corporate, or voluntary association, or of having passed, uttered or published, or attempted to pass, utter or publish, as true, any such falsely made, altered, forged or counterfeited paper, writing or printed paper, to the prejudice of the right of any other person, body politic or corporate, or voluntary association, knowing the same to be falsely made, altered, forged, or counterfeited, with intent to defraud such person, body politic or corporate, or voluntary association, shall be sentenced to suffer imprisonment and labour, for the first offence for a period not less than one year nor more than seven years; for the second offence, for a period not less than three nor more than ten years. tences. § 12. And be it further enacted, That every person, duly con- Obtaining victed of obtaining by false pretences any goods or chattels, by false premoney, bank note, promissory note, or any other instrument in writing, for the payment or delivery of money or other valuable thing, or of keeping à faro bank or gaming table, shall be sen- Keeping tenced to suffer imprisonment and labour, for a period not less gaming table. than one year, nor more than five years: and every person, so offending, shall be a competent witness against every other person offending in the same transaction, and may be compelled to appear and give evidence in the same manner as other persons: but the testimony so given shall not be used in any prosecution or proceeding, civil or criminal, against the person so testifying. § 13. And be it further enacted, That every person, upon a Larceny. second conviction of larceny, where the property stolen is under, the value of five dollars, or upon a second conviction of receiving stolen goods, knowing them to be stolen, where the property stolen is under the value of five dollars, shall be sentenced to suffer imprisonment and labour, for a period not less than one nor more than three years. §14. And be it further enacted, That all capital felonies and Capital crimes crimes in the District of Columbia, not herein specially provided not specially for, except murder, treason, and piracy, shall hereafter be pun- provided for. ished by imprisonment and labour in the penitentiary of said district, for a period not less than seven nor more than twenty years. § 15. And be it further enacted, That every other felony, mis- Other offendemeanor, or offence not provided for by this act, may and shall cus. be punished as heretofore, except that, in all cases where whipping is part or the whole of the punishment, except, in the cases of slaves, the court shall substitute therefor imprisonment in the county jail, for a period not exceeding six months. remain in § 16. And be it further enacted, That all definitions and Former prodescriptions of crimes: all fines, forfeitures and incapacities, the visions, &c. to restitution of property, or the payment of the value thereof; and force. every other matter not provided for in this act, be, and the same shall remain, as heretofore. &c. § 17. And be it further enacted, That if any free person shall, Abduction of in the said district, unlawfully, by force and violence, take and free negroes, carry away, or cause to be taken and carried away, or shall, by fraud unlawfully seduce, or cause to be seduced, any free negro or mulatto, from any part of the said district to any other part of the said district, or to any other place, with design, or intention VOL. IV. 18 to sell or dispose of such negro or mulatto, or to cause him or her to be kept and detained as a slave for life, or servant for years, every such person so offending, his or her counsellors, aiders and abettors, shall, on conviction thereof, be punished by fine, not exceeding five thousand dollars, and imprisonment and confinement to hard labour, in the penitentiary, for any time not exceeding twelve years, according to the enormity of the offence. § 18. And be it further enacted, That nothing herein contained applicable to shall be construed to apply to slaves not residents of the District of Columbia; but such slaves shall, for all offences committed in said district, be punished agreeably to the laws as they now exist: Provided that this act shall not be construed to extend to slaves. [Approved, March 2, 1831.] This law not slaves. thorised to re fund certain duties. Act of 1830, c. 147, ante 2201. Proviso. CHAP. 275. An act for the relief of certain Importers of Foreign Merchandise. Secretary of § 1. Be it enacted, &c. That the secretary of the treasury shall Treasury au- be, and he is hereby authorised, to extend relief to any importer of foreign merchandise who may have been charged, under the provisions of the third section of the act entitled "An act for the more effectual collection of the duties on imports," passed the twenty-eighth day of May, one thousand eight hundred and thirty, with any duty in addition to the duties existing on such merchandise previous to the passage of said act, to the amount of such additional duty: Provided, Said merchandise shall have been imported previous to the first day of January last: Provided also, That no person shall be entitled to the relief authorised to be given by this act, who, by the exercise of reasonable diligence, by himself, or his agents, factors, or correspondents, could have complied with the provisions of the said third section of said act; and the secretary of the treasury shall require and receive satisfactory evidence, from every person claiming the benefits of this act, that such diligence has been used, and that he has acted bona fide, and without any intent to