City post-of-States be, and hereby is authorized to cause the city post-office, and the fice, and those offices of the superintendent and surveyor of the city of Washington, to of superintend. ent and survey- be immediately removed from the public building west of the President's or of the city to house; and that he cause to be built within the said public building, as many fire-proof rooms as shall be sufficient for the convenient deposit of all the public papers and records of the United States, belonging to, or in the custody of the state, war or navy departments.

be removed. Fire-proof

rooms to be erected in the public offices

west of the President's house.

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That the sum of twenty thousand dollars be appropriated for the purposes expressed in this act, out of any Appropriation. monies in the treasury, not otherwise appropriated.

STATUTE II.

APPROVED, April 28, 1810.

April 30, 1810. CHAP. XXXV.—An Act providing for the sale of certain lands in the Indiana territory, and for other purposes.(a)

Act of March

26, 1804, ch. 35. Certain lands

to which Indian title has been extinguished to

be added to the

districts of Cincinnati and Vin

cennes.

These lands

to be offered for sale to the high

est bidder. Conditions, places, &c. &c.

Lands unsold may be sold at private sale.

Compensation of the superintendents of the public sales.

Boundary be tween districts

of Vincennes and Jeffersonville

Sales to be regulated accordingly.

Certain claims

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That all that tract of land, to which the Indian title was extinguished by the treaty made at Fort Wayne, on the thirtieth day of September, in the year one thousand eight hundred and nine, lying west, and adjoining to the boundary line established by the treaty of Greenville, shall be attached to, and made a part of the district of Cincinnati; and the residue of the lands to which the Indian title was extinguished by the said treaty, and other treaties made at Vincennes in the same year, shall be attached to, and made a part of the district of Vincennes; and the said lands, with the exception of section number sixteen, which shall be reserved in each township for the use of schools within the same, 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 monies, at the places respectively where the landoffices are kept, and on such day or days as shall by proclamation of the President of the United States, be designated for that purpose; the sales shall remain open at Cincinnati one week, and at Vincennes three weeks and no longer; the lands shall not be sold for less than two dollars an acre, and shall in every other respect be sold in tracts of the same size, and on the same terms and conditions, as have been or may be provided for lands sold in the same districts; all the lands in the said tracts, with the exception above mentioned, remaining unsold at the close of the said sales, may be disposed of at private sale by the register of the respective land-offices, in the same manner, under the same regulations, for the same price, and on the same terms and conditions, as are, or may be provided by law for the sale of lands in the same districts,. and patents shall be obtained in the same manner, and on the same terms as for other public lands, sold in the same districts.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the several superintendents of public sales directed by this act, shall receive four dollars a day, for each day's attendance on the said sales.

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That from and after the first day of June next, the second principal meridian established by the surveyorgeneral in the Indiana territory, shall be the boundary between the districts of Vincennes and Jeffersonville; and the lands included in the said districts respectively, according to the boundaries above mentioned, shall become a part of the district in which they are included, and shall be sold at the same place, in the same manner, and on the same terms and conditions as the other public lands, lying in the same district.

SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That any person or persons entitled to land in the to donation lands, in the district of Vincennes by any former resolution or act of Congress, and who were minors, or did not reside within the

district of Vin

cennes.

(a) See notes to the act of March 26, 1804, chap. 35.

Mode of pro

ing them record

Indiana territory during the time allowed by law for registering claims to land within the said district, and whose claims have not heretofore been presented to either of the boards of commissioners for adjusting ceeding for havclaims to land at Vincennes and Kaskaskia, may, until the first day of November next, give notice, in writing, to the register of the land-office of the said district of their claims, and have the evidence of the same recorded in the same manner, and on payment of the fees provided by an act, entituled "An act making provision for the disposal of the public lands in the Indiana territory, and for other purposes;" and the right of any such persons neglecting to give such notice of his claim, and to have the evidence of the same recorded, shall become void, and for ever be barred.

SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That the register of the land-office and the receiver of public monies at Vincennes shall perform the same duties and exercise the same powers in relation to the claims filed with the register under this act, which by the last recited act were enjoined on, or vested in the commissioners designated by the said act; and it shall also be the duty of the said register and receiver, to make to the Secretary of the Treasury a report of all the claims thus filed with the register of the land-office, together with the substance of the evidence adduced in support thereof, with such remarks thereon as they may think proper; which report, together with a list of the claims, which in the opinion of the register and receiver ought to be confirmed, shall be laid by the Secretary of the Treasury before Congress at their next session, for their determination thereon; and the said register and receiver shall each be allowed an additional compensation of one hundred dollars, in full for their services in relation to such claims, and one hundred dollars for clerk hire.

SEC. 6. And be it further enacted, That a tract of land in the Illinois territory, at, and including Shawneetown, on the Ohio river, shall, under the direction of the surveyor-general, be laid off into town lots, streets and avenues, and into out lots, in such manner and of such dimensions as he may judge proper: Provided, the tract so to be laid off shall not exceed the quantity of land contained in two entire sections, nor the town lots one quarter of an acre each. When the survey of the lots shall be completed, a plat thereof shall be returned to the surveyorgeneral, on which the town lots and out lots shall respectively be designated by progressive numbers, who shall cause two copies to be made, one to be transmitted to the Secretary of the Treasury, and the other to the register of the land-office; and the lots shall be offered to the highest bidder at public sale, at the same time and place, on the same terms and conditions, (except as to the quantity of land,) as have or may be provided for the sale of the other public lands in the said territory: Provided, that no town lot shall be sold for a less price than eight dollars, nor any out lot for less than at the rate of five dollars an acre.

APPROVED, April 30, 1810.

Act of March

26, 1804, ch. 35. giving notice to be barred.

Persons not

Register of the land office of public monies at Vincennes, how affected by this act.

and the receiver

Compensation.

A tract of land in the Illinois territory to be laid off under direction of surveyor-general. The tract laid off into lots not to exceed the quantity in two sections.

No town lot

to be sold for less than eight dollars.

STATUTE II.

CHAP. XXXVI.—An Act to extend the time for making payment for the Public April 30, 1810. Lands of the United States in certain cases.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That every person who, prior to the first day of January, one thousand eight hundred and six, had purchased any tract or tracts of land of the United States, not exceeding in the whole, six hundred and forty acres, at any of the land-offices established for the disposal of said lands, whether such purchase was made at public or private sale, (sales by virtue of a pre-emption right only excepted,) and whose lands have not already been actually sold or reverted to the United States for non-payment of part of the purchase money,

Act of March

2,1809, ch. 26. tlers, with some exceptions, under purchases from the United States allowed further time to make their pay

Actual set

a

ments.

Two years al lowed for the

payment of the residue.

Mode of pay ment of the resi

due.

lands have re

verted to the U. States.

and who shall for the term of at least one year previous to the expiration of five years from the date of the purchase of the land, have actually inhabited and cultivated any one tract of land thus purchased, and the time for making the last payment on account of such purchase according to former laws, may have expired or shall expire on or before the first day of January next, shall be allowed a further term of two years, for the payment of the residue of the principal due on account of such purchase; which further term of two years shall be calculated to commence from the expiration of one year from and after the day on which the last payment on account of such purchase should, according to former laws, have become due, and shall be allowed only on the following conditions, that is to say: First, that all the arrears of interest on the land purchased to the end of one year, from and after the day on which the last payment on account of such purchase should, according to former laws, have become due, shall have been paid at or before the end of such year: Second, that the residue of the sum due on account of the principal of such purchase shall be paid with interest thereon, in two equal annual payments, viz: one half of the said residue with the interest, which may then be due thereon, within one year; and the other half of the said residue, with the interest which may then be due thereon, within two years after the expiration of one year, from and after the day on which the last payment on account of such purchase should, according to former laws, have become due. And in case of failure in paying either the arrears of interest, or each of the two instalments of principal, with the accruing interest, at the time and times above mentioned, the tract of land shall be forthwith advertised and offered for sale in the manner and on the terms and conditions now prescribed for the sale of lands, purchased from the United States, and not paid for within the limited time; and shall revert, in like manner, to the United States, if the sum due with interest, be not at such sale bidden and paid.

