America, and admitted into the union on an equal footing with the Feb. 6, 1817. II. Resolution to employ John Trumbull, to compose and execute certain "paintings. Four paintings Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United to be placed in States of America, in Congress assembled, That the President of the the capito . United States be, and he is hereby, authorized to employ John Trumbull, of Connecticut, to compose and execute four paintings commemorative of the most important events of the American Revolution, to be placed, when finished, in the capitol of the United States. Approved, February 6, 1817. March 3, 1817. Public documents printed in royal octavo page. III. Resolution respecting contracts for the printing for Congress. Resolved by tlie Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That the secretary of the Senate, and the clerk of the House of Representatives, be directed, in making any future contract for the printing of Congress, to stipulate, and require, that the same, excepting only the bills, or when otherwise specially directed by either house, shall be done in royal octavo form, the size of the pages to be the same as those of the late edition of the laws of the United States; and that when any tables will not admit, with the use of a small type, of compression into that size, they shall be so printed as to fold conveniently into the volume. Approved, March 3, 1817. ACTS OF THE FIFTEENTH CONGRESS UNITED STATES, Passed at the first session, which was begun, and held at the City of Washington, in the District of Columbia, on Monday the first day of December, 1817, and ended on the twentieth day of April, 1818. James Monroe, President; Danield. Tompkins, Vice President of the United States and President of the Senate; John Gaillard, President of the Senate pro tempore, from December 1, 1817, to March 9, 1818, and from April 3, to April 20, 1818; Henry Clay, Speaker of the House of Representatives. STATUTE I. Chap. I.—An Act to abolish the internal duties. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That from and after the thirty-first day of December, one thousand eight hundred and seventeen, the internal duties on licenses to distillers; on refined sugars; licenses to retailers; sales at auction; carriages for the conveyance of persons; and stamped vellum, parchment, and paper, shall be discontinued; and all acts, and parts of acts, relative thereto, shall, from and after the said thirty-first day of December, be repealed: Provided, That, for the collection, recovery, remission, and receipt, of such duties as shall have accrued, and on the day aforesaid remain outstanding, and for the payment of drawbacks or allowances on the exportation of any of the said spirits or sugars legally entitled thereto, provided the exportation be effected previous to the first day of January, one thousand eight hundred and nineteen, and for the recovery and distribution of fines, penalties, and forfeitures, and the remission thereof, which shall have been incurred before and on the said thirty-first day of December, the provisions of the aforesaid acts shall remain in full force and virtue. Sec. 2. A,nd be it further enacted, That the offices of the collectors of the internal duties and direct tax shall continue in each collection district, respectively, until the collection of the duties above mentioned, and of the direct tax, shall have been completed in such district, and no longer, unless sooner discontinued by the President of the United States, who shall be, and hereby is, empowered, whenever the collection of the said duties and tax shall have been so far completed in any district as to render, in his opinion, that measure expedient, to discontinue any of the said collectors, and to unite, into one collection district, any two or more collection districts, lying and being in the same state; in which case, the collectors thereafter employed in the collection of the said duties and tax in such state or district, shall be appointed and removable by the President alone; and for the promoting of the collection of any of the abnvc Vol. Ill 51 2i2 401 Dec. 23, 1817. Duties abolished after the 31st Dec. 1817. Proviso; acts to remain in force Tor the collection, &c. of duties accrued, &c. Offices of collectors to continue until collection is completed, unless, &c. President empowered to discontinue collectors, unite collectiondiatricts, &c. Act of April 20,1818, ch. 83, see. 5. Proviso; as to additional allowances to collectors. Act of March 3,1815, ch. 100. Office ofcommissioner of the revenue to cease whenever, &c. Proviso; as to the endorsing unstamped bonds, notes, Ito. Proportionate deduction of duties for unexpired terms, &c. mentioned duties or tax, which may be outstanding after the said thirtyfirst day of December, the President of the United States shall be, and' he hereby is, empowered, at any time thereafter, to make such allowance as he may think proper, in addition to the commissions now allowed by law, to any of the collectors of the said duties and tax, and the same, from time to time, to vary: Provided, That the whole of such additional allowances shall not, in the aggregate, exceed five per centum of the amount of the duties and tax paid into the treasury after that day; and that the extraordinary allowances authorized by the second and fourth sections of the act, passed March third, one thousand eight hundred and fifteen, entitled "An act to fix the compensation, and increase the responsibility of the collectors of the direct tax and internal duties, and for other purposes connected with the collection thereof," shall, after the said thirtyfirst day of December, cease; and the office of commissioner of the revenue shall cease, and be discontinued, whenever the collection of the duties and tax above mentioned shall be completed, unless sooner discontinued by the President of the United States, who shall be, and hereby is empowered, whenever