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PASSED AT FIRST AND SECOND SESSIONS OF FORTY-FIFTH CONGRESS.

ARMY AND NAVY.

Chap. CCLXIII.-An act making appropriation for the support of the Army.- From end after the passage of this act, all promotions in the Aimy, in each and every grade, arm, corps, and department thereof, shall cease; and thereafter no promotions or appointments shall be made to fill any vacancy which may occur or be created therein, until after such report of a joint committee, composed of three Senators and five members of the House, to whom the whole subject matter of the reform and reorganization of the Army is by this act referred, shall be made and acted upon by Congress: Provided. That this limitation shall not apply to the line of the Army below the rank of captain.

SEC. 15. From ard after the passage of this act it shall not be lawful to employ any part of the Army of the United States, as a posse comitatus, or otherwise, for the purpose of executing the laws, except in such cases and under such circumstances as such employment of said force may be expressly author. ized by the Constitution or by act of Congress; and no money appropriated by this act shall be used to pay any of the expenses incurred in the employment of any troops in violation of this section, and any person wilfully violating the provisions of this section shall be deemed guilty of a misde. meanor, and a conviction thereof shall be punished by fine not exceed na ten thousand dollars or imprisonment not excee ing two years, or by both such fine and imprison

ment.

NOTE-At first session of XLVth Congress, a section was inserted in the Army Bill fixing the rank and file of the Army at 25,000.

this act shall take effect; but as to all such rending in any court prior to the day when pending cases and all future proceedings therein, and in respect of all pains, penal. ties, and forfeitures which shall have been incurred under any of said acts prior to the day when this act takes effect, or which may be thereafter incurred, under any of those provisions of any of said acts which, for the purposes named in this act, are kept in force, and all peral actions and criminal proceedings for a violation of any of said acts, whether then pending or thereafter insti tuted, and in respect of all rights of debtors and creditors (except the right of commencing original proceedings in bankruptcy), assignees, under any or all of said acts, in and all rights of, and suits by or against any matter or case which shall have arisen prior to the day when this act takes effect which shall be on the first day of September, Anno Domini 1878), or in any matter or case which shall arise after this act takes effect, in respect of any matter of bankruptcy authorized by this act to be proceeded with after said last-named day, the acts hereby repealed shall continue in fall force and effect until the same shall be fully disposed of in the same manner as if said acts had not been repealed.

CURRENCY.

age of the standard silver dollar, and to reChap. XX.-An act to authorize the coinshall be coined, at the several mints of the store its legal-tender character.-That there four hundred and twelve and a half grains United States, silver dollars of the weight of Troy of standard silver, as provided in the act of January 18, 1837, on which shall be the devices and superscriptions provided by Chap. CCLX.-An act regulating the ap-dollars heretofore coined by the United said act; which coins together with all silver pointment of cadet-midshipmen and cadet-States, of like weight and fineness, shall be engineers in the Naval Academy and for other a legal tender, at their nominal value, for purposes.-Section 1,513 Revised Statutes is amended so as to allow in said academy al debts and dues, public and private, exbut one cadet-midshipman for every mem- in the contract. And the Secretary of the ber or delegate of the House of Representa. Treasury is authorized and directed to purcept where otherwise expressly stipulated tives, one for the District of Columbia, and chase, from t me to time, silver bulion, at ten appointed at large. Section 1,506 is amended so as to read as follows: Any offi-million dollars worth per month, nor more cer of the Navy may, by and with the advice than four million dollars worth per month, the market price thereof, not less than two and consent of the Senate, be advanced not and cause the same to be coined monthly, as exceeding thirty numbers in rank, for emi- fast as so purchased, into such dollars; and a nent and conspicuous conduct in battle or extraordinary heroism, and the rank of off-sum sufficient to carry out the foregoing cers shall not be changed except in accord: out of any money in the Treasury Lot other. provision of this act is hereby appropriated ance with the provisions of existing law, and by and with the advice and consent of the seigniorage arising from this commage shall wise appropriated. Senate. And any gain be accounted for and paid into the Treasury, the subsidiary coinage: Provided. That the as provided under existing laws relative to amount of money at any one t me invested in such silver bullion, exclusive of such resulting coin, shall not exceed five million dollars: And provided further. That nothing in this act shall be construed to authorize the payment in silver of certificates of deposit issued under the provisions of Section 254 of the Revised Statutes.