Provision in And in cases where any tract or tracts of land, not in the whole excases where the ceeding six hundred and forty acres, which have since the first day of January last, reverted to the United States, for default of payment, the original purchaser may again enter the same tract or tracts. And all monies which such original purchaser may have paid shall be replaced to his credit, by the receiver of public monies of the respective landoffices, 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, such original purchaser shall make to the proper land officer such application for such re-entry, as is required by law for the entry of lands, on or before first day of June next, and the land so reverted shall not have then been previously resold.

Proviso, that application be

made before June 1, 1810.

STATUTE II.

April 30, 1810. Repealed by act of March 3,

1825, ch. 64.

APPROVED, April 30, 1810.

CHAP. XXXVII.-An Act regulating the Post-office Establishment.(a)

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That there be established, at

(a) For the decisions of the courts of the United States on the duties and obligations of the "Postmaster General," "Postmasters," and "the Post-office," see act of May 8, 1794, chap. 23, vol. i. 363. Previous acts for the regulation of the Post-office department :

An act for the temporary establishment of the post-office. (Obsolete.) September 22, 1789, chap. 16. An act to continue in force for a limited time, "An act for the temporary establishment of the postoffice." (Obsolete.) August 4, 1790, chap. 36.

An act to continue in force for a limited time, "an act for the temporary establishment of the postoffice." (Obsolete.) March 3, 1791, chap. 23.

An act to establish the post-office and post roads within the United States. (Expired.) February 20, 1792, chap. 7.

General post

ed at the seat of

office establish

the seat of government of the United States, a general post-office, under the direction of a Postmaster-General. The Postmaster-General shall appoint two assistants, and such clerks as may be necessary, for perform- government. ing the business of his office. He shall establish post-offices and appoint postmasters, at all such places as shall appear to him expedient, on the Postmaster-Gepost roads that are or may be established by law. He shall give his assistants, the postmasters, and all other persons whom he shall employ, or who may be employed in any of the departments of the general postoffice, instructions relative to their duty. He shall provide for the carriage of the mail on all post roads that are or may be established by law, and as often as he, having regard to the productiveness thereof, and other circumstances, shall think proper. He may direct the route or road, where there are more than one between places designated by law for a post road, which route shall be considered the post road. He shall obtain from the postmasters their accounts and vouchers for their receipts and expenditures once in three months, or oftener, with the balances thereon arising in favour of the general post-office. He shall pay all expenses which may arise in conducting the post-office, and in the conveyance of the mail, and all other necesssary expenses arising on the collection of the revenue and management of the general post-office. He shall prosecute offences against the post-office establishment. He shall once in three months render to the Secretary of the Treasury a , quarterly account of all the receipts and expenditures in the said department, to be adjusted and settled as other public accounts. He shall also superintend the business of the department in all the duties, that are or may be assigned to it: Provided, that in case of the death, resignation or removal from office of the Postmaster-General, all his duties shall be performed by his senior assistant, until a successor shall be appointed and arrive at the general post-office to perform the business. (a) SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the Postmaster-General, and the all other persons employed in the general post-office, or in the care, custody or conveyance of the mail, shall, previous to entering upon the

An act to establish the post-office and post roads within the United States. (Obsolete.) May 8, 1794, chap. 23. An act in addition to the act entitled, "An act to establish the post-office and post roads in the United States." (Obsolete.) March 3, 1797, chap. 19.

An act to continue in force the 5th section of the act entitled, "An act in addition to the act entitled, An act to establish the post-office and post roads in the United States." (Obsolete.) March 28, 1798, chip. 24.

An act to establish the post-office in the United States. (Repealed.) March 2, 1799, chap. 43. An act further to alter and establish certain post roads, and for other purposes. (Repealed.) March 26, 1804, chap. 34.

An act to establish certain post roads, and for other purposes. (Repealed.) March 3, 1807, chap. 43. Acts relating to the post-office department, passed subsequent to the act of April 30, 1810, chap. 37. An act to provide additional revenues for defraying the expenses of government, and maintaining the public credit, by duties on sales at auction, and on licenses to retail wines, spirituous liquors, and foreign merchandise, and for increasing the rates of postage. (Repealed.) December 23, 1814, chap. 16.

An act in addition to the act regulating the post-office establishment. (Repealed.) February 27, 1815, chap. 65.

An act to repeal so much of an act passed on the 23d of December, one thousand eight hundred and fourteen, as imposes additional duties on postage, February 1, 1816, chap. 7.

