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missioners, sec

is made by this act, shall be as follows, namely: To each of Salaries of com- said commissioners at the rate of three thousand dollars per anzetary, and clerk. num; to the secretary of the board at the rate of two thousand dollars per annum; and to the clerk at the rate of fifteen hundred dollars per annuin. And the President of the United States shall be, and he is hereby, authorized to make provision Contingent ex- for the contingent expenses of said commission as to him shall appear reasonable and proper. And the said salaries and expenses shall be paid out of any moneys in the treasury not otherwise appropriated.

penses provided for

to report to Sec

list of all the

tised copy there

Commissioners SEC. 6. And be it further enacted, That the said commisse ary of State a sioners shall report to the Secretary of State a list of all the awards made by several awards made by them; a certified copy thereof shall be them, and a cer- by him transmitted to the Secretary of the Treasury, who shall of to be trans- thereupon distribute, in ratable proportions among the persons tary of the Treas in whose favor the awards shall have been made, the amount How awards stipulated in the fifteenth article of the said treaty, (being three shall be distribu- and one-fourth millions of dollars,) according to the proportions

mitted to Secre

xy.

ted and paid.

When business

which their respective awards shall bear to the said three and one-fourth millions of dollars, first deducting such sums of money as may be due the United States from said persons in whose favor said awards shall be made; and the said Secretary shall thereupon cause certificates of stock of the United States to be issued to the said parties, respectively, or their legal representatives, for the amount to which they may be entitled, which stock shall bear an interest of six per cent. per annum until paid, and redeemable at any time at the pleasure of the United States, or pay the same in money, at the option of the United States.

SEC. 7. And be it further enacted, That the said board of said board shall terminate its business within two years from the day of its

shall terminate.

to awards made

ceed to the same.

contest

organization.

How claimants SEC. 8. And be it further enacted, That in all cases arisin favor of other ing under this act where any person or persons, other than persons shall pro- those in whose favor an award has been or may be made, shall claim the amount so awarded, or any part thereof, and shall within thirty days from the passage of this act, or from the date of the said award, notify the Secretary of the Treasury of his, her, or their intention to contest the payment of the same as awarded, and shall file with the district attorney of the United States a bond, with good and sufficient security, to be approved by him, for the payment of the costs and damages arising therefrom, the amount so awarded, and the payment of which is contested as aforesaid, shall be and remain in the treasury of the United States, subject to the decision of the courts of the United States thereon; and thereupon the said party so claiming the sum so awarded, or any part thereof, shall be at liberty to file his bill for relief and injunction in the circuit court of the District of Columbia, upon the principles which govern courts of equity; and any injunction thereupon granted by the court shall be respected by the Treasury Department; and the said case in equity shall thereupon be conducted and governed in all respects as in other cases in equity.

SEC. 9. And be it further enacted, That this act shall not go into effect until from and after the tenth day of March, eighteen hundred and forty-nine.

Approved March 3, 1849.

When this act

shall take effect.

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CHAP. 108.-AN ACT to establish the Home Department, and to provide for the Treasury Department an Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, and a commissioner of the customs.

department cre

of the Interior."

Interior-how to

[SEC. 1.] Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Repre- New executive sentatives of the United States of America in Congress as- ated to be called sembled, That, from and after the passage of this act, there the "Department shall be created a new executive department of the Government of the United States, to be called the Department of the Interior; the head of which department shall be called the Secreta-Secretary of the ry of the Interior, who shall be appointed by the President of be appointed-his the United States, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, and who shall hold his office by the same tenure, and receive the same salary, as the Secretaries of the other executive departments, and who shall perform all the duties assigned to him by this act.

salary.

Interior to have

supervision

of

the Patent office,

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the Secretary of Secretary of the the Interior shall exercise and perform all the acts of supervision and appeal in regard to the office of Commissioner of Patents, now exercised by the Secretary of State; and the said Secretary of the Interior shall sign all requisitions for the advance or payment of money out of the treasury on estimates or accounts, subject to the same adjustment or control now exercised on similar estimates or accounts by the First or Fifth Auditor and First Comptroller of the Treasury.

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That the Secretary of the Interior shall perform all the duties in relation to the General Land Office, of supervision and appeal, now discharged by the Secretary of the Treasury; and the said Secretary of the Interior shall sign all requisitions for the advance or payment of money out of the treasury, on estimates or accounts, approved or certified by the Commissioner of the General Land Office, subject to the same control now exercised by the First Comptroller of the Treasury.