BANKRUPTCY.

Chap. CLX-An act to repeal the Bank. rupt Law.-That the Bankrupt Law ap. proved March 2, 1867, title 1, Revised Statutes, and an act entitled "An act to amend and supplement an act entitled An act to establish a uniform system of bank. raptcy throughout the United States, approved March 2, 1867, and for other purposes, approved June 22, 1874," and all acts in amendment or a ipplementary thereto or in explanation thereof, bo, and the same are hereby, repealed: Provided, however, That such repeal shall in no manner invalidate or affect any case in bankruptcy instituted and

or

of this act, the President shall invite the SEC. 2. That immediately after the passage governments of the countries composing the Latin Union, so-called, and of such other European nations as he may deem ad

visable, to Join the Unite-1 States poses. —That before making any contract for in a conference to adopt a common inland mal transportation, other than by ratio between gold and silver, for railroads and steamboats, except for tempothe purpose of establishing, internationally.rary service, the Postmaster-General shall the use of bi-metallic money, and securing cause to be published, in not exceeding ten fixity of relative value between those newspapers published in the State or Terrimetals; such conference to be held at such torv in which such service is to be let, once place, in Europe or in the United States, at a week, for six consecutive weeks preceding such time within six months, as may be the time of letting, a notice in displayed mutually agreed upon by the executives of type, that proposals will be received for the the governments joining in the same, performance of such service, and no other whenever the governments so invited,or any advertisement of miscellaneous letting shall three of them, shall have signified their wil- be required. lingness to unite in the same.

The President shall, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, appoint three Commissioners, who shall attend such conference on behalf of the United States, and shall report the doings thereof to the Presi. dent, who shall transmit the same to Congress.

Said Commissioners shall each receive the sum of two thousand five hundred dollars and their reasonable expenses, to be approved by the Secretary of State; and the amount necessary to pay such compensation and expenses is hereby appropriated out of any money in the Treasury hot otherwise appropriated.

SEC. 2. Hereafter no sub-letting or transfer of any mail contracts shall be permitted without the consent in writing of the Postmaster-General; and whenever it shall come to the knowledge of the Postmaster-General that any contractor has sub-let or transterred bis contract, except with the consent of the Postmaster-General as aforesaid, the same shall be considered as violated, and the service may be again advertised as herein provided for; and the contractor and his securities shall be liable on their bond to the United States for any damage resulting to the United States in the premises.

PENSIONS.

SEC. 5. *** No contract for such new service shall be for a longer time than one SEC. 3. That any holder of the coin author-year. No contract for carrying the mails ized by this act may deposit the same with between the United States and any foreign the Treasurer or any Assistant Treasurer of port shall be for a longer time than two the United States, in sums not less than ten years, unless otherwise directed by Condo lars, and receive therefor certificates of gress. not less than ten dollars each, corresponding with the denominations of the United States notes. The coin deposited for or representing the certificates shall be retained in the Treasury for the payment of the same on demand. Said certificates shall be receivable for customs, taxes, and all public dues, and, when so received, may be SEC. 4. All acts and parts of acts incon-both their feet, or the sight of both eyes in sistent with the provisions of this act are ceive, in heu of all pensions now paid them the service of the United States, shall rehereby repealed. by the Government of the United States, and there shall be paid to them, in the same manner as pensions are now paid to such persons, the sum of $72 per month.

reissued.

Chap. CXLVI.-An act to forbid the further retirement of United States legal-tender notes. That from and after the passage of

Chap. CCLXI.-An act to increase the pension of certain pensioned solaters and sailors who have lost both their hands or both their feet, or the sight of both eyes in the service of the country.-That on and after ors who have lost either both their hands or the passage of this act, all soldiers and sail.

this act it shall not be lawful for the Secretary of the Treasury or other officer under him to canc 1 or retire any more of the United States legal-tender notes. And when any of said notes may be redeemed or be received into the Treasury under any law from any source whatever and shall belongized and directed to place on the pensionto the United States, they shall not be retired, cancelled or destroyed, but they shall be reissued and paid out again and kept in circulation: Provided, That nothing herein shall prohibit the cancellation and destruction of muulated notes and the issue of other notes of like denomination in their stead, as now provided by law.

