after the staff of the army may be taken from the line of the army, or from citizens.

SEC. 11. And be it further enacted, That the ordnance department be continued as at present organized under the act of February eighth, one thousand eight hundred and fifteen, and that ordnance officers be assigned to their duties with the staff of the army, in the same manner as from the corps of engineers.

tinued permanently under this act.

Ordnance de

partment to be continued as at present organized.

Act of Feb. 8,

Rate of forage when not

kind.

Proviso.

Proviso.

SEC. 12. And be it further enacted, That when forage is not drawn in 1815, ch. 38. kind by officers of the army entitled thereto, eight dollars per month, for each horse, not exceeding the number authorized by existing regulations, received shall be allowed in lieu thereof: Provided, That neither forage, nor money shall be drawn by officers, but for horses actually kept by them in service: Provided also, That none, except company officers shall be allowed to take as servants or waiters, soldiers of the army, and that all officers be allowed, for each private servant actually kept in service, not exceeding the number authorized by existing regulations, the pay, rations and clothing of a private soldier, or money in lieu thereof, on a certificate setting forth the name and description of the servant or servants, in the pay account: Provided also, That one additional ration be allowed to all subaltern officers of the army.

APPROVED, April 24, 1816.

in

STATUTE I.

CHAP. LXXI.—An Act concerning the entry of vessels at the ports of Middletown April 24, 1816. and Plymouth.

Entry of

dletown and Plymouth.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That it shall be lawful vessels at Midto make entry of foreign ships or vessels, and of cargoes which may be on board the same, and to unlade such cargoes respectively, or any part thereof, at the port of Middletown, in the state of Connecticut, and at Plymouth, in the state of North Carolina, under the regulations in such cases by law provided.

APPROVED, April 24, 1816.

STATUTE I.

CHAP. LXXIII.-An Act making appropriations for the support of the navy of the April 24, 1816. United States for the year one thousand eight [hundred] and sixteen.

[Obsolete.] Specific ap

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That for defraying the ex-propriations. penses of the navy for the year one thousand eight hundred and sixteen, the following sums be, and they are hereby respectively appropriated, that is to say:

For pay and subsistence of the officers, and pay of the seamen, one million, one hundred and forty-two thousand and fifteen dollars.

For provisions, three hundred and fifty-six thousand eight hundred and seventy dollars.

For medicine, hospital stores, and all expenses on account of the sick, including those of the marine corps, twenty-five thousand dollars. For repairs of vessels, three hundred thousand dollars.

For ordnance, ammunition and military stores, two hundred and ten thousand dollars.

For navy yards, docks, and wharves, four hundred and fifty thousand dollars.

For contingent expenses, including freight, transportation and recruiting expenses, three hundred thousand dollars.

For pay and subsistence of the marine corps, one hundred and fortyone thousand one hundred and seventy-two dollars.

Specific appropriations.

For clothing for the same, thirty-four thousand one hundred and sixty

six dollars.

For military stores for the same, one thousand one hundred and eighty-eight dollars.

For contingent expenses for the same, fourteen thousand five hundred dollars.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the several appropriations herein before made, shall be paid out of moneys in the treasury not otherwise appropriated.

APPROVED, April 24, 1816.

STATUTE I.

April 24, 1816. CHAP. LXXIV.-An Act for the more convenient arrangement of the times and places of holding the Circuit Courts of the United States, for the districts of South Carolina and Georgia.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That from and after the first day of June next, the circuit courts in and for the sixth circuit of the United States, shall be held at the following times and places, and no others; that is to say, for the district of Georgia, at Savannah, on the fourteenth day of December, in every year, and at Milledgeville, on the sixth day of May in every year; for the district of South Carolina, at Charleston, on the twentieth day of November in every year, and at Columbia on the twentieth day of April in every year; and the circuit court for the said districts respectively, or the circuit judge of the said sixth circuit is authorized and required to make all such rules and orders as may be necessary to carry into effect the change in time and place of holding the said courts according to the true intent and meaning of this

act.

APPROVED, April 24, 1816.

April 24, 1816. CHAP. LXXV.-An Act for the relief of certain purchasers of public lands in the Mississippi territory.

