armed vessels. crew of private of the Treasury be, and he is hereby authorized and required to settle and pay unto the owners, officers and crew of private armed vessels, the bounty allowed by law for prisoners captured and brought into port, and delivered to the agent of the United States, captured on board any British vessel after the exchange of the ratifications of the treaty of peace between the United States and Great Britain, but before the said treaty took effect in the latitude wherein the capture was made; and the Secretary of the Treasury is hereby authorized to pay the aforesaid claims out of any moneys in the treasury not otherwise appropriated. Appropriation. APPROVED, April 29, 1816. STATUTE I. April 29, 1816. [Obsolete.] Compensation sioners, &c. &c. fixed. CHAP. CXLIX.-An Act for settling the compensation of the commissioners, clerk, and translator of the board for land claims in the eastern and western district of the territory of Orleans, now state of Louisiana. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United of the commis States of America, in Congress assembled, That the proper accounting officers of the Treasury, in settling the accounts for compensation to the commissioners, the clerk and translator of the board for adjusting the titles and claims to lands in the eastern and western district of the territory of Orleans, now state of Louisiana, shall allow to them respectively, for the time they were actually employed in discharge of the duties aforesaid, at the rate of the following annual compensation: to each of the commissioners, two thousand dollars; to the clerk, one thousand five hundred dollars; and to the translator one thousand dollars: which allowance shall commence, for the commissioners, clerk and translator for the eastern district, on the first of July, one thousand eight hundred and nine, and continue until the first day of May, one thousand eight hundred and eleven, and for the commissioners, clerk and translator for the western district, on the first day of January, one thousand eight hundred and eleven, and continue until the eleventh day of May, one thousand eight hundred and fifteen, and shall include the moneys they may have received, or are entitled to, according to the existing laws, and shall be in full for all service rendered by them in relation to the lands within the said district. APPROVED, April 29, 1816. CHAP. CL.-An Act making an appropriation for enclosing and improving the public square near the capitol; and to abolish the office of commissioners of the public buildings, and of superintendent, and for the appointment of one commissioner for the public buildings. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That a sum not exceeding thirty thousand dollars be, and the same is hereby appropriated, to be applied under the direction of the President of the United States, to enclosing and improving the public square, east of the capitol, which sum shall be paid out of any money in the treasury, not otherwise appropriated. SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That so much of any act or acts, as authorizes the appointment of three commissioners for the superintendence of the public buildings, be, and the same is hereby repealed: and in lieu of the said commissioners, there shall be appointed by the President of the United States, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, one commissioner, who shall hold no other office under the authority of the United States, and who shall perform all the duties with which the said three commissioners were charged, and whose duty it shall also be to contract for, and superintend the enclosing and improvements of the public square, under the direction [of the President] of the United States. SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That there shall be allowed to the said commissioner a salary of two thousand dollars, to be paid quarterly, out of any moneys in the treasury not otherwise appropriated. SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of such persons as may have been appointed to superintend the repairing of the public buildings, to deliver up unto the commissioner who shall be appointed in virtue of this act, all plans, draughts, books, records, accounts, contracts, bonds, obligations, securities and other evidence of debt in their possession which belong to their offices. SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That from and after the third day of March next, the office of superintendent, established by act of Congress of first May, one thousand eight hundred and two, shall cease, and thereafter the duties of said office shall be performed by the commissioner to be appointed by virtue of this act; and to whom the superintendent shall deliver all documents, securities, books and papers, relating to said office; and from and after the third of March next, the commis sioner aforesaid shall be vested with all the powers and perform all the duties, conferred upon the superintendent aforesaid. SEC. 6. And be it further enacted, That the President of the United States shall be, and hereby is, authorized and empowered, in repairing the public buildings in the city of Washington, to make such alterations in the plans thereof, respectively, as he shall judge proper for the better accommodation of the two houses of Congress, the President of the United States, and the various departments of the government, or any of them. APPROVED, April 29, 1816. CHAP. CLI.-An Act to provide for the appointment of a surveyor of the public April 29, 1816. lands in the territories of Illinois and Missouri. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That a surveyor of the lands of the United States in the territories of Illinois and Missouri shall be appointed, whose duty it shall be to engage a sufficient number of skilful surveyors as his deputies, and to cause so much of the land above-mentioned, as the President of the United States shall direct, and to which the titles of the Indian tribes have been extinguished, to be surveyed and divided in the manner, and to do and perform all such other acts in relation to such lands, as the surveyor general is authorized and directed to do, in relation to the same, or the lands lying north-west of the river Ohio: and it shall also be the duty of the surveyor to cause to be surveyed the lands in the said territories, the claims to which have been or hereafter may be confirmed by any act of Congress, which have not already been surveyed according to law and generally to do and perform all and singular the duties required by law to be performed by the principal deputy surveyor for the territory of Missouri; and shall transmit to the registers of the land offices within the said territories, respectively, general and particular plats of all the lands surveyed, or to be surveyed, and shall also forward copies of said plats to the commissioner of the general land office; fix the compensation of the deputy surveyors, chain carriers, and axemen. Provided, that the whole expense of surveying and marking the lines shall not exceed three dollars for every mile that shall be run, surveyed and marked. SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the surveyor of the lands of the United States, appointed in pursuance of this act, shall be allowed an annual compensation of one thousand dollars, and shall be entitled to Surveyor of public lands in the territories of Illinois and Missouri to be appointed-his duties. Duties. Proviso. His compensation, annual, and fees of office. receive from individuals the following fees: that is to say, for recording the surveys executed by any of the deputies, at the rate of twenty-five cents for every mile of the boundary line of such survey, and for a certified copy of a plat of a survey in his office twenty-five cents, and that all the plats of surveys, and all other papers and documents pertaining, or which did pertain to the office of the surveyor general under the Spanish government within the limits of the territory of Missouri, or to the office of principal deputy surveyor for said territory, or pertaining to the office of surveyor general, or to any office heretofore established or authorized for the purpose of executing or recording surveys of lands within the limits of the territories of Missouri and Illinois, shall be delivered to the surveyors of the lands of the United States, authorized to His plats and be appointed by this act; and any plat of survey duly certified by the said surveyor shall be admitted as evidence in any of the courts of the United States or territories thereof. surveys made evidence. Part of the 1806, ch. 11. SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That so much of the act entitled act of Feb. 28, "An act extending the powers of the surveyor general to the territory of Louisiana, and for other purposes," passed February twenty-eighth, one thousand eight hundred and six, as provides for the appointment of a principal deputy surveyor, and so much of any act of Congress here[to]fore passed, as is repugnant to, or inconsistent with, any provision of this act, be, and the same is hereby repealed. Repealed. APPROVED, April 29, 1816. STATUTE I. April 29, 1816. CHAP. CLII.-An Act making appropriations for carrying into effect a treaty between the United States and the Cherokee tribe of Indians, concluded at Wash ington, on the twenty-second day of March, one thousand eight hundred and Appropriation. sixteen. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That for the purpose of carrying into effect a treaty between the United States and the Cherokee nation of Indians, concluded and signed at Washington, on the twenty-second day of March, one thousand eight hundred and sixteen, the sum of twenty-eight thousand six hundred dollars be, and the same is hereby appropriated, to be paid out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated. APPROVED, April 29, 1816. STATUTE I. April 29, 1816. Certain lands set apart for Canadian and Nova Scotia re fugees, not yet land district of Chillicothe. Act of Feb. CHAP. CLIII.-An act providing for the sale of certain lands in the state of Ohio, formerly set apart for refugees from Canada and Nova Scotia. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That such part of the tract of land which was set apart for refugees from Canada and Nova Scotia, by the act of Congress, passed the eighteenth day of February, one thousand eight hundred and one, entitled "An act regulating the grants of land appropriated for the refugees from the British provinces of Canada, and Nova Scotia," which has not been located by the said refugees, shall be attached to, and made a part of the land district of Chillicothe; and the said unlocated land shall be offered for sale to the highest bidder, under the direction of the register of the land office and of the receiver of public moneys for the said district, at Chillicothe, on such day as shall, by proclamation of the President of the United States, To be exposed be designated for that purpose; the sale shall remain open six days, and to sale, and sold to the highest no longer; the lands shall not be sold for less than two dollars an acre, bidder. and shall in every other respect be sold in tracts of the same size, and on 18, 1801, ch. 5. the same terms and conditions as have been or may be provided for lands in the said district. All the said unlocated land, remaining unsold at the close of the public sales, may be disposed of at private sale by the register of the said land office, in the same manner, under the same regulations, for the same price, and on the same terms as are or may be provided by law for the sale of lands in the said district; and patents shall be obtained in the same manner, and on the same terms, as for other public lands in the said district. SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the superintendents of the public sales directed by this act shall each receive four dollars a day for each day's attendance on the said sales. APPROVED, April 29, 1816. CHAP. CLIV. An Act supplemental to the act, entitled "An act regulating and defining the duties of the judges of the territory of Illinois, and for vesting in the courts of the territory of Indiana, a jurisdiction in chancery cases, arising in the said territory." Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That when a new county shall be established in the territory of Illinois by the legislature thereof, such new county shall be attached to the judicial circuit from which the largest portion thereof is taken; and it shall be the duty of the judges allotted to such circuit, in pursuance of the act to which this is a supplement, to hold courts in such new county twice in each year, at such time and place as the legislature of the territory may designate. SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That when any judge in the said territory shall be unable to hold the courts within the circuit to which he is allotted, by reason of any disability, it shall be the duty of the judge allotted to the circuit nearest thereto, to hold the courts in such circuit, until the disability of the judge allotted to the circuit shall be removed, or (in case of the death or resignation of a judge) until a successor is appointed. Judges to ap courts. SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That the judge of any circuit within the said territory shall have power to appoint a clerk to each point clerks of court within his court [circuit], and to fill any vacancy occasioned by the death or resignation of the clerk. SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That when any person charged with felony, shall be committed to prison in any county within the territory aforesaid, it shall be lawful for the governor of the territory to issue his writ, directed to the judge allotted to the circuit including the county where such accused person may be committed, commanding him to hold a court of oyer and terminer, for the trial of the accused; and it shall be the duty of the judge to whom such writ is directed, to hold the court at the courthouse of the county at such time as may be specified in such writ; and all process issued, or proceeding had before the writ shall be issued, shall be returned to the said court of oyer and terminer. SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That this act, and the act to which this is supplemental, shall be and remain in force until the end of the next session of the legislature of the said territory, and no longer; and the legislature of the said territory shall have power and authority to make laws in all cases, for the good government of the territory aforesaid, not repugnant to the principles and articles of the ordinances, and to organize the courts of the said territory, and prescribe the times and places of their session. SEC. 6. And be it further enacted, That the general court of the Courts of oyer and termiof persons charged with felonies to be held upon the order of the governor. ner for the trial Limitation of this act, and of the one to which it is supplemen tal. Legislative power-how to be exercised. Chancery jurisdiction conferred upon the general court of Indiana. territory of Indiana be, and it is hereby authorized and empowered to exercise chancery powers as well as a common law jurisdiction, under such regulations as the legislature of said territory may prescribe. APPROVED, April 29, 1816. STATUTE I.. April 29, 1816. Act of June 4, 1812, ch. 95. 2, 1819, ch. 49. Electors to Act of March choose mem bers of legisla tive council. Act of June 4, 1812, ch. 95. Biennial meetings of the general assem bly to be held at St. Louis. Proviso. Judges of the superior court may be required by the general assembly to hold superior and circuit CHAP. CLV.-An Act to alter certain parts of the act providing for the govern ment of the territory of Missouri. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That the electors of the territory of Missouri, entitled to vote for members of the house of representatives of the territory at the time of electing the representatives to the general assembly, shall in each county in said territory elect one member of the legislative council to serve for two years and no longer, qualified according to the provisions of the fifth section of the "Act providing for the government of the territory of Missouri," passed June fourth, one thousand eight hundred and twelve, a majority of whom shall be a quorum, and shall possess the same powers as are granted to the legislative council by the said recited act; and in case of a vacancy of a member of the legislative council by resignation or otherwise, the governor of the territory shall issue a writ to the county to elect another person to serve the residue of the term. SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That so much of the eighth section of the said recited act as requires the general assembly of said territory to meet once in each year be repealed, and the said general assembly shall meet once in every other year at St. Louis, and such meeting shall be on the first Monday in December, unless they shall by law appoint a different day: Provided, That the governor for the time being shall have authority by proclamation to convene the general assembly whenever he shall deem the interest of the territory may require it. SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That the general assembly of the said territory shall be, and are hereby authorized, to require the judges of the superior court of the said territory to hold superior and circuit courts, to appoint the times and places of holding the same, and under such rules and regulations as the general assembly may in that behalf prescribe; courts at the the circuit courts shall be composed of one of the said judges, and shall times and un- have jurisdiction in all criminal cases, and exclusive original jurisdiction der rules to be in all those which are capital, and original jurisdiction in all civil cases prescribed by of the value of one hundred dollars, and the superior and circuit courts shall possess and exercise chancery powers as well as common law jurisdiction in all civil cases; Provided, That there shall be an appeal in matters of law and equity, in all cases from the circuit courts to the superior court of the said territory. it. Proviso. Repeal of parts of former acts. STATUTE I. April 29, 1816. Act of March 3, 1807, ch. 36. Preamble. SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That such part of the said recited acts as is repugnant to, or inconsistent with the provisions of this act, be, and the same is hereby repealed. APPROVED, April 29, 1816. CHAP. CLIX.-An Act for the confirmation of certain claims to land in the western district of the state of Louisiana and in the territory of Missouri. WHEREAS by the eighth section of the act of third [of] March, one thousand eight hundred and seven, it is required that the commissioners for ascertaining and adjusting the titles and claims to land in the then territories of Orleans and Louisiana, should arrange their reports into three general classes, the second of which classes should contain claims which, though not embraced by the provisions of the several acts of Congress, ought nevertheless, in the opinion of the commissioners, to be confirmed, |