All acts and parts of acts in conflict herewith are hereby repealed.

Chap. XXVIII.-An act amending the laws graning pensions to the soldiers and sailors of the War of 1812, and their widows, and for other purposes.-That the Secretary of the Interior be, and he is hereby authorrolls the names of the surviving officers and enlisted and drafted men, with ut regard to color, including militia and volunteers, of the military and naval service of the United States, who served for fourteen days in the war with Great Britain of 1812, or who were in any engagement, and were lonorably dis charged, and the surviving widows of such officers and enlisted and drafted men.

SEC. 2. That the pensions under this act shall be at the rate of $3 per month from Chap. LXXIX.-An acı to prohibit the and after the passage of this act for and durcoinage of the twenty-cent piece of silver.-ing their natural lives: Provided. That the That from and after the pas age of this ac, the conage of the twenty-cent piece of silver, by the Government of the United States, be, and the same 19 hereby prohibited. And all laws in conflict with this act are hereby repealed.

MAIL-LETTING.

Chap. CVII.-An act to regulate the advertising of mail-lettings, and for other pur

ensions to widows provided for in this act shall cease when they shall marry again.

SEC. 3. That before the name of any person shall be placed upon the pension-rolls under this act, proof shail be made under such rules and regulations as the Commissioner of Pensions, with the approval of the Secretary of the Interior, shall prescribe, that the applicant is entitled to a pension under this act. The loss or lack of a certiti

cate of discharge shall not deprive the applicant of the benefit of this act, but other proof of the service performed and of an honorable discharge, if satisfactory, shall be deemed sufficient: Provided, That when any person has been granted a land warrant under any act of Congress for and on account of service in said War of 1812. such grant shall be prima facie evidence of his service and honorable discharge so as to entitle him if living, or his widow if he be dead, to a pension under this act.

claim agents and attorneys in pension cases.— That it shall be unlawful for any agent, attorney, or other person to demand or receive for his services in a pension case more than $10. No fee contract shall hereafter be filed with the Commissioner of Pensions in any case. Sections 4,768 and 4,769 of Revised Statutes, providing for the deduction from amount due pensioner of attorney's fees, etc., shall not apply to any case or claim hereafter filed, nor to any pending claim in which the claimant has not been represented by an SEC. 5. That the Secretary of the Interior agent or attorney prior to the passage of be, and he is hereby authorized and directed this act. Section 4,784 Revised Statutes. to restore to the pension-rolls the names of providing that no agent or attorney or other all persons now surviving heretofore pen-person shall demand or receive any other sioned on account of service in the War compensation for his services in a pension or of 1812, or for service in any of the bounty land claim, than such as the ComIndian wars, and whose names were stricken missioner of Pensions shall direct, not extrom the rolls in pursuance of the act auth-ceeding $25, is repealed, orizing the Secretary of the Interior to strike from the pension rolls the names of such persous as have taken up arms against the Government, or who have in any man. ner encouraged the rebels, approved Febru. ary 4, 1862, and that the joint resolution prohibiting payment by any officer of the Government to any person not known to have been opposed to the rebellion and in favor of its suppression, approved March 2, 1867, and Section 4,716 Revised Statutes shall not apply to the persons provided for by this act: Provided, That no money shall be paid to any one on account of pensions for the time during which his name remained stricken from the rolls.

PUBLIC LANDS.

Chap. CLII.-An act to provide for the publicution of notices of contest under the Homstead. Preemption, and Tree-Culture laws of the United States.-That the notices of contest now provided by law under the Homestead, Preemption, and Tree-Culture laws of the United States, shall after the passage of this act, be printed in some newspaper printed in the county where the land in contest lies; and if no newspaper be printed in such county, then the newspaper printed in the county nearest to such land.