violate or evade the provisions of said third section, before he shall grant the relief herein provided. [Approved March 2, 1831.] CHAP. 297. An act for the relief of certain Insolvent Debtors of the Certain insol- § 1. Be it enacted, &c. That any person who was an insolvent vents to apply debtor on or before the first day of January last, and who is for discharge. indebted to the United States for any sum of money then due, which he is unable to pay, unless such person be indebted as the principal in an official bond, or for public money received by him, and not paid over or accounted for according to law, or for any fine, forfeiture, or penalty, incurred by the violation of any law of the United States, may make application in writing, under oath or affirmation, to the secretary of the treasury, for the purNature of ap- pose of obtaining a release or discharge of the said debt; which application shall state, as near as may be, the time when the applicant became insolvent, how soon thereafter he made known his insolvency to his creditors, the cause or causes, and the plication. thereon. amount of such insolvency; and also, all the estate, real and personal, which the said applicant owned at the time of his. insolvency, and the manner in which such estate has been disposed of; and what estate, if any, he has since owned, and still owns. § 2. And be it further enacted, That the secretary of the trea- Proceedings sury is hereby directed to transmit to the district attorney of the United States for the district or territory within which the said applicant shall reside, a certificate copy of the said application, with such instructions as he may think proper; and it shall be the duty of the said district attorney to lay the said copy of such application before the commissioner or commissioners of insolvency to be appointed by virtue of this act, and to appear and act before them as counsel in behalf of the United States. Duties. § 3. And be it further enacted, That the secretary of the Comm'rs to be treasury is hereby authorised and directed to appoint any appointed. number of commissioners of, insolvency he may think proper, not exceeding three in each judicial district or territory of the United States, who, before they enter upon the duties of their appointment, shall severally take an oath or affirmation before one of the justices of the Supreme Court, or before any judge of a District Court of the United States, that they will faithfully execute the trust committed to them and it shall be the duty of the said commissioner or commissioners to proceed publicly to examine the books, papers and vouchers of each of the said applicants; and they, or either of them, shall also be authorised to examine each of the said applicants, or any other person or persons, upon oath or affirmation, touching the said application: and it shall be the duty of the said commissioner or commissioners to make a report, in writing, to the said secretary, of the result of their examination in each case, therein particularly stating, as near as may be, the time when the applicant became insolvent, how soon thereafter he made known his insolvency to his creditors, the cause or causes, and the amount of such insolvency; and, also, all the estate, real and personal, which the said applicant owned at the time of his insolvency, and the manner in which such estate has been disposed of; and what estate, if any, he has since owned, and still owns. commission ers. § 4. And be it further enacted, That the secretary of the trea- Proceedings sury, after he shall have received the report of the said commis- upon report of sioner or commissioners, shall proceed to examine the circumstances of each case; and if it shall have been proved to his satisfaction that the said debtor is unable to pay the said debt or debts which he owes to the United States; that he hath done no act fraudulently to deprive the United States of their legal priority; that he has not been guilty of any fraud, nor made any conveyance of his estate, real or personal, in trust for himself, or with an intent to defraud the United States, or whereby to expect any benefit or advantage to himself or family; then and in that case, the said secretary may compromise with the said debtor, upon such terms and conditions as he may think reasonable and proper under all the circumstances of the case, and may execute a release to him or her for the amount of the said debt or debts which he or she may owe to the United States; which said release shall contain a recital that the foregoing particulars have been satis Proviso. False oath factorily proved to the said secretary: Provided, however, That the said release shall be rendered null and void, if it shall at any time be ascertained that the said insolvent debtor hath obtained the same upon false suggestions. § 5. And be it further enacted, That if the said insolvent made perjury. debtor, or any other person, shall falsely take an oath or affirmation under this act, he or she shall be deemed guilty of perjury, and shall suffer the pains and penalties in that case provided. Compensation 9. And be it further enacted, That each of the said commisof Comm'rs. sioners of insolvency shall receive five dollars per day for each day they shall be actually employed in the performance of their duty under this act; which sum together with the actual expense incurred for office rent and all other contingencies, provided the same shall not, in the whole, exceed two dollars per day, shall be apportioned among the several applicants by the said commissioner or commissioners, under the direction of the secretary of the treasury, according to the time occupied in the investigation of each case; and each of the said applicants, immediately after the investigation of his or her case shall be completed, by the commissioner or commissioners, and before the report shall be transmitted to the said secretary, shall pay his or her respective proportions of the same: and it shall be the duty of the said commissioner or commissioners to transmit with his or their report, in each case, a statement, under oath or affirmation, to the said secretary, of the time actually occupied in the investigation thereof and the amount which they shall have received from the said applicant. Comp. of D't. Annual report from Sec. of Treasury. $5,000 ap plicd. Act limited. 