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IN MISSISSIPPI.

For a light-house on the west end of Ship Island, twelve thousand dollars.

Mississippi.

IN LOUISIANA.

For a bug-light at Proctorsville, on lake Borgne, five hundred dollars.

For a light-boat on Ship shoal, near Dernier, or Last island, fifteen thousand dollars.

For a light-boat in Atchafalaya bay, as designated on the chart drawn by Captain Foster, provided the Fifth Auditor shall deem the same necessary for the protection of commerce, after causing a full examination to be made, twelve thousand dollars.

Louisiana

IN WISCONSIN.

For a light-house to guide vessels through the passage from lake Michigan to Green bay, called Port du Mort, three thousand five hundred dollars.

For a light-house at Port Washington, three thousand five hundred dollars.

For a bug-light on the government pier at Milwaukee, five hundred dollars.

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IN MICHIGAN.

For twelve buoys to be placed on the St. Clair fiats, in St. Clair river, eight hundred dollars.

For two beacon light-houses on Detroit river, one near Mamajuda, and the other on or near Grass island, or at such places as may be decided upon by the Fifth Auditor, after a Survey, seven thousand dollars.

IN NEW JERSEY.

For providing surf boat, rockets, carronades, and other necessary apparatus for the better preservation of life and property from shipwreck on the coast of New Jersey, between Sandy Hook and Little Egg Harbor, ten thousand dollars; the same to be expended under the supervision of such of ficer as may be detached for this duty by the Secretary of the Treasury.

Michigan.

New Jersey.

If the Fifth Auditor shall report

surveys are ne

the

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That if the Fifth Auditor shall report, in any of the cases herein provided for, that that preliminary preliminary surveys are necessary to determine the site of a cessary, the Secproposed light-house or light-boat, or to ascertain more fully what the public exigency demands, the Secretary of the Navy shall thereupon appoint one or more officers of the navy, possessing the requisite skill and experience, to perform the required service.

retary of
Navy shall ap-
point an officer to
vice required.

perform the ser

Duties of officers so appointed.

Reports of such

officers to be laid of the Treasury,

before Secretary

&c.

to make trial of

discovery.

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That any officer so appointed shall forthwith enter upon the discharge of the duty, and, after fully ascertaining the facts, shall report, first, whether the proposed facility to navigation is the most suitable for the exigency which exists; and, second, where it should be placed if the interests of commerce demand it; third, if the thing proposed be not the most suitable, whether it is expedient to make any other kind of improvement; fourth, whether the proposed light has any connexion with other lights, and if so, whether it cannot be so located as to subserve both the general and local wants of trade and navigation; and, fifth, whether there be any, and, if any, what other facts of importance touching the subject.

SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That all such reports shall, as speedily as may be, be laid before the Secretary of the Treasury, and if such as to authorize the work without further legislation, he shall forthwith proceed with it; otherwise, such report shall be laid before Congress at the next ensuing session; but in all cases where the Fifth Auditor does not report such preliminary examination as expedient, the provisions of this act shall without delay be carried into execution.

Appropriation SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That the sum of six for a light-house thousand dollars be, and the same is hereby appropriated, out Mr. Isherwood's of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated, to purchase lenses, and to fit up, under the direction of the Secretary of the Treasury, a light-house to make trial of Mr. Isherwood's plan of discriminating one light from another, and of determining the distance of a vessel from a light, if the said Secretary shall be of opinion that the discovery merits such a trial of its value.

Approved August 14, 1848.

ernment for Ter

established.

CHAP. 177.-AN ACT to establish the Territorial government of Oregon.

[SEC. 1.] Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress asTemporary gov. sembled, That from and after the passage of this act, all ritory of Oregon that part of the Territory of the United States which lies west of the summit of the Rocky mountains, north of the forty-second degree of north latitude, known as the Territory of Oregon, shall be organized into and constitute a temporary government by the name of the Territory of Oregon: Proviso as to In Provided, That nothing in this act contained shall be construed to impair the rights of person or property now pertain ing to the Indians in said Territory, so long as such rights shall remain unextinguished by treaty between the United States and such Indians, or to affect the authority of the government of the United States to make any regulation respecting such Indians, their lands, property, or other rights,

dians in said Territory.

Title to mission

ary stations con

said Territory reserved.

The executive power to be vest

by treaty, law, or otherwise, which it would have been competent to the government to make if this act had never passed And provided, also, That the title to the land, not exceeding six hundred and forty acres, now occupied as firmed. missionary stations among the Indian tribes in said Terri, tory, together with the improvements thereon, be confirmed and established in the several religious societies to which said missionary stations respectively belong: And provided further, That nothing in this act contained shall be construed to inhibit the governinent of the United States from dividing said Territory into two or more Territories, in such Power to divide manner and at such times as Congress shall deem convenient and proper, or from attaching any portion of said Territory to any other State or Territory of the United States. SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the executive power and authority in and over said Territory of Oregon ed in a governor shall be vested in a governor, who shall hold his office for his four years, and until his successor shall be appointed and qualified, unless sooner removed by the President of the United States. The governor shall reside within said Territory, shall be commander-in-chief of the militia thereof, shall perform the duties and receive the emoluments of superintendent of Indian affairs; he may grant pardons and respites for offences against the laws of said Territory, and reprieves for offences against the laws of the United States, until the decision of the President can be made known thereon; he shall commission all officers who shall be appointed to office under the laws of the said Territory, where, by law, such commissions shall be required, and shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed.

tenure of office, powers,

duties, and emol

uments.

Secretary; his

ties.

