MISSISSIPPI TERRITORY.

Act of April 7, 1798; 1 Stats., 549.

STATUTE I.

April 7, 1798.

Act of May 10,

President au

CHAP. XXVIII.-An Act for an amicable settlement of limits with the state of Georgia, and authorizing the establishment of a government in the Mississippi territory.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of

1800, ch. 50. Representatives of the United States of America in Conthorized to ap-gress assembled, That the President of the United States be, point Commis- and he hereby is authorized to appoint three commissionthe interfering ers; any two of whom shall have power to adjust and declaims to certain termine with such commissioners as may be appointed

sioners to adjust

territory;

under the legislative authority of the state of Georgia, all interfering claims of the United States and that state, to territory situate west of the river Chatahouchee, north of the thirty-first degree of north latitude, and south of the and to receive cession made to the United States by South Carolina: And proposals for the cession of other also to receive any proposals for the relinquishment or territory claimed cession of the whole or any part of the other territory claimed by the state of Georgia, and out of the ordinary jurisdiction thereof.

by Georgia.

tained to be the

how to be disposed of.

tory constituted a district, to be called the Mississippi territory.

Lands ascer- SEC. 2. Be it further enacted, That all the lands thus property of the ascertained as the property of the United States, shall be United States, disposed of in such manner as shall be hereafter directed by law; and the nett proceeds thereof shall be applied to the sinking and discharging the public debt of the United States, in the same manner as the proceeds of the other Certain terri- public lands in the territory northwest of the river Ohio. SEC. 3. Be it further enacted, That all that tract of country bounded on the west by the Mississippi; on the north by a line to be drawn due east from the mouth of the Yasous to the Chatahouchee river; on the east by the river Chatahouchee; and on the south by the thirty-first degree of north latitude, shall be, and hereby is constituted President au-one district, to be called the Mississippi Territory: and lish a govern- the President of the United States is hereby authorized to point officers establish therein a government in all respects similar to that now exercised in the territory northwest of the river Ohio, excepting and excluding the last article of the ordinance made for the government thereof by the late Congress on the thirteenth day of July one thousand seven hundred and eighty-seven, and by and with the advice and consent of the Senate to appoint all the necessary officers therein, who shall respectively receive the same compensations for their services; to be paid in the same manner as by law established for similar officers in the territory northwest of the river Ohio; and the powers, duties and

thorized to estab

ment and ap

therein.

emoluments of a superintendent of Indian affairs for the southern department, shall be united with those of governor: Provided always, that if the President of the United States should find it most expedient to establish this government in the recess of Congress, ne shall nevertheless have full power to appoint and commission all officers herein authorized; and their commissions shall continue in force until the end of the session of Congress next ensuing the establishment of the government.

hereafter divide

SEC. 4. Be it further enacted, That the territory hereby, Congress may constituted one district for the purposes of government, it into two dismay at the discretion of Congress be hereafter divided tricts. into two districts, with separate territorial governments in each, similar to that established by this act.

right of Georgia

uals to the juris

SEC. 5. Be it further enacted, That the establishment of Saving of the this government shall in no respect impair the right of the and of individ state of Georgia, or of any person or persons either to the diction of soil jurisdiction or the soil of the said territory, but the rights thereof. and claims of the said state and of all persons interested, are hereby declared to be as firm and available, as if this act had never been made.

this territory to

SEC. 6. And be it further enacted, That from and after the The people of establishment of the said government, the people of the be entitled to ceraforsaid territory, shall be entitled to and enjoy all and tain rights, &c. singular the rights, privileges and advantages granted to the people of the territory of the United States, northwest of the river Ohio, in and by the aforesaid ordinance of the thirteenth day of July, in the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty-seven, in as full and ample a manner as the same are possessed and enjoyed by the people of the said last mentioned territory.

importation of

SEC. 7. And be it further enacted, That from and after Penalty on the the establishment of the aforesaid government, it shall not slaves from forbe lawful for any person or persons to import or bring eign parts. into the said Mississippi territory, from any port or place, without the limits of the United States, or to cause or procure to be so imported or brought, or knowingly to aid or assist in so importing or bringing any slave or slaves, and that every person so offending, and being thereof convicted before any court within the said territory, having competent jurisdiction, shall forfeit and pay, for each and every slave so imported or brought, the sum of three hundred dollars; one moiety for the use of the United States, and the other moiety for the use of any person or persons who shall sue for the same; and that every slave, so imported or brought, shall thereupon become entitled to, and receive his or her freedom.

$10,000 approIng the act into priated for carry

SEC. 8. And be it further enacted, That the sum of ten thousand dollars be, and hereby is appropriated, for the purpose of enabling the President of the United States to effect. carry into effect the provisions of this act; and that the said sum be paid out of any monies in the treasury not otherwise appropriated.

APPROVED, April 7, 1798.

INDIANA TERRITORY.

Act of May 7, 1800; 2 Stats., 58.

STATUTE II.

May 7, 1800.

Act of Feb. 27, 1809, ch. 19.

name of the new territory.