750 copies. Proviso: Proviso. § 7. And be it further enacted, That the compensation to be paid to the district attorney of each district and territory shall be five dollars for each day he shall be actually employed under the provisions of this act. §8. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of the secretary of the treasury to report annually to Congress the names of the applicants under this act, and the nature and amount of the debt or debts due from each to the United States; and, also, the names of those who shall have obtained releases, together with the terms of compromise in each case. 9. And be it further enacted, That the sum of five thousand dollars be, and the same is hereby, appropriated, to be paid out of any money not otherwise appropriated, for the purpose of carrying into effect the provisions of this act. § 10. And be it further enacted, That this act shall continue in force for three years, and no longer. [Approved, March 2, 1831.] CHAP. 300. An act making provision for a subscription to a compilation of Congressional documents. § 1. Be it enacted, &c. That the clerk of the House of Representatives be and hereby is authorised and directed to subscribe for seven hundred and fifty copies of the compilation of Congressional documents proposed to be published by Gales and Seaton: Provided, That the documents shall be selected under the direction of the secretary of the Senate, and clerk of the House of Representatives: And provided, also, That the price paid for the printing of the said copies, shall be at a rate not exceeding that of the price paid to the printer of Congress for printing the documents of the two houses. [Approved, March 2, 1831.] CHAP. 301. An act to provide for the punishment of offences committed in cutting, destroying, or removing live oak, and other timber or trees reserved for naval purposes. § 1. Be it enacted, &c. That if any person or persons shall cut, or Any person cause or procure to be cut, or aid, assist, or be employed in cut- cutting, &c. ting, or shall wantonly destroy, or cause or procure to be wantonly destroyed, or aid, assist, or be employed in wantonly destroying any live oak, or red cedar tree or trees, or other timber standing, live oak or, growing, or being on any lands of the United States, which, in &c. pursuance of any law passed, or hereafter to be passed, shall have been reserved or purchased for the use of the United States, for supplying or furnishing therefrom, timber for the navy of the United States; or if any person or persons shall remove, or cause Any person or procure to be removed, or aid, or assist, or be employed in removing, &c. removing from any such lands which shall have been reserved or purchased as aforesaid, any live oak or red cedar tree or trees, or other timber, unless duly authorised so to do, by order in writing, of a competent officer, and for the use of the navy of the United States; or if any person or persons shall eut, or cause or Any person procure to be cut, or aid, or assist, or be employed in cutting any cutting or, live oak or red cedar tree or trees, or other timber on, or shall &c. remove, or cause or procure to be removed, or aid, or assist, or be employed in removing any live oak or red cedar trees, or other timber from any other lands of the United States acquired, or hereafter to be acquired, with intent to export, dispose of, use, or employ the same in any manner whatsoever, other than for the use of the navy of the United States; every such person or persons so offending, on conviction thereof, before any court having competent jurisdiction, shall, for every such offence, pay a fine to pay a fine, not less than triple the value of the tree or trees, or timber so cut, destroyed, or removed, and shall be imprisoned not exceeding twelve months. &c. § 2. And be it further enacted, That if the master, owner, or Vessels emconsignee of any ship or vessel shall, knowingly, take on board ployed in tak any timber cut on lands which shall have been reserved or pur- ing away, &c. chased as aforesaid, without proper authority, and for the use of the navy of the United States; or shall take on board any live oak or red cedar timber, cut on any other lands of the United States, with intent to transport the same to any port or place within the United States, or to export the same to any foreign country, the ship or vessel on board of which the same shall be taken, transported, or seised, shall with her tackle, apparel, and furniture, be wholly forfeited to the United States; and the cap. to be forfeited; tain or master of such ship or vessel wherein the same shall have been exported to any foreign country against the provisions of fined. this act, shall forfeit and pay to the United States, a sum not exceeding one thousand dollars. Captain to be |