SEC. 12. And be it further enacted, That the President of the United States be, and he hereby is authorized, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to add to the pay department of the army two deputy paymaster generals, Two Deputy with the pay and allowances each of a deputy quartermaster Paymaster gengeneral; and ten paymasters with the pay and allowances paymasters to each of a paymaster of the army; and the officers so ap- be appointed. pointed shall give such bonds as the President shall, from

erals, and ten

time to time, direct: Provided, That the deputy paymaster Proviso. generals shall, in addition to paying troops, superintend the payment of armies in the field.

SEC. 13. And be it further enacted, That the officers of Rank of offieers the pay department shall have rank corresponding with the of Pay Dept. rank to which their pay and allowances are assimilated: Provided, That paymasters shall not in virtue of such rank Proviso. be entitled to command in the line, or other staff departments of the army: Provided, also, That the right to command in the pay department between officers having the same rank, shall be in favor of the oldest in service in the department, without regard to the date of commission under which they may be acting at the time.

SEC. 14. And be it further enacted, That all paymasters Paymasters of hereafter to be appointed by the President for the volunteer volunteers to be service of the United States shall be nominated to the Senate the Senate. for confirmation to such office.

nominated to

goons.

SEC. 15. And be it further enacted, That the non-commis- Bounty to the sioned officers, musicians, and privates, of the regiment of regiment of dra. dragoons authorized to be raised by an act entitled "An act to raise for a limited time an additional military force, and for other purposes," shall receive the same bounty as is allowed to the non-commissioned officers, musicians, and privates of the other regiments authorized to be raised by said act.

SEC. 16. And be it further enacted, That the President of Increase of Ordthe United States be, and is hereby, authorized to add to the nance Dept. Ordnance Department, whenever he shall deem it expedient to increase the same, two captains and six first lieutenants, who shall be entitled to receive the same pay and allowances as officers of those grades, respectively, now belonging to that department, to be disbanded at the close of the war.

officers.

SEC. 17. And be it further enacted, That when any non- Brevets to noncommissioned officer shall distinguish himself, or may have commissioned distinguished himself in the service, the President of the United States shall be, and is hereby authorized, on the recommendation of the commanding officer of the regiment to which such non-commissioned officer belongs, to attach him by brevet of the lowest grade of rank, with the usual pay and emoluments of such grade, to any corps of the army: Provided, That there shall not be more than one so attached Proviso.

to any one company at the same time; and when any private soldier shall so distinguish himself, the President may in like manner grant him a certificate of merit which shall entitle him to additional pay at the rate of two dollars per month. Two companies SEC. 18. And be it further enacted, That there shall be to be added to added to each of the regiments of artillery two companies each of Regiinents of Arul- to be organized in the same manner, and who shall receive lery. the like pay and allowances in every respect as authorized by existing laws; and in addition to the four companies authorized by the act of March second, one thousand eight Additionalcom- hundred and twenty-one, to be equipped as light artillery, panies of Light the President is hereby empowered, when he shall deem it Artillery. necessary, to designate four other companies, one in each regiment, to be organized and equipped as light artillery; and each regiment of artillery shall be allowed two principal musicians with the rates of pay provided by law for the principal musicians, in the regiments of infantry.

Pay of Light artillery.

Allowance of

tant General &

SEC. 19. And be it further enacted, That the officers and men of the light artillery, when serving as such and mounted, shall receive the same pay and allowances as provided by law for the dragoons.

SEC. 20. And be it further enacted, That the provisions additional ra- of the sixth section of the act entitled "An act respecting tions for Adju- the organization of the army," &c., approved August twentyQuartermaster third, one thousand eight hundred and forty-two, which alGeneral. low additional rations to certain officers of the army, be, and the same are hereby, so extended as to embrace the Quartermaster General and Adjutant General of the army from the date of the act.

pernumerary

Deficient regi- SEC. 21. And be it further enacted, That for the purpose ments to be con- of avoiding unnecessary expenses in the military establishsolidated, & su- ment, including volunteers, the President of the United officers dischar- States be, and he is hereby authorized, in case of failure in ged. filling the rank and file of any regiment or regiments, to consolidate such deficient regiment or regiments and discharge all supernumerary officers: Provided, That officers so discharged shall be allowed, in addition to the mileage already authorized by law, three months' pay to each.

Proviso.

SEC. 22. And be it further enacted, That all the officers When the off-appointed, and the additional force authorized to be raised cers and forces under this act, shall be discharged at the close of the war authorized by with Mexico, except the officers of the ordnance authorized by the sixteenth section, and the two companies to each regiment of artillery, authorized by the eighteenth section of

this act shall be discharged.

this act.

Approved, March 3, 1847.

CHAP. 62.—AN ACT providing for the building and equipment of four naval steamships.

to

be built and

[SEC. 1.] Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the President of the United States be, and he Four first-class is hereby, authorized to cause to be built and equipped four steamships first-class sea-going steamships, to be attached to the navy equipped. of the United States, and that one million of dollars be, and is hereby appropriated for that purpose, to be paid out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated.

tween N. York

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That from and imme- Sec'y of Navy diately after the passage of this act, it shall be the duty of to accept the the Secretary of the Navy to accept, on the part of the gov- proposals of E. ernment of the United States, the proposals of E. K. Collins for transportaand his associates, of the city of New York, submitted to tion of mail bethe Postmaster General, and dated Washington, March sixth, and Liverpool. eighteen hundred and forty-six, for the transportation of the United States mail between New York and Liverpool, and to contract with the said E. K. Collins and his associates for the faithful fulfilment of the stipulations therein contained, and in accordance with the provisions of this act.