Further time

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United allowed to cer- States of America, in Congress assembled, That every person who, since the tain purchasers of land. first day of April, one thousand eight [hundred] and eleven, and prior to the eighteenth day of June, one thousand eight hundred and twelve, had purchased any tract or tracts of public land in the Mississippi territory, not exceeding in the whole six hundred and forty acres, unless the tract purchased be a fractional section or sections, or fractional sections classed with an entire section, and whose lands have not already been actually sold or reverted to the United States for non-payment of part of the purchase money, shall be allowed the further time of two years and eight months from and after the expiration of the present period already given by law for completing the payment of the said purchase money; which further term of two years and eight months shall be allowed only on the condition, that all arrears of interest on the purchase money shall have been paid on or before the time shall have expired for completing the payment of the purchase money: Provided, That in all cases in which the time for completing the payment of the purchase money may have expired, or shall expire, before the first day of July next, the interest may be paid on or before that day. But in case of failure in paying either the arrears, or the residue of principal with the accruing interest, as is herein provided, the tract of land shall forthwith be advertised and offered for sale, in the same manner, and on the same terms, as is directed by law in case of lands not paid for within the limited term, and shall revert

Proviso.

in like manner, if the sum due, with interest, be not at such sale bidden and paid. And in cases where any tract or tracts of land in said territory, not exceeding, in the whole, six hundred and forty acres, unless the tract be a fractional section or sections, or fractional sections classed with an entire section, have, since the first day of October last, reverted to the United States, for default of payment, the original purchaser may again. enter the same tract or tracts at the price at which such tract or tracts were originally sold; and all moneys which such original purchaser may have paid shall be replaced to his credit by the receiver of public moneys for the district in which the land may lie, and such re-purchasers shall be allowed the same benefits of the extension of the time of payment created by this act, as though no such reversion had occurred: Provided, That such original purchaser shall make to the proper officer such application for such re-entry as is required by law for the entry of lands on or before the first day of July next, and that the land so reverted shall not have then been previously re-sold.

APPROVED, April 24, 1816.

CHAP. LXXVI.—An Act supplementary to an act, entitled "An act granting bounties in lands and extra pay to certain Canadian volunteers."

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That instead of the treasurer of the United States, as is prescribed by the third section of the act to which this is a supplement, the paymaster of the army of the United States be, and he is hereby, authorized and required to pay to each of the persons described in the act above recited according to the provisions thereof, three months' pay in addition to that to which they may have been previously entitled, according to the rank they respectively held in the army of the United States during the late war. APPROVED, April 26, 1816.

STATUTE I.

April 26, 1816.

Act of March 5, 1816, ch. 25. Further allowance of pay.

STATUTE I.

CHAP. LXXVII.—An Act declaring the assent of Congress to an act of the general April 26, 1816. assembly of the state of Virginia.

Assent of Con

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That the assent of Congress to a law of Virginia relagress is hereby given and declared to an act of the general assembly of tive to the naviVirginia, entitled "An act incorporating a company for the purpose of gation of James improving the navigation of James river from Warwick to Rockett's landing," which act was passed on the twenty-second day of February, in the year one thousand eight hundred and sixteen. APPROVED, April 26, 1816.

River.

STATUTE I.

CHAP. LXXIX.—An Act rewarding the officers and crew of the Constitution, for April 26, 1816. the capture of the British sloop of war Levant.

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 hereby is authorized to have distributed as prize money, to Captain Charles Stewart, late of the frigate Constitution, his officers and crew, the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars, for the capture of the British sloop of war Levant; and that the sum of twentyfive thousand dollars, out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated, be, and the same is hereby appropriated, for the purpose aforesaid.

APPROVED, April 26, 1816.

Reward for

capturing the sloop of Levant.

war

STATUTE I.

April 26, 1816. CHAP. LXXXI.—An Act establishing a port of delivery at the town of the Bayou St. John.

Bayou St.

entry.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the John a port of United States of America, in Congress assembled, That the town of the Bayou St. John, in the state of Louisiana, shall be a port of delivery; that a surveyor shall be appointed to reside at said port; that all ships and vessels bound to said port shall, after proceeding thereto, and making report and entry at the port of New Orleans, within the time limited by law, be permitted to unlade their cargoes at the said town of the Bayou St. John, or at the basin of the canal of Carondelet, adjoining the city of New Orleans, under the rules and regulations prescribed by law.

Act of Feb. 24, 1804, ch. 13.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That so much of the sixth section of the act of Congress, passed on the twenty-fourth day of February, one thousand eight hundred and four, entitled "An act for laying and collecting duties on imports and tonnage, within the territories ceded to the United States by the treaty of the thirtieth of April, one thousand eight hundred and three, between the United States and the French republic, and for other purposes," as is contrary to this act, is hereby repealed.

APPROVED, April 26, 1816.

STATUTE I.

April 26, 1816. [Obsolete.]

Valuations and

merly made to remain

un

changed, with same qualification.

Act of March

5, 1816, ch. 24.