the collection of the said duties and tax shall have been so far completed as, in his opinion, to render that measure expedient, to discontinue the said office; in which case, the immediate superintendence of the collection of such parts of the said duties and taxes as may then remain outstanding, shall be placed in such officer of the Treasury Department as the Secretary, for the time being, may designate: Provided, however, That all bonds, notes, or other instruments, which have been charged with the payment of a duty, and which shall, at any time prior to the said thirty-first day of December, have been written or printed upon vellum, parchment, or paper, not stamped or marked accord ing to law, or upon vellum, parchment, or paper, stamped or marked at a lower rate of duty than is by law required for such bond, note, or othei instrument, may be presented to any collector of the internal revenue, oi collector of the customs within the state, and, where there [is] no such collector, to the marshal of the district, whose duty it shall be, upon the payment of the duty with which such instrument was chargeable, together with the additional sum of ten dollars; for which duty and additional sum the said collector or marshal shall be accountable to the treasury of the United States; to endorse upon some part of such instrument his receipt for the same; and thereupon the said bond, note, or other instrument, shall be, to all intents and purposes, as valid and available to the person holding the same, as if it had been or were stamped, or marked, as by law required; any thing in any act to the contrary notwithstanding. Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That all persons who shall obtain, or who shall have obtained, licenses for stills or boilers, or for selling by retail, or certificates for carriages, extending beyond the said thirty-first of December, shall be allowed a deduction from the duties paid or secured by them, proportionate to the part of their term which may remain unexpired on the said thirty-first of December; and the several banks or bankers which may have agreed to make the annual composition of one and a half per centum on their dividends, in lieu of the stamp duty, on the notes issued by them, shall pay only at the rate of one and a half per centum per annum on such dividends for the portion of a year that shall remain from the time of the last annual payment to the said thirty-first of December, to be estimated upon the dividend or dividends that have been or shall be declared and made by such bank or bankers, respectively, within a year from the time of such last annual payment; and in all cases in which payments shall have been made, or duties secured, for a term extending beyond the said thirty-first of December, on account of any certificates for the use of a carriage, or license to distil or retail, so much of the sums so paid or secured, as shall be proportioned to the part of the term which may remain unexpired, shall be refunded or remitted: Provided, That all duties on sales at auction effected, and on refined sugar removed, previously to the first day of January, one thousand eight hundred and eighteen, shall be paid in the same manner as if this act had not been passed. Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That all persons who shall, on or after the said thirty-first day of December, have any blank vellum, parchment, or paper, which has been stamped, and on which a duty has been paid to the use of government, shall be entitled to receive, from the collector of the district to whom it may be delivered, or from such other revenue officer in the respective states or districts as may be designated for that purpose by the Secretary of the Treasury, the value of the said stamps, after deducting, in all cases, seven and a half per centum; and the said officers are hereby authorized to pay the same: Provided, The said blank vellum, parchment, or paper, be presented within four months after the said thirty-first of December. Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, That on all sums that may be refunded in virtue of this act, as well as all sums received after the thirtyfirst day of December aforesaid, and before notice of this act, the collectors shall be allowed a commission of six per centum, to be charged by them in settling their accounts with the Treasury Department. Sec. 6. And be it further enacted, That in case a collector shall not have in his hands a sufficient sum out of which to refund the sums authorized to be refunded by this act, or to defray the expenses incident to the collection of the outstanding duties and direct tax, such repayments and expenses shall be made and defrayed out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated. Sec. 7. And be it further enacted, That if, on the settlement of the accounts of any collector relative to the direct tax and internal duties, balances shall be found due to and from him on the different accounts, they may be adjusted, so as to ascertain the final balances; and if this be in favour of the collector, it shall be paid out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated. Sec. 8. And be it further enacted, That the fifth section of the act, passed the third day of March, one thousand eight hundred and fifteen, entitled " An act to fix the compensation and increase the responsibility of the collectors of the direct tax and internal duties, and for other purposes connected with the collection thereof," shall cease after the thirtyfirst day of December,one thousand eight hundred axwlseventcen. Approved, December 23, 1817. ^^V; "^ Chap. IV.