Chap. CL.-An act_authorizing the citizens of Colorado, Nevada and the Territories SEC. 6. That the surviving widow of any to fell and remove timber on the public dopensioner of the War of 1812, where the main for mining and domestic vurposes.~ name of said pensioner was stricken from That all citizens of the United States and the pension-rolls in pursuance of the act ap- other persons, bong-tide residents of the proved February 4, 1862, and where. under state of Colorado, or Nevada, or either of the the existing provisions of law, said pensioner Territories of New-Mexico, Arizona, Utah, died without his name being restored to the Wyoming, Dakota, Idaho, or Montana, and rolls, shall be entitled to make claim for a all other mineral districts of the United pension as such widow arter the passage of States, shall be, and are hereby, authorized this act: Provided, That no such arrearages and permitted to fell and remove, for build. shall be paid for any period prior to the time ing, agricuitural, mining, or other domestic of the removal of the disability of the pen- purposes, any timber or other trees growing sioner, as provided in Section 5. And pro- or being on the public lands, said lands be vided further, That under this act any widowing mineral, and not subject to entry under of a Revolutionary soldier who served four existing laws of the United States, exteen days, or was in any engagement, shall cept for mineral entry, in either of said be placed upon the pension rolls and receive States. Territories, or districts of which a pension cf $8 a month. such citizens or persons may be at the time bona-flde residents, subject to such rules and regulations as the Secretary of the In-erior may prescribe for the protection of the tim ber and of the undergrowth growing upon such lands, and for other purposes: Frovided, The provisions of this act shall not extend to railroad corporations.

Chap. XXV.-An act to amend Section 4,778 of Revised Statutes, relative to the appointment of Pension Agents.-That when. ever during a session of the Senate a vacancy shall occur in the office of Pension Agent, by reason of resignation, death, removal or expiration of the term of office, or SEC. 2. That it shall be the duty of the reg where any such agent lawfully appointed ister and the receiver of any local land offico shall have failed to qualify and assume the in whose district any mineral land may be duties of such office, the President may, situated to ascertain from time to time when the public exigency requires it, desig. whether any timber is being cut or used nate any officer of the United States to per-upon any such lands, except for the purposes form the duties of such office, but such desig-authorized by this act, within their respecnation shall not be for a longer time than twenty days, and such officer so designated shall give bonds if required by the President for the faithful discharge of the said duties, and the Secretary of the Interior shail allow in the settlement of the accounts of such officer, the necessary expenses incurred by him in the discharge of his dutics under this act. The foregoing provisions stall apply to any vacancy now existing.

tive land districts; and, if so, they shall immediately notify the Commissioner of the General Land Office of that fact; and all necessary expenses incurred in making such proper examinations shall be paid and allowed such register and receiver in making up their next quarterly accounts.

SEC. 3. Any person or persons who shall violate the provisions of this act, or any rules and regulations in pursuance thereof made by the Secretary of the Interior, shall Chap. CCCLXVII.—An act relating to be d emed guilty of a misdemeanor, and,

upon conviction, shall be fined in any sum not exceeding $500, and to which may be added imprisonment for any term not exceeding six months.

Chap. CXLVIII.—An act for the relief of certain settlers on the public lands.-That it shall be lawful for homestead settlers on the public lands whose crops were destroyed or seriously injured by grasshoppers in the year 1876, who left their land in said year, if no other settlement shall have been made thereon by, or right or interest thereia accrued to. any other person, to return to said land at any time within three months from and after the passage of this act; and upon the return of such settlers to such land. such absence therefrom shall in no wise affect the original settlements or homestead rights, but such set:lers shall be allowed to resume and perfect their settlement, as if no such absence had occurred: Provided, That procf of such destruction or injury of crops, absence and return of such settlers, shall be made in such manner as the Commissioner of the Generai Land Office may prescribe.

debts contracted prior to the issuing of the final certificate therefor.

SEC. 7. That parties who have already made entries under the acts approved March 3, 1873, and March 13, 1874, of which this is amendatory, shall be permitted to complete the same upon full compliance with the provisions of this act, that is, they shall, at their time of making their final proot, have had under cultivation, as required by this act, an amount of timber sufficient to make the number of acres required by this act.