General Land

office.

marshals, clerks,

SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That the supervisory power now exercised by the Secretary of the Treasury over the accounts of the marshals, clerks, and other officers of all the Accounts of courts of the United States, shall be exercised by the Secretary and officers of of the Interior, who shall sign all requisitions for the advance courts of the U or payment of money out of the treasury, on estimates or accounts, subject to the same control now exercised on like estimates or accounts by the First Auditor and First Comptroller of the Treasury,

SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That the Secretary of the Interior shall exercise the supervisory and appellate powers now exercised by the Secretary of the War Department, in re

S., &c.,

of Indian Affairs, &c.;

Commissioner lation to all the acts of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs; and shall sign all requisitions for the advance or payment of money out of the treasury, on estimates or accounts, subject to the same adjustment or control now exercised on similar estimates or accounts by the Second Auditor and Second Comptroller of the Treasury.

SEC. 6. And be it further enacted, That the Secretary of the Interior shall exercise the supervisory and appellate powers now exercised by the Secretaries of the War and Navy DepartCommissioner ments, in relation to all the acts of the Commissioner of Penof Pensions, &c.; sions; and shall sign all requisitions for the advance or payment of money out of the treasury, on estimates or accounts, subject to the same adjustment or control now exercised on similar estimates or accounts by the Third or Fourth Auditors and Second Comptroller of the Treasury.

king returns of census, &c.;

SEC. 7. And be it further enacted, That the Secretary of the Interior shall exercise all the supervisory and appellate powers now exercised by the Secretary of State, in relation to all Taking and ma- acts of marshals and others in taking and returning the census of the United States; and shall sign all requisitions for the advance or payment of money out of the treasury, on estimates or accounts, subject to the same adjustment or control now exer. cised over similar estimates and accounts by the Fifth Auditor and First Comptroller of the Treasury.

mines of the U. States;

SEC. 8. And be it further enacted, That the supervisory and appellate powers now exercised by the Secretary of the Lead and other Treasury over the lead and other mines of the United States, and over the accounts of the agents thereof, shall be exercised by the Secretary of the Interior; who shall sign all requisitions for the advance or payment of money out of the treasury, on estimates or accounts, subject to the same adjustment or control now exercised on similar estimates or accounts by the Second Auditor and Second Comptroller of the Treasury.

of Public Build

SEC. 9. And be it further enacted, That the supervisory and appellate powers now exercised by the President of the United Commissioner States over the Commissioner of Public Buildings, shall be exings, &c.; and ercised by the Secretary of the Interior; who shall sign all requisitions for the advance or payment of money out of the treasury, on estimates or accounts, subject to the same adjustment or control now exercised on similar estimates or accounts by the First Auditor and First Comptroller of the Treasury: Provided, That nothing in this section contained shall be construed to take from the presiding officers of the two houses of Congress the power now possessed by them to make and enforce rules and regulations for the care, preservation, orderly keeping, and po lice of the Capitol, and its appurtenances.

SEC. 10. And be it further enacted, That the Secretary of the Interior shall have and exercise a supervisory power and Penitentiary of control over the board of inspectors and warden of the penitentiary of the District of Columbia; and shall sign all requisitions for the advance or payment of money out of the treasury on

the Dist. of Columbia.

estimates or accounts, subject to the same adjustment or control now exercised on similar estimates or accounts by the First Auditor and First Comptroller of the Treasury.

point a chief

in the Treasury

SEC. 11. And be it further enacted, That the Secretary of Secretary to ap the Interior is hereby authorized to appoint a chief clerk of his clerk-his salary. department, who shall receive a salary of two thousand dollars per annum; and that the President of the United States, on the recommendation of the said Secretary of the Interior, may transfer from the Treasury Department proper, to the Department of the Interior, such clerks in the office of the Secretary of the Certain clerks Treasury as perform the duties over which the supervision and Department to be control are given by this act to the Secretary of the Interior; office of Seerewhich said clerks shall be hereafter subject to the appointing tary of the Inteand removing power of the Secretary of the Interior, as also the clerks in the several bureaus heretofore appointed or removable. by the heads of departments, which bureaus are transferred by this act to the Department of the Interior.

transferred to the

rior.

Commissioner

appointed.

