ACTS OF THE FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES: Passed at the second session, which was begun and held at the City of Washington, in the District of Columbia, on Monday, the 16th day of November, 1818, and ended on the 3d day of March, 1819. JAMES MONROE, President. DANIEL D. TOMPKINS, Vice President, and President of the Senate. HENRY CLAY, Speaker of the House of Representatives. [Note.-John Gaillard signed the Acts, as President of the Senate pro tempore, from the Sd of December, 1818, to the 8th of January, 1819; Daniel D. Tompkins from the 19th of January to the 16th of February, 1819; and James Barbour signed them, as President of the Senate pro tempore, from the 20th of February to the 3d of March, 1819; all inclusive.} CHAP. 128. An act concerning the western district court of Pennsylvania. Vol. iii. p. 1708. 1957. tion, &c. de undetermined' on be discontinued or abated, the western § 1. Be it enacted, &c. That no suit, action, plea, process, or No suit, acproceeding, at law or in equity, which, on the twentieth day of pending and April last, was depending and undetermined in the district or on the 20th circuit court of the United States for the district of Pennsylva- April, 1818, to nia, and by law directed to be removed to the district court of the United States for the western district of Pennsylvania, shall on account of be discontinued or abated on account of the said court not hav- district court ing been opened and holden on the first Monday of June last, of Pennsylva agreeably to the act of congress passed on the twentieth day of April last; but that all such suits, actions, pleas, process, and on the first proceedings, both at law and in equity, shall be deemed, taken, June, 1818. and, to all intents and purposes, be held to be depending in the said district court for the western district of Pennsylvania, as fully and effectually as if the said court had been opened andholden on the said first Monday of June last. nia not having been holden Monday of The court au and orders had been hol 2. That the said court be, and is hereby, authorized and thorized to empowered, from time to time, to make all such rules and orders make rules touching such suits, actions, pleas, process, and proceedings, at touching such law and in equity, as they might or could have done, if said court suits as if it had been opened and holden on the said first Monday of June. den. 3. That all suits, actions, pleas, process, and proceedings, Suits, &c. aforesaid, which may be hereafter certified and transferred from hereafter the district or circuit court of the United States for the district from the disof Pennsylvania, to the district court of the United States for the trict or circuit' VOL. III. 196 transferred court for to the western Pennsylvania western district of Pennsylvania, shall, to all intents and purdistrict court, poses, be deemed and taken to be depending in the said court to be deemed on the said first Monday of June last, and the same proceedings depending, as may be had therein as if the same had been on that day entered been entered, in the said court agreeably to the act of congress aforesaid. [Approved, December 16, 1818.] if they had and the court holden, &c. Vol. iii. p. 1956. Limits of the district. A district court. One judge, to district. annually, &c. Vol. iii. p. 1758. Jurisdiction of the court the same as that of a circuit CHAP. 136. An act to establish a judicial district in Virginia west of the Alleghany mountains. § 1. Be it enacted, &c. That so much of the state of Virginia as is situate west of the summit of the mountains which separate the waters emptying into the Chesapeake bay and Roanoke river from the waters which fall into the Ohio river, shall be one judicial district; and there shall be a district court therein, to consist of one judge, who shall reside in the said district, and be called a district judge, and annually hold six sessions, as follows: at Clarksburg, on the fourth Mondays of March and September; at Lewisburgh, on the second Mondays of April and October; and at Wythe Courthouse, on the first Mondays of May and November. § 2. That the said court shall, besides the ordinary jurisdietion of a district court, have jurisdiction of all causes, except of appeals and writs of error, cognizable by law in a circuit court, court; except, and shall proceed therein in the same manner as a circuit court; Writs of error and writs of error shall be from decisions therein to the supreme to the supreme court, in the same manner as from circuit courts. &c. court. A clerk. District attor ney and mar shal. 1600 dolls. yearly com pensation to the judge. 200 dolls. yearly to the ney. Quarterly at On proof of the loss, &c. of a treasury note, the secretary, upon bond, &c. to pay the amount due. On proof of the loss or destruction of any certificate of § 3. That there shall be a clerk appointed for the said court; and that a district attorney and marshal be appointed for the said district, in like manner as in other judicial districts. 