Chap. CXL.-An act for the relief of settlers on the public lands under the Preemp tion laws.-That any person who has made a settlement on public lands under the preëmption laws, and has subsequent to such settlement changed his filing in pursuance of law to that for a homestead entry upon the same tract of land, shall be entitled to have the time required to perfect his title under the homestead laws computed from the date of his original settlement heretofore made, or hereafter to bo made, under the preemption laws. subject to all the provisions of the law relating to homesteads.

Chap. CLXXXIX.-An act for the relief of settlers on thepublic lands under the preëingtion laws.-That any person who has made a settlement on the public lands under the proemption laws, and has subsequent to such settlement changed his filing in pursuance of law to that for a homestead entry upon the same tract of land, shall be entitled, subject to all the provisions of law relating to homesteads, to have the time required to perfect his title under the homestead laws computed from the date of his original settlement heretofore made, or hereafter to be made, under the preemption laws.

Chap. CXC.-An act to amend an act entitled An act to encourage the growth of timber on the Western Prairies.--That the act entitled An act to encourage the growth of timber on Western Prairies, approved March 13, 1874, be, and the same is hereby amended, so as to read as follows: That any person who is the head of a family, or who has arrived at the age of twenty-one years, and is a citizen of the United States, or who shall have filed his declaration of intention to become such, as required by the naturalization laws of the United States, who shall plant, protect, and keep in a healthy, grow. ing condition for eight years ten acres of timber, on any quarter-section of any of the public lands of the United States, or five Chap. LXXVI.-An_act * * * * making acres on any legal subdivision of eighty appropriations for detecting tresspass on acres, or two and one-half acres on any legal public lands, and for bringing into market subdivision of forty acres or less. shall be public lands in certain States and for other entitled to a patent for the whole of said purposes.-That all moneys heretofore, and quarter-section, or of such legal subdivision that shall hereafter be collected for depro of eighty or forty acres, or fractional sub-dations upon the public lands shall be cov division of less than forty acres, as the case ered in the Treasury of the United States as may be, at the expiration of said eight years. other moneys received from the sale of pubon making proof of such fact by not less lic lands: And provided further, That where than two credible witnesses, and a full com- wood and timber lands in the Territories of pliance of the further conditions as provided the United States are not surveyed anl in Section 2: Provided further, That not offered for sale in proper subdivisions, conmore than one quarter of any section shall venient of access, no money herein approbe thus granted, and that no person shall priated shail be used to collect any chargo make more than one entry under the provi- for wood or timber cut on the public lands sions of this act. in the Territories of the United States for the use of actual settlers in the Territorica, and not for export from the Territories of the United States where the timber grow: And provided further, That if any timber cut on the public lands shall be exported from the Territories of the United States, it shall be liable to seizure by United States authority wherever found.

SEC. 3. That if at any time after the filing of said affidavit, and prior to the issuing of the patent for said land, the claimant shall fail to comply with any of the requirements of this act, then and in that event such land shall be subject to entry under the homestead laws, or by some other person under the provisious of this act, Provided, That the party making claim to said land, either as a homestead-settler, or under this act, shall give at the time of filing his application, such notice to the original claimant as shall be prescribed by the rules established by the Commissioner of the General Land Office; and the rights of the parties shall be determined as in other contested cases.

SEC. 4. That no land acquired under the provisions of this act shall, in any event. become liable to the satisfaction of any debt or

Chap. CCCXIV.-An act for the relief of settlers on public lands.-That the provisions of an act of Congress approved March 3, 1877 (providing that settlers on the public lands where crops were destroyed or seriously injured by grasshoppers in 1877 may be absent therefrom until October 1, 1878, and that during such absence no adverse rights shall attach to said lands), are hereby extended to those settlers whose crops were

destroyed or seriously injured by the grass- States to the Government of Her Britannic hoppers during the year 1876.

TERRITORIES.

Chap. CCCXXIX-An act_making appropriations for the Legislative, Executive ana Judicial Expenses of the Government.-That from and after the adjournment of the next session of the several Territorial Legisla tures, the council of each of the Territories of the United States shall not exceed twelve members and the House of Representatives of each shall not exceed twenty-four members; and the several legislatures at their Dext sessions are directed to divide their respective Territories into as n.any council and representative districts as they desire, which districts shall be as nearly equal as practicable taking into consideration popu. lation, except "Indians not taxed."