An act in addition to an act to regulate the post-office establishment. (Repealed.) April 9, 1816, ch. 43. An act to reduce into one, the several acts establishing and regulating the post-office department, March 3, 1825, chap. 64.

An act amendatory of the act regulating the post-office department, March 2, 1827, chap. 61.

An act to increase the salary of the Postmaster General, March 2, 1827, chap. 62.

An act to change the organization of the post-office department, and to provide more effectually for the settlement of the accounts thereof, July 2, 1836, chap. 270.

A resolution to change the time of making contracts for the transportation of the mail, May 14, 1836. A resolution to enable the Postmaster-General more readily to change the commencement of the contract year in the post-office department, March 2, 1837.

An act making appropriations for the civil and diplomatic expenses of government for the year one thousand eight hundred and forty-two, May 18, 1842, chap. 29, sec. 1. Act of 1845, chap. 43.

A resolution in relation to the transmission of the British mail between Boston and Canada, and for other purposes, June 15, 1844. Act of March 3, 1845.

(a) Act of March 2, 1827. By the act of March 2, 1827, chap. 62, an addition to the salary of the Postmaster-General, of two thousand dollars was made.

duties assigned to them, or the execution of their trusts, and before they shall be entitled to receive any emolument therefor, respectively take and subscribe the following oath or affirmation, before some magistrate, Oath of office. and cause a certificate thereof to be filed in the general post-office: "I, A. B. do swear, or affirm (as the case may be) that I will faithfully perform all the duties required of me, and abstain from every thing forbidden by the laws in relation to the establishment of the post-office and post roads within the United States." Every person who shall be in any manner employed in the care, custody, conveyance or management of Violations of the mail, shall be subject to all pains, penalties and forfeitures for viotheir trusts to be lating the injunctions, or neglecting the duties required of him by the laws relating to the establishment of the post-office and post roads, whether such person shall have taken the oath or affirmation above prescribed or not.

punished, as if the persons concerned therein had not taken

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That it shall be lawful for the Postmaster-General to provide by contract, for the carriage of the mail on any road on which a stage wagon or other stage carriage shall be established, on condition that the expense thereof shall not exceed the revenue thence arising. It shall also be lawful for the Postmaster-General to enter into contracts for a term not exceeding eight years, for extending the line of posts, and to authorize the persons so contracting, as a compensation for their expenses, to receive during the continuance of such contracts, at rates not exceeding those for like distances established by this act, all the postage which shall arise on letters, newspapers, magazines, pamphlets and packets, conveyed by any such post; and the roads designated in such contracts shall, during the continuance thereof, be deemed and considered as post roads within the provision of this act and a duplicate of every such contract shall, within sixty days after the execution thereof, be lodged in the office of the comptroller of the treasury of the United States.

SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That no other than a free white person shall be employed in carrying the mail of the United States, on any of the post roads, either as a post-rider or driver of a carriage carrying the mail; and every contractor or person who shall have stipulated or may hereafter stipulate to carry the mail, or whose duty it shall be to cause the same to be conveyed on any of the post roads as aforesaid, and who shall, contrary to this act, employ any other than a free white person as a post-rider or driver, or in any other way to carry the mail on the same, shall for every such offence forfeit and pay the sum of fifty dollars; one moiety thereof to the use of the United States, and the other moiety thereof to the person who shall sue for and prosecute the same, before any court having competent jurisdiction thereof.

SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That the Postmaster-General shall be authorized to allow the postmasters at the several distributing offices such compensation as shall be adequate to their several services in that respect: Provided, that the same shall not exceed, in the whole, five per cent. on the whole amount of postages on letters and newspapers received for distribution: Provided also, that if the number of mails, received at and despatched from any such office is not actually increased by the distributing system, then no additional allowance shall be made to the postmaster.

SEC. 6. And be it further enacted, That whenever it shall be made to appear to the satisfaction of the Postmaster-General that any road established, or which may hereafter be established as a post road, is obstructed by fences, gates or bars, or other than those lawfully used on turnpike roads to collect their toll, and not kept in good repair, with proper bridges and ferries where the same may be necessary, it shall be the duty of the Postmaster-General to report the same to Congress with