CHAP. XLI.-An act to divide the territory of the United States northwest of the Ohio, into two separate governments. (a)

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Boundary and Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That from and after the fourth day of July next, all that part of the territory of the United States northwest of the Ohio river, which lies to the westward of a line beginning at the Ohio, opposite to the mouth of Kentucky river, and running thence to Fort Recovery, and thence north until it shall intersect the territorial line between the United States and Canada, shall, for the purposes of temporary government, constitute a separate territory, and be called the Indiana Territory.

Form of government and

inhabitants.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That there shall be privileges of the established within the said territory a government in all respects similar to that provided by the ordinance of Congress, passed on the thirteenth day of July one thousand seven hundred and eighty-seven, for the government of the territory of the United States northwest of the river Ohio; and the inhabitants thereof shall be entitled to, and enjoy all and singular the rights, privileges and advantages granted and secured to the people by the said ordinance.

Vol. i. 51.

Powers, duties, and

tion of the officers.

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That the officers for compensa the said territory, who by virtue of this act shall be appointed by the President of the United States, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall respectively exercise the same powers, perform the same duties, and receive for their services the same compensations as by the ordinance aforesaid and the laws of the United States, have been provided and established for similar officers in the territory of the United States northwest of the river Ohio. And the duties and emoluments of superintendent of Indian affairs shall be united with those of governor: Provided, that the President of the United Commissions States shall have full power, in the recess of Congress, to appoint and commission all officers herein authorized; and their commissions shall continue in force until the end of the next session of Congress.

may be issued in the recess.

Organization

of a general assembly.

SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That so much of the ordinance for the government of the territory of the

(a) Act of May 1, 1802, chap. 44; act of April 30, 1802, chap. 40.

United States northwest of the Ohio river, as relates to the organization of a general assembly therein, and prescribes the powers thereof, shall be in force and operate in the Indiana territory, whenever satisfactory evidence shall be given to the governor thereof, that such is the wish of a majority of the freeholders, notwithstanding there may not be therein five thousand free male inhabitants of the age of twenty-one years and upwards: Provided, that until there shall be five thousand free male inhabitants of twenty-one years and upwards in said territory, the whole number of representatives to the general assembly shall not be less than seven, nor more than nine, to be apportioned by the governor to the several counties in the said territory, agreeably to the number of free males of the age of twenty-one years and upwards which they may respectively contain.

Construction of

this act with re

spect to the gov

ernment of the new territory.

Eventual

boundary.

SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That nothing in this act contained shall be construed so as in any manner to affect the government now in force in the territory of the United States northwest of the Ohio river, further than to prohibit the exercise thereof within the Indiana territory, from and after the aforesaid fourth day of July next: Provided, that whenever that part of the territory of the United States which lies to the eastward of a line begin-change of the ning at the mouth of the Great Miami river, and running thence due north to the territorial line between the United States and Canada, shall be erected into an independent state, and admitted into the Union on an equal footing with the original states, thenceforth said line shall become and remain permanently the boundary line between such state and the Indiana territory; anything in this act contained to the contrary notwithstanding.

SEC. 6. And be it further enacted, That until it shall be Seats of the two otherwise ordered by the legislatures of the said territo-governments. ries respectively, Chilicothe, on Scioto river, shall be the seat of the government of the territory of the United States northwest of the Ohio river; and that Saint Vincennes, on the Wabash river, shall be the seat of the government for the Indiana territory.

APPROVED, May 7, 1800.

LOUISIANA.

Possession of, by the United States.

Act of October 31, 1803.

STATUTE I.

Oct. 31, 1803.

Louisiana to be

taken possession

States.

the U. States in

lished.

Appropriations.

CHAPTER I.-An Act to enable the President of the United States to take possession of the territories ceded by France to the United States, by the treaty concluded at Paris, on the thirtieth of April last; and for the temporary government thereof.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of by the Presi- of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That dent of the U. the President of the United States be, and he is hereby Authority of authorized to take possession of, and occupy the territory Louisiana estab- ceded by France to the United States, by the treaty conAct of March cluded at Paris, on the thirtieth day of April last, between 3, 1803, ch. 32. the two nations; and that he may for that purpose, and in All the mili- order to maintain in the said territories the authority of tary civil and the United States, employ any part of the army and navy judicial powers exercised by the of the United States, and of the force authorized by an act existing govern- passed the third day of March last, intituled "An act cised as the Pres: directing a detachment from the militia of the United ident may direct States, and for erecting certain arsenals," which he may tion of the in-deem necessary and so much of the sum appropriated by habitants. the said act as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated 26, 1804, ch. 38. for the purpose of carrying this act into effect; to be ap15, 1811, ch. 14. plied under the direction of the President of the United Act of April 8, States.

officers of the

ment to be exer

for the protec

Act of March

Act of February

1812, ch. 50.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That until the expiration of the present session of Congress, unless provision for the temporary government of the said territories be sooner made by Congress, all the military, civil and judicial powers, exercised by the officers of the existing government of the same, shall be vested in such person and persons, and shall be exercised in such manner, as the President of the United States shall direct for maintaining and protecting the inhabitants of Louisiana in the free enjoyment of their liberty, property and religion. APPROVED, October 31, 1803.

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