30,000 dollars appropriated. be done under the supervision and direction of the Secretary of War, and through the aid of some practical agent acquainted with the situation of the river, its respective bars, islands, and danderous [dangerous] places and parts; and he shall likewise cause the channel of said river, at a part usually called the Grand Chain, near its mouth, so to be deepened by a proper channel formed, that at the usual state of the water, steamboats may be enabled safely to pass and re-pass the same. SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That, for carrying this act into effect, the sum of thirty thousand dollars be, and the same is hereby, appropriated, out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated. APPROVED, March 3, 1827. STATUTE II. March 3, 1827. 1828, ch. 31. Land granted. CHAP. XCIII.-An Act to grant a certain quantity of land to the state of Ohio, for the purpose of making a road from Columbus to Sandusky. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That there be, and are hereby, appropriated, to the state of Ohio, for the purpose of aiding the Columbus and Sandusky turnpike company in making a road from Columbus to Sandusky city, the one half of a quantity of land equal to two sections, on the western side of said road, and most contiguous thereto, to be bounded by sectional lines, from one end of said road to the other, wheresoever the same may remain unsold, reserving to the United States each alternate section the whole length of said road through the lands of the United States, to be selected by the commissioner of the general land office, under the direction of the President: Provided, That no toll shall at any time be collected of any mail stage, nor of any troops, or property of the United States. APPROVED, March 3, 1827. STATUTE II. March 3, 1827. Act of March 2, 1833, ch. 67. President authorized to CHAP. XCIV.—An Act for the gradual improvement of the navy of the United Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That, for the gradual improvement of the navy of the United States, the sum of five hundred thousand dollars per annum, for six years, is hereby appropriated, to be applied as in this act prescribed, and as may, hereafter, be directed by law. SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the President of the United States be, and he is hereby authorized to cause to be procured, ship timber suitable for the construction of vessels of the various classes now recognised in the navy of the United States; and also the timber proper for the construction of steam batteries; and to take the proper measures sels of different for having the said timber duly seasoned and preserved, so as to be fit for cause to be pro- classes. Measures to be adopted to preserve the live oak timber, growing on the lands of the United States. immediate use. SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That the President of the United States be, and he is hereby, authorized to take the proper measures to preserve the live oak timber growing on the lands of the United States, and he is also authorized to reserve from sale such lands, belonging to the United States, as may be found to contain live oak, or other timber in sufficient quantity to render the same valuable for naval purposes.(a) (a) Acts providing for the preservation of timber for the navy of the United States are :— An act making reservation of certain public land, to supply timber for naval purposes, March 1,1817, ch. 22. SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That the President of the United States be, and he is hereby, authorized to cause to be constructed two dry docks, on the most approved plan, for the use of the navy of the United States, the one of said docks to be erected at some point to the south, and the other to the north of the Potomac river. SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That the President of the United States be, and he is hereby, authorized to cause the necessary examinations and inquiries to be made, to ascertain the practicability and expediency of erecting a marine rail-way for the repair of sloops of war, and other vessels of an inferior class, at Pensacola, and, if it shall appear from such inquiry an [and] examination, that such rail-way would be useful to the navy of the United States, and can be constructed at a reasonable expense, that he cause the same to be constructed, on the most approved plan. SEC. 6. And be it further enacted, That the President of the United States be, and he is hereby, authorized to cause the navy yards of the United States to be thoroughly examined, and plans to be prepared, and sanctioned by the President, for the improvement of the same, and the preservation of the public property therein, from which plans, no deviation shall hereafter be made but by his special order. SEC. 7. And be it further enacted, That the money appropriated by this act shall not be transferred to any other object of expenditure, nor shall any part thereof be carried to the fund denominated the surplus fund; and annual reports shall be submitted to Congress of the expenditures under this act, and the measures taken to carry the same into effect. APPROVED, March 3, 1827. Two dry docks. Marine rail way for the reof war, &c., at pairs of sloops Pensacola. Navy yards to examined. be thoroughly Money appropriated to be paid from the treasury. STATUTE II. CHAP. XCV.-An Act granting to the corporation of the city of Mobile the right March 3, 1827. of preference in purchase of four sections of land, or a quantity equal to four sections, at or near Spring Hill, in the county of Mobile. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That the register and receiver of the land office at Saint Stephen's be, and they are hereby, authorized and directed to receive from the corporation of the city of Mobile, the sum of one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre, for a quantity of land, not exceeding four sections, at or near Spring Hill, in the county of Mobile, and state of Alabama; and, upon the receipt of said sum as aforesaid, the said register and receiver shall issue their certificate to, and in the name of the corporation of the city of Mobile, for the said quantity of land, not exceeding four sections as aforesaid. SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That, for and in consideration of the sum aforesaid, paid as aforesaid, [that] all the right and claim of the United States, to the said quantity of land, not exceeding four sections, in the county of Mobile, and state aforesaid, be, and the same is hereby, vested in the mayor and aldermen of the said city of Mobile, for the time being, and their successors in office, to be applied or disposed of by them, for the sole use and benefit of the said city forever: Provided, That no part of any claim, arising from acts of Congress, known as donations or pre-emptions by the reported list of actual settlers, or from grants