—JinM further to prolong the continuance of the MthTat Philadelphia, (a) Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That the act entitled "An act concerning the mint," approved March the third, one thousand eight hundred and one, is hereby revived, and continued' in force and operation for the further term of five years from the fourth day of March next. Sec 2. And be it further enacted, That during the continuance of the mint at the city of Philadelphia, the duties which were enjoined on the commissioner of loans for the state of Pennsylvania, by the second section of the act, entitled "An act concerning the mint," passed on the third day of March, one thousand eight hundred and one, shall be performed by the collector of the port of Philadelphia for the time being. Approved, January 14, 1818. Proviso; as to duties on sales at auction and on sugar removed. Value of stamps on hand to be refunded, &c. If presented within four months. Six per cent. to collectors, on sums refunded. Collectors not having sufficient sums in their hands to refund, &c., the money to be paid out of the treasury. Adjustment of balances on collectors' accounts. The 5th section of the act mentioned, to cease. Act of March 3,1815, ch. 100. Statute I. Jan. 14, 1813. Act to continue the mint at Philadelphia, continued for five years. The collector of the port to perform the duties enjoined on the commissioner of loans. Act of March 3, 1801, ch. 21. Statute I. Jan. 22, 1818. Eight dollars a day and eight dollars for every twenty miles' travel, to each senator, &c. In case of sickness. Eight dollars a day additional for the President of the Senate pro tempore. Proviso ; limitation of per diem. Proviso; as to the pay of senators for past travelling. Eight dollars a day, and eight dollars for every twenty miles'travel, to each representative and delegate. In case of sickness. Speaker entitled to eight dollars a day additional. Proviso! limitation of per diem. Chap. V.—An Act allowing compensation to the members of the Senate, members of the House of Representatives of the United States, and to l/ic delegates of the territories, and repealing all other laws on that subject. (a) Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That at every session of Congress, and every meeting of the Senate in the recess of Congress, after the third day of March, in the year one thousand eight hundred and seventeen, each senator shall be entitled to receive eight dollars for every day he has attended, or shall attend, the Senate, and shall also be allowed eight dollars for every twenty miles of estimated distance, by the most usual road from his place of residence to the seat of Congress, at the commencement and end of every such session and meeting; and that all sums for travel already performed, to be due and payable at the time of passing this act. And in case any member of the Senate has been, is, or shall be detained by sickness on his journey to or from such session or meeting, or, after his arrival, has been, is, or shall be, unable to attend the Senate, he shall be entitled to the same daily allowance. And the president of the Senate pro tempore, when the Vice President has been, or shall be, absent, or when his office shall be vacant, shall, during the period of his services, receive, in addition to his compensation as a member of the Senate, eight dollars for every day he has attended or shall attend the Senate: Provided always, That no senator shall be allowed a sum exceeding the rate of eight dollars a day, from the end of one such session or meeting to the time of his taking his seat in another: Provided also, That no senator shall receive more for going to, and returning from, the meeting of the Senate on the fourth day of March last, than if this act had not been passed. Sec. 2. And bejt further enacted, That at every session of Congress after the said third day of March, one thousand eight hundred and seventeen, each representative and delegate shall be entitled to receive eight dollars for every day he has attended, or shall attend, the House of Representatives, and shall also be allowed eight dollars for every twenty miles of the estimated distance by the most usual road, from his place of residence to the seat of Congress, at the commencement and end of every such session and meeting; and that all sums for travel already performed, to be due and payable at the time of passing this act. And in case any representative or delegate has been, is, or shall be, detained by sickness, on his journey to or from the session of Congress, or, after his arrival, has been, is, or shall be, unable to attend the House of Representatives, he shall be entitled to the same daily allowance. And the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall be entitled to receive, in addition to his compensation as a representative, eight dollars for every day he has attended, or shall attend the house: Provided always, That no representative or delegate shall be allowed a sum exceeding the rate of eight dollars a day, from the end of one session to the time of his taking his seat in another. Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That the said compensation, which (o) Acts of Congress relative to the compensation of members of the Senate and House of Representatives: An act for allowing compensation to the members of the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States, and to the officers of both houses. (Obsolete.) September 22, 1789, ch. 17. An act for allowing full mileage to the members of the Senate and House of Representatives. July 6, 1797, ch. 13. An act to change the mode of compensation to the members of the Senate and House of Representatives, and the delegates from the territories. March 19, 1816, ch. 30. An act to repeal, after the close of the present session of Congress, the act, entitled "An act to change the mode of compensation to the members of the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States, and the delegates from the territories." Feb. 6, 1817, ch. 9. An act allowing compensation to the members of the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States, and to the delegates of territories, and to repeal all other laws on that subject. Jan. 22, 1818, ch. o. |