SEC. 12. And be it further enacted, That an officer shall be appointed by the President of the United States, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, in the Department of the Treasury, as one of its bureaus, to be called the Commissioner of Customs, who shall perform all the acts and exercise all the of Customs to be powers, now devolved by law on the First Comptroller of the Treasury, relating to the receipts from customs and the accounts of collectors and other officers of the customs, or connected therewith; who shall hold his office by the same tenure, and receive the same amount of salary, as the First Auditor of the Treasury, and payable in the same manner. And the Secretary of the Treasury shall transfer from the office of the First Comptroller such clerks as may be necessary to the bureau of the Commissioner of Customs, for whom the said Secretary of the Treasury shall also appoint one chief clerk, at a salary of seventeen hundred dollars per annum.

His salary.

Clerks to ba office of Ist Comclerk to be ap

+ transferred from

troller; and chief

pointed by Secretary of the Trea

retary of the

his

SEC. 13. And be it further enacted, That an officer shall sury. be appointed in the Treasury Department by the Secretary of the Treasury, to be called the Assistant Secretary of the Trea- Assistant Secsury, whose salary shall be three thousand dollars per annum, Treasury to be payable in the same manner as that of the Secretary of the appointed; salary, powers, Treasury, who shall examine all letters, contracts, and war- and duties. rants, prepared for the signature of the Secretary of the Treasury, and who shall perform all such other duties in the office of the Secretary of the Treasury, now performed by some of his clerks, as may be devolved on him by the Secretary of the Treasury; who shall also appoint a clerk at a salary of seventeen hundred dollars per annum, who shall perform such duties per annum to be as a clerk in the Treasury Department, in aid of said Assistant Secretary, as may be assigned to him by the Secretary of the Treasury.

of

Clerk at $1,700

appointed.

SEC. 14. And be it further enacted, That the Secretary the Treasury shall transfer from the office of the First Comptroller one of his messengers, to perform the same duties in the Messengers and office of the Commissioner of Customs, as also such portion of Pontingent

the

fund

from 1st Comp

and Treasury De

to be transferred the contingent fund of the office of the First Comptroller as troller's office may be required in that of the Commissioner of Customs, in partment to office consequence of the transfer of clerks from one office to another, of Customs and or the transfer of a messenger from that office to another. And Department of the Secretary of the Treasury shall transfer one of his messen

of Commissioner

Interior.

duties devolved

of the

gers to the office of the Secretary of the Interior, as also such portion of the contingent fund of the office of the Secretary of the Treasury as may be required in the office of the Secretary of the Interior, in consequence of the transfer of clerks from one department to the other.

SEC. 15. And be it further enacted, That nothing in this act contained shall be so construed as to affect or impair any of The powers and the powers conferred, or duties devolved, on the Secretary of on the Secretary the Treasury, in relation to the transfer, safe-keeping, or disby the Indepen-bursement of public moneys, by the act of the sixth of August, dent Treas'y act one thousand eight hundred and forty-six, entitled "An act to provide for the better organization of the treasury, and for the collection, safe-keeping, transfer, and disbursement of the public revenue."

not to

paired.

im

Approved March 3, 1849.

ble eagles and

thorized.

CHAP. 109.-AN ACT to authorize the coinage of gold dollars and double

eagles.

TSEC. 1.] Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Repre sentatives of the United States of America in Congress as sembled, That there shall be, from time to time, struck and Coinage of dou coined at the mint of the United States, and the branches gold dollars au- thereof, conformably in all respects to law, (except that on the reverse of the gold dollar the figure of the eagle shall be omitted,) and conformably in all respects to the standard for gold coins now established by law, coins of gold of the following denominations and values, viz: double eagles, each to be of the value of twenty dollars, or units, and gold dollars, each to be of the value of one dollar, or unit.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That, for all sums whatDouble eagle ever, the double eagle shall be a legal tender for twenty dollars, be legal tenders, and the gold dollar shall be a legal tender for one dollar.

and gold dollar to

in force in rela

All laws now SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That all laws now in tion to the coins force in relation to the coins of the United States, and the of the U. S. to striking and coining the same, shall, so far as applicable, have herein author- full force and effect in relation to the coins herein authorized,

apply to the coins

ized.

whether the said laws are penal or otherwise; and whether they are for preventing counterfeiting or debasement, for protecting the currency, for regulating and guarding the process of striking and coining, and the preparations therefor, or for the security of the coin, or for any other purpose..

SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That, in adjusting the Weights of gold weights of gold coins henceforward, the following deviations from the standard weight shall not be exceeded in any of the

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