recognised by any treaty, shall be covered or taken by this grant, but the same shall be excepted from, and held as not covered or interfered with by this act. Register and receiver at St. Stephen's to receive from the corporation of bile, 1 dollar the city of Mo25 cents, per acre, for a cer tain quantity of land. In consider ation of the aforesaid, the United States relinquish their sum paid as title. Proviso. An act to amend "An act making reservation of certain public lands for naval purposes," passed 1st March, 1817, May 15, 1820, ch. 136. An act for the preservation of the timber of the United States in Florida, Feb. 23, 1822, ch. 9. An act to provide for the punishment of offences committed in cutting, destroying, or removing, live oak and other timber or trees, reserved for naval purposes, March 2, 1831, ch. 66. Patents shall issue. SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That patents shall issue, upon the presentation of said certificate of the register and receiver aforesaid, for the said quantity of land, not exceeding four sections, to the corporation of the city of Mobile, in the same manner that patents now issue upon the final certificate for other public lands. APPROVED, March 3, 1827. STATUTE II. March 3, 1827. [Obsolete.] 9065 dollars appropriated. 1824, ch. 17. CHAP. XCVI.-An Act to provide for the completion of the road from a point opposite to Memphis, in the state of Tennessee, to Little Rock, in the territory of Arkansas, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United Act of Jan.31, States of America, in Congress assembled, That the sum of nine thousand and sixty-five dollars be, and the same is hereby, appropriated, in aid of the unexpended balance of the former appropriation to the same object, for the completion of the road from a point opposite to Memphis, in the state of Tennessee, to Little Rock, in the territory of Arkansas, to be paid, as the same may be required, out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated by law. Road from fort Smith on the Arkansas river to fort Towson, on the Red river, &c. Troops of the United States SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the President of the United States be, and he is hereby, authorized to cause a military road to be opened from Fort Smith, on the Arkansas river, to Fort Towson, on the Red river, and from thence southwardly, to the northern boundary line of the state of Louisiana, by Washington, in Hempstead county, following the highlands between the waters of the Washita and Red rivers, in the direction of Natchitoches, Louisiana. SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That the President be, and he is hereby, authorized to employ such part of the troops of the United to be employed. States as he may think proper, to survey and construct said road; and for the purpose of carrying into effect the provisions of this act, the sum of twelve thousand dollars be, and the same is hereby, appropriated, to be paid out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated. APPROVED, March 3, 1827. STATUTE II. March 3, 1827. CHAP. XCVII.—An Act concerning the location of land reserved for the use of a seminary of learning, in the state of Louisiana. 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 to locate a quantity of land, not exceeding two entire townships, reserved by the eleventh section of the act of the twenty-first April, eighteen hundred and six, and by the seventh section of the act of the third of March, eighteen hundred and eleven, for the use of a seminary of learning in the state of Louisiana, on any of the public lands in said state, in sections corresponding with any of the legal divisions into which the public lands are authorized to be surveyed. SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That, so soon as the location of said lands shall be made as aforesaid, the title thereto shall be, and is hereby, vested in the state of Louisiana, for the use of a seminary or seminaries of learning therein, as the legislature of said state may direct. APPROVED, March 3, 1827. RESOLUTION. State of Penn sylvania to cede to the RESOLUTION directing the Secretary of the Navy to apply to the government of Jan. 24, 1827. Pennsylvania for jurisdiction over certain lands at the navy yard, Philadelphia. Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of the Navy be directed to request the government of the state of Pennsylvania to cede to the United States jurisdiction over such lands as are owned by the United States, and improved for public purposes, at the navy yard near Philadelphia. APPROVED, January 24, 1827. United States certain lands. x 2 ACTS OF THE TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE Jan. 3, 1828. Appropriations. UNITED STATES, Passed at the first session, which was begun and held at the City of Washington, in the District of Columbia, on Monday, the third day of December, 1827, and ended on the twenty-sixth day of May, 1828. JOHN QUINCY ADAMS, President; J. C. CALHOUN, Vice President of the STATUTE I. CHAP. I.—An Act making partial appropriations for the support of government during the year one thousand eight hundred and twenty-eight. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That the following sums be, 12, 1828, ch. 6. and the same are hereby, respectively, appropriated towards the support of government for the year one thousand eight hundred and twentyeight, viz: For compensation granted by law to the members of the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States and their officers, four hundred and seventy-one thousand eight hundred dollars. For the expenses of fire-wood, stationery, printing, and all other contingent expenses of the two houses of Congress, one hundred and six thousand two hundred and three dollars. SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the sums herein appropriated, shall be paid out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated. APPROVED, January 3, 1828. STATUTE I. Jan. 25, 1828. 1836, ch. 77. No money sons in arrears to the United States. Proviso. CHAP. II.-An Act to prevent defalcations on the part of the disbursing agents of the government, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United appropriated to States of America, in Congress assembled, That no money hereafter approbe paid to per-priated shall be paid to any person, for his compensation, who is in arrears to the United States, until such person shall have accounted for, and paid into the treasury, all sums for which he may be liable: Provided, That nothing herein contained shall be construed to extend to balances arising solely from the depreciation of treasury notes received by such person, to be expended in the public service; but in all cases where the pay or salary of any person is withheld, in pursuance of this act, it shall be the duty of the accounting officers, if demanded by the party, his agent or attorney, to report forthwith to the agent of the Treasury |