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That the steamships to Steamshipsbe employed by the said E. K. Collins and his associates in how to be conthe transportation of the United States mail between New structed, &c. York and Liverpool shall be constructed under the inspection of a naval constructor in the employ of the Navy Department, and shall be so constructed as to render them convertible, at the least possible cost, into war-steamers of the first class; and that each of said steamers shall receive on board Each steamship four passed midshipmen of the United States navy, who shall receive on shall serve as watch officers, and be suitably accommodated board four passed midshipmen without charge to the government; and the said steamers & a mail agent. shall also receive on board and accommodate, without charge to the government, one agent, to be appointed by the Postmaster General, who shall have charge of the mails to be transported in said steamships.

A. G. Sloo for

N. Orleans, &c.

SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That from and imme- Sec'y of Navy diately after the passage of this act it shall be the duty of to contract with the Secretary of the Navy to contract, on the part of the transportation government of the United States, with A. G. Sloo, of Cin- of mail between cinnati, for the transportation of the United States mail from New York and New York to New Orleans, twice a month and back, touching at Charleston, (if practicable,) Savannah, and Havana; and from Havana to Chagres and back, twice a month. The said mail to be transported in at least five steamships of not less than fifteen hundred tons burden, and propelled by en- What descripgines of not less than one thousand horse power each, to be ships shall be constructed under the superintendence and direction of a employed, and

tion of steam

ed.

ceive on board

how command- naval constructor in the employ of the Navy Department, and to be so constructed as to render them convertible, at the least possible expense, into war steamers of the first class; and that the said steamships shall be commanded by officers of the United States navy not below the grade of lieutenant, who shall be selected by the contractor, with the approval and consent of the Secretary of the Navy, and who shall be suitably accommodated without charge to the gov Each of said ernment. Each of said steamers shall receive on board four steamers to re- passed midshipmen of the United States navy, who shall four passed mid-serve as watch officers, and be suitably accommodated withshipinen and a out charge to the government; and each of the said steamers mail agent. shall also receive on board and accommodate, without charge to the government, one agent, to be appointed by the Postmaster General, who shall have charge of the mails to be transported in said steamers: Provided, The Secretary of the Navy may, at his discretion, permit a steamer of not less than six hundred tons burden, and engines in proportion, to be employed in the mail service herein provided for between Compensation. Havana and Chagres: Provided, further, That the compensation for said service shall not exceed the sum of two hundred and ninety thousand dollars, and that good and sufficient security be required for the faithful fulfilment of the stipulations of the contract.

Proviso.

Sec❜y of Navy SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the to contract for duty of the Secretary of the Navy to contract, on behalf of transportation of mail from the government of the United States, for the transportation Panama to Ore- of the mail from Panama to such port as he may select in

gon.

contracts that

the Territory of Oregon, once a month each way, so as to connect with the mail from Havana to Chagres across the isthmus; said mail to be transported in either steam or sailing vessels, as shall be deemed most practicable and expedient.

Secretary to SEC. 6. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the provide in the duty of the Secretary of the Navy to provide, in the contracts the Navy Dept, authorized by this act, that the Navy Department shall at all shall have con- tines exercise control over said steamships, and at any time trol over said have the right to take them for the exclusive use and service steamships.

of the United States, and to direct such changes in their machinery and internal arrangements as the Secretary of the Navy may require; due provision being made in the said contracts for the mode of ascertaining the proper compensation to the contractors therefor.

Approved, March 3, 1847.

CHAP. 63.-AN ACT to establish certain post routes and for other purposes.

[SEC. 1.] Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rep- Post routes esresentatives of the United States of America in Congress as- tablished. sembled, That the following be established as post-roads:

MAINE.

From Dixfield, through Peru, to Canton Mills, in the county of Oxford.

From Newport, through Corinna and Dexter, to Dover, in the county of Penobscot.

From Standish, through Limington, Sebago, Denmark, and Bridgeton, to Sweden.

From Brownsville, in the county of Piscataquis, to Katadhin Iron Works.

From Monson, by Abbot, Parkman, Dexter, and Newport, to Detroit, in Maine.

NEW HAMPSHIRE.

From Exeter to the city of Manchester.

From the city of Manchester to Amherst.

From the city of Manchester, through Candia, South Deerfield, Deerfield, Nottingham, Wadley's Falls, Lamprey River, Stratham, Greenland, to Portsmouth.

VERMONT.

From Bakersfield, via West Enosburgh post office, and Enosburgh Falls post office, to West Berkshire.

From Bridgewater to Ludlow.

From Northumberland, New Hampshire, to Sutton, Ver

mont.

RHODE ISLAND.

From Providence, Rhode Island, by Valley Falls, in Smithfield, Diamond Hill, in Cumberland, West Wentham, Franklin, Medway, and Holliston, to Framingham Depot, in Massachusetts.

From Providence, by Smithville or Clayville, to Killingly, Connecticut.

From Washington Village, in the State of Rhode Island, via Maple Root Meeting House, Weaver's Hill, East Coheag Hill, in West Greenwich, to Volentown, in the State of Connecticut.

CONNECTICUT.

From Thompson, via the post villages of Fisherville, New Boston, Southbridge, Stubridge, and Brimfield, to the Palma Depot.

Maine.

New Hampshire.

Vermont.

Rhode Island.

Connecticut.