Act of March

CHAP. LXXXII.-An Act supplementary to the act to provide additional revenues for defraying the expenses of government and maintaining the public credit, by laying a direct tax upon the United States, and to provide for assessing and collecting the same.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the assessments for- United States of America, in Congress assembled, That in regard to the direct tax imposed by the act of Congress, passed the fifth of March, one thousand eight hundred and sixteen, and to any other direct tax, that may be hereafter imposed, the enumerations, valuations, and assessments first made, or to be made, in virtue of the "Act to provide additional revenues for defraying the expenses of government, and maintaining the public credit, by laying a direct tax upon the United States, and to provide for assessing and collecting the same," passed the ninth of January, one thousand eight hundred and fifteen, shall remain unchanged, except insomuch as the respective amounts of tax may be affected by the augmentation or diminution of the aggregate tax laid, or to be laid, and the property so enumerated, valued and assessed, shall continue liable, with such qualification, to the taxes so assessed, subject only to the changes hereinafter provided for, and to those that may arise from the correction of errors, as authorized by the last recited act.

3, 1817, ch. 103. Act of Jan. 9, 1815, ch. 21.

Times to which the changes

that are made have reference.

Proviso.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the changes to be made in the said enumerations, valuations and assessments and in the subsequent revisions thereof, shall be relative to the first day of June in the present year, and in every subsequent year in which a direct tax may be imposed, shall be effected by the principal assessors, without the employment of assistant assessors, and shall extend to the supplying omissions of assessable property, to the transfers of real estate and slaves, to the changes of residents and non-residents, to the burning or destruction of houses or other fixed improvements of real estate, to the exemption of property that may have ceased to be assessable, and to the assessment of property that may have ceased to be exempted from assessment, to such other cases as the Secretary of the Treasury may find it necessary in the furtherance of justice specially to authorize, and to the birth or death of slaves, or their running away, or otherwise becoming useless: Provided, That changes in the last case shall be solely where the tax standing

chargeable to any person for slaves would be diminished by the valuation on the said first day of June of all those then owned by such person, excepting those obtained by transfer, in which case the reduction in the valuation shall be equal to the difference between the amount of the original and existing valuation.

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of each of the principal assessors, within fifteen days from the first of June, to attend in person, or in case of his sickness, by a deputy to be appointed by him, at six several places within his district most convenient to the inhabitants, the courthouses being of the number, except where they exceed six, and then at each courthouse within the district, for one full day at each place, for the purpose of receiving any information as to the changes as aforesaid, which may have taken place since the preceding assessment or revision, which information shall be given in writing under the signature of the person, whose tax may be affected thereby, of which attendance, and the object thereof the said principal assessor shall, on or before the fifteenth day of May preceding, cause notice to be given, which notice shall be inserted three times weekly in all the newspapers published within his district, and in handbills, to be posted up at all the courthouses therein; causing at the same time and in the same mode, notice to be given that he will attend to hear appeals relative to any such changes at the times and places hereinafter specified therefor.

SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That each of the said principal assessors shall, within ten days after the said fifteen days, according to the information so received, or to any other information satisfactory to him, revise the general lists for his district, and note in a supplementary form such changes as shall appear to him to have occurred, and shall within the said term of ten days, make out a distinct statement of each change, which shall include the name of the person so liable to tax, and the valuation of the property, and shall either cause the same to be delivered to such person, or to be put in the mail addressed to him or her, and directed to the post-office nearest to his or her abode, agreeably to the best information of the said principal assessor, with a notification of the times and places of hearing any appeals that may be made, as hereinafter provided for: Provided, 'That no such notice need be given to persons not residing within the district.

SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of the said principal assessor to attend at the several places aforesaid within his district, within fifteen days from the expiration of the ten days aforesaid, for at least one day at each courthouse, for the purpose of receiving any appeals that may be made in writing as to the changes aforesaid, which changes shall be open to the inspection of any person who may apply to inspect the same.

SEC. 6. And be it further enacted, That the changes aforesaid shall be made in the following manner, and according to the following principles, in addition to those hereinbefore stated, that is to say:

In all cases that relate to real estate, and to the transfer of slaves, other than is herein specially provided for, the rate at which the same were or would have been valued under the act aforesaid, passed the ninth of January, one thousand eight hundred and fifteen, shall, as near as may be, be maintained; excepting where a partial alienation of real estate shall occur, in which case the original tax shall be apportioned among the several parts according to their existing value.

In all other cases relative to slaves the valuation shall be made according to their existing value.

In cases in which real property shall have been once sold for taxes, and purchased on behalf of the United States, such property shall, notwithstanding, continue to be entered on the general lists, and the tax lists, in the name of the original proprietor, until the period allowed for