TEXT OF THE FISHERIES AWARD AT HALIFAX,
NOVEMBER 23, 1877.

Majesty, in accordance with the provisions
of the said treaty.

Signed at Halifax, this 23d day of Novem-
MAURICE DELFOSSE.
ber, 1877.
A. T. GALT.

The United States Commissioner is of opinion that the advantages accruing to Great Britain under the Treaty of Washing. ton are greater than the advantages conferred on the United States by said treaty, and he cannot therefore concur in the con clusions announced by his colleagues.

And the American Commissioner deems it his duty to state further that it is questionable whether it is competent for the Board to make an award under the treaty except with the unanimous consent of its members. E. H. KELLOGG, Commissioner.

The following is the act of Congress on the subject:

The undersigned, Commissioners appointed under Articles XXII and XXIII Chap. CCCLIX.-An act making ap of the Treaty of Washington, of the propriations for sundry civil expenses of 8th of May, 1871, to determine having the Government.-That the sum of five and regard to the privileges accorded by the one-half million of dollars in gold coin be and United States to the subjects of Her Britan- the same is hereby appropriated out of any nic Majesty, as stated in Articles XIX and money in the Treasury not otherwise appro XXI of said treaty, the amount of any com- priated, and placed under the direction of pensation which in their opinion ought to the President of the United States, with be paid by the Government of the United which to pay the Government of Her BritanStates to the Government of Her Britannic nic Majesty the amount awarded by the Majesty in return for the privileges ac- Fisheries Commission, lately assembled at corded to the citizens of the United States, Halifax, in pursuance of the Treaty of under Article XVIII of the said treaty-Washington, if, after correspondence with having carefully and impartially examined the British Government, on the subject of the matters referred to them, according to the conformity of the awards to the requirejustice and equity, in conformity with the ments of the treaty and to the terms of the solemn declaration made and subscribed by question thereby submitted to the commisthem on the 15th day of June, 1877, sion, the President shall deem it his duty to make the payment without further communication with Congress.

Award the sum of $5,500,000 in gold, to be paid by the Government of the United

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS IN THE STATES.

CALIFORNIA.-A convention is in session. bly, the City of New-Orleans, and the parILLINOIS.-The following proposed amend-ishes to levy taxes. ment was voted on at the November election:

"The General Assembly may pass laws permitting the owners of lands to construct drains, ditches and levees, for agricultural, sanitary and mining purposes, across the lands of others, and provide for the organization of drainage districts and vest the corporate authorities thereof with power to construct and maintain levees, drains and ditches, and to keep in repair all drains, levees and ditches heretofore constructed by the State, by special assessments upon the property benefited thereby."

LOUISIANA.-Amendments having been agreed to by two-thirds of each House of the General Assembly, at the session of 1878, were submitted to a vote of the people at the late election:

1. Submits the question of location of State Capital: Baton Rouge or New-Orleans. 2. Provides that Representatives shall be chosen on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, every two years, and be elected on one day; the General As sembly to meet on the first Monday in Jaruary riennially, unless a different day be fixed by law.

3. Limits the power of the General Assem

4. Fixes the salary of members of the General Assembly at $500 per session of ninety days.

5. Prohibits the General Assembly from passing local or special laws changing venue in criminal cases, etc.

6. Fixes the salary of the Governor at $7.000 a year.

7. Fixes the salary of Lieutenant-Governor at double that of an Assemblyman.

8. Relates to the veto power, and authorizes the Governor to veto one or more items in any bill appropriating money, the remain. der to be valid.

9. Prohibits a salaried officer from having fees.

10. Relates to the judicial power, and creates Supreme Court, district courts and Justices of the peace.

11. Fixes the salary of the Chief-Justice at $7,000 a year, and the associates $6,500 cach.

12. Authorizes the General Assembly to divide the State into judicial districts, which shall be unchanged for four years, with a judgo learned in the law to be elected by a plurality of votes, and the number of dis tricts to be not less than thirty nor more than forty-five.

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