands shall be published in only one newspaper, the same to be printed and published in the State or Territory where the lands are situated, and to be designated by the Secretary of the Interior. Approved, January 12, 1877. Minimum price. To be sold at When act not to apply. Form of patent. Advertisements. Post, p. 357. CHAP. 19.—An act authorizing the use of certain funds now in the Treasury, belonging to the Osage Indians. 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, and he hereby is authorized to use a sum not exceeding Fifty Thousand dollars from funds now in the Treasury belonging to the Osage Jan. 12, 1877. Appropriation of funds of Osage Indians. 222 1870, ch. 296, 16 Stat., 362. Indians, under an act of July fifteen, eighteen hundred and seventy, to Approved, January 12, 1877. Jan. 13, 1877. "Arcadia" Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United Name of steam- States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of the Treas ship Whirl-wind ury be, and he is hereby, authorized and directed to allow the owners changed. of the steamship "Whirl-wind," a vessel of American ownership and register, to change her name, and be hereafter known as the "Arcadia." Approved, January 13, 1877. Jan. 16, 1877. R. S. D. C., 1036, p. 121, amended. Constables to take oath and give boud. CHAP. 22.-An act to amend section ten hundred and thirty-six of the Revised Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That section ten hundred and thirty-six of the Revised Statutes relating to the District of Columbia be amended to read as follows: "Each constable shall, before performing any of the duties of his office, take the oath prescribed for civil officers in the District, and shall enter into a bond to the United States in the sum of five thousand dollars, with security, to be approved by the clerk of the supreme court of the District, conditioned for the faithful performance of the duties of his office, and for the punctual payment of all moneys coming into his hands to the persons entitled to And the clerk of said supreme court shall approve of When bond to be receive the same. no bond of any constable until at least three bondsmen shall sign said approved. constable's bond, and each of said bondsmen shall file with said constable's bond an affidavit that he is the owner in fee-simple of unincumbered real estate, situated in the District of Columbia, of the cash value of at least five thousand dollars." Approved, January 16, 1877. Jan. 16, 1877. CHAP. 23.—An act authorizing the recorder of the District of Columbia to appoint an assistant with certain powers. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United Recorder of States of America in Congress assembled, That the recorder of deeds for deeds in District of the District of Columbia is authorized to appoint a deputy recorder; Columbia may ap- and all deeds of conveyance, leases, powers of attorney, and other writ point deputy. Powers and du- ten instruments required to be filed and recorded, and all copies of instru ties. Proviso. ments and records, and certificates authorized by law, filed, recorded, made, and certified by the deputy recorder, shall have the same legality, force, and effect as if performed by the recorder. In case of a vacancy in the office of recorder by death, resignation, or other cause, the deputy recorder shall act until a recorder shall be duly appointed and qualified: Provided, That no additional expense shall be incurred by the District for said deputy, and no other fees shall be allowed than are now provided by law. Approved, January 16, 1877. |