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That there shall be a secretary of said Territory, who shall reside therein, and hold powers and duhis office for five years, unless sooner removed by the President of the United States; he shall record and preserve all the laws and proceedings of the legislative assembly hereinafter constituted, and all the acts and proceedings of the governor in his executive department; he shall transmit one copy of the laws and journals of the legislative assembly within thirty days after the end of each session, and one copy of the executive proceedings and official correspondence, semi-annually, on the first days of January and July in each year, to the President of the United States, and two copies of the laws to the President of the Senate and to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, for the use of Congress. And in case of the death, removal, resignation or absence of the governor from the Territory, the secretary shall be, and he is hereby, authorized and required to execute and perform all the powers and duties of the governor during such vacancy or absence, or until another governor shall be duly appointed and qualified to fill such vacancy.

13

In case of death,

resignation, or reor, the secretary

moval of govern

to act as gov.

ernor.

sembly to consist

sentatives.

Legislative as. SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That the legislative of a council and power and authority of said Territory shall be vested in a house of repre- legislative assembly. The legislative assembly shall consist of a council and house of representatives. The council shall: consist of nine members, having the qualifications of voters as hereinafter prescribed, whose term of service shall continue three years. Immediately after they shall be assembled, in consequence of the first election, they shall be divided as equally as may be into three classes. The seats of the members of council of the first class shall be vacated at the expiration of the first year; of the second class at the expiration of the second year; and of the third class at the expiration of the third year, so that one third may be chosen every year; and if vacancies happen by resignation or otherwise, the same shall be filled at the next ensuing election. The house of representatives shall, at its first session, consist of eighteen members, possessing the same qualifications as prescribed for members of the council, and whose term of service shall continue one year. The number of representatives may be increased by the legislative assembly from time to time, in proportion to the increase of qualified voters: Provided, That the whole number shallnever exceed thirty. An apportionment shall be made, as nearly equal as practicable, among the several counties. of or districts, for the election of the council and representamembers of legis tives, giving to each section of the Territory representation in the ratio of its qualified voters, as nearly as may be. And the members of the council and of the house of representatives shall reside in and be inhabitants of the district, or county, or counties, for which they may be Previous to first elected respectively. Previous to the first election, the

Proviso.

Election

lative council.

taken.

manner of holding •lections.

election, gover. shall cause a census or enumeration of the inhabitnor shall cause a governor census to be ants and qualified voters of the several counties and districts of the Territory to be taken by such persons, and in such mode, as the governor shall designate and appoint; and the persons so appointed shall receive a reasonable compenTime, place, and Sation therefor; and the first election shall be held at such time and places, and be conducted in such manner, both as to the persons who shall superintend such election, and the returns thereof, as the governor shall appoint and direct; and he shall, at the same time, declare the number of members of the council and house of representatives to which each of the counties or districts shall be entitled under this act; and the governor shall, by his proclamation, give at least sixty days previous notice of such apportionment, and of the time, places, and manner of holding such election. The persons having the highest number of legal votes in each of said council districts for members of the council shall be declared by the governor to be duly elected to the council; and the persons having the highest number of legal votes for the house of representatives shall be declared by the governor to Proviso be duly elected members of said House: Provided, That, in

case two or more persons voted for shall have an equal number of votes, and in case a vacancy shall otherwise occur, in either branch of the legislative assembly, the governor shall order a new election, and the persons thus elected to the legislative assembly shall meet at such place, and on such day, within ninety days after such elections, as the governor shall appoint; but, thereafter, the time, place, and manner of holding and conducting all elections by the people, and the apportioning the representation in the several counties or districts. to the council and house of representatives, according to the number of qualified voters, shall be prescribed by law, as well as the day of the commencement of the regular sessions of the legislative assembly: Provided, That no session in any one year shall exceed the term of sixty days, except the first session, which shall not be prolonged beyond one hundred days.

Term of ses

sions limited.

Qualifications of

voters.

of

Proviso-right

suffrage and of be exercised only United States and have taken preliminary steps for

holding office to

by citizens of the

those who shall

naturalization.

the

army or navy the United States shall be

SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That every white male inhabitant above the age of twenty-one years, who shall have been a resident of said Territory at the time of the passage of this act, and shall possess the qualifications hereinafter prescribed, shall be entitled to vote at the first election, and shall be eligible to any office within the said Territory; but the qualifications of voters and of holding office, at all subse quent elections, shall be such as shall be prescribed by the legislative assembly: Provided, That the right of suffrage and of holding office shall be exercised only by citizens of the United States above the age of twenty-one years, and those above that age who shall have declared, on oath, their inten. tion to become such, and shall have taken an oath to support the constitution of the United States and the provisions of this act : And provided further, That no officer, soldier, sea- No person beman, or marine, or other person in the army or navy of the longing to United States, or attached to troops in the service of the Uni. of ted States, shall be allowed to vote in said Territory, by allowed to vote in reason of being on service therein, unless said Territory is said Territory unand has been for the period of six months his permanent his permanent domicil: Provided further, That no person belonging to the months, &c. army or navy of the United States shall ever be elected to or longing to army hold any civil office or appointment in said Territory. SEC. 6. And be it further enacted, That the legislative power of the Territory shall extend to all rightful subjects of legislation not inconsistent with the constitution and laws of the United States; but no law shall be passed interfering with the primary disposal of the soil; no tax shall be imposed upon the property of the United States; nor shall the lands or other property of non-residents be taxed higher than the lands or other property of residents. All the laws passed by the legislative assembly shall be submitted to the Congress of the United States, and if disapproved, shall be null and of no effect: Provided, That nothing in this act shall Proviso-nothbe construed to give power to incorporate a bank, or any in- shall be stitution with banking powers, or to borrow money in the strued as giving

less it has been

domicil for six

No person be.

and navy of the United States

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shall be elected any civil office. lative power.

Extent of legis.

con

power to charter

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