4. That there shall be allowed to the said judge of the said district court the yearly compensation of one thousand six hundred dollars, to commence from the date of his appointment; that there shall be allowed to the said district attorney, the yearly compensation of two hundred dollars, to commence from the date of his appointment; and there shall be allowed to the said marshal the yearly sum of two hundred dollars, to commence from the date of his appointment; to be paid quarterly at the treasury of the United States. [Approved, February 4, 1819.] CHAP. 137. An act to authorize the payment, in certain cases, on account of treasury notes which have been lost or destroyed. § 1. Be it enacted, &c. That, whenever proof shall be exhibited, to the satisfaction of the secretary of the treasury, of the loss or destruction of any treasury note, issued under the authority of any act of congress, it shall be lawful for the said secretary, upon receiving bond, with sufficient security, to indemnify the United States against any other claim on account of the treasury note alleged to be so lost or destroyed, to pay the amount due on such note, to the person who had lost it, or in whose possession it had been destroyed. § 2. That, whenever proof shall be exhibited, to the satisfaction of the secretary of the treasury, of the loss or destruction of any certificate of Mississippi stock, it shall be lawful to issue, stock, a new to the person who had lost it, or in whose possession it was de- Mississippi stroyed, a new certificate of the same value with the one lost or certificate destroyed; the person claiming such renewal complying with may be issued, the rules and regulations at present established at the treasury with treasury department, for the renewal of certificates of stock lost or de- rules and stroyed. [Approved, February 4, 1819.] on compliance regulations. CHAP. 143. An act to extend the jurisdiction of the circuit courts of the United States to Vol. i. p. 94. cases arising under the law relating to patents. 300. courts to have the right to in 1. Be it enacted, &c. That the circuit courts of the United The circuit States shall have original cognizance, as well in equity as at law, original cogniof all actions, suits, controversies, and cases, arising under any zance, in equilaw of the United States,.granting or confirming to authors or in controverty and at law, inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings, inven- sies respecttions, and discoveries; and upon any bill in equity, filed by any ventions and party aggrieved in any such cases, shall have authority to grant writings. injunctions, according to the course and principles of courts of `equity, to prevent the violation of the rights of any authors or inventors, secured to them by any laws of the United States, on such terms and conditions as the said courts may deem fit and reasonable: Provided, however, That from all judgments and de- Proviso; a crees of any circuit courts, rendered in the premises, a writ of or appeal lies error or appeal, as the case may require, shall lie to the supreme to the supremo court of the United States, in the same manner, and under the same circumstances, as is now provided by law in other judgments and decrees of such circuit courts. [Approved, February 15, 1819.] writ of error court. CHAP. 146. An act authorizing the election of a delegate from the Michigan territory to Vol. iii. p. the congress of the United States, and extending the right of suffrage to the citizens of said 1914. territory. 1. Be it enacted, &c. That the citizens of the Michigan terri- The citizens of Michigan tory be, and they are hereby, authorized to elect one delegate to authorized to the congress of the United States, who shall possess the qualifi- elect a delecations, and exercise the privileges, heretofore required of, and Bessongranted to, the delegates from the several territories of the United States. gress, &c. of the electors. 2. That every free white male citizen of said territory, Qualifications above the age of twenty-one years, who shall have resided therein one year next preceding an election, and who shall have paid a county or territorial tax, shall be entitled to vote at such election for a delegate to the congress of the United States, in such manner, and at such times and places, as shall be prescribed by the governor and judges of said territory. 3. That the person, duly qualified according to law, who The governor to certify the shall receive the greatest number of votes at such election, shall election of the be furnished, by the governor of said territory, with a certificate, delegate. under his official seal, setting forth that he is duly elected, by the qualified electors, the delegate from said territory to the congress of the United States, for the term of two years from the date of said certificate, which shall entitle the person to whom The certifithe same shall be given to take his seat in the house of represen- the delegate to tatives in that capacity. [Approved, February 16, 1819.] cate entitles his seat. 6000 dolls. per ann. to the secretaries of ry, war, and navy, &c. eral 3500 dolls. CHAP. 151. An act to increase the salaries of certain officers of government. § 1. Be it enacted, &c. That, instead of the salaries now allowed by law to the following officers, there shall be paid to them, state, treasu- quarterly, the following annual salaries, respectively; that is to say to the secretary of state, six thousand dollars: to the secretary of the treasury, six thousand dollars to the secretary of war, six thousand dollars: to the secretary of the navy, six thousAttorney gen- and dollars: to the attorney general, three thousand five hunP. M. general, dred dollars: to the postmaster general, four thousand dollars: to the chief justice of the United States, five thousand dollars: Chief justice 5000, and each and to each of the judges of the supreme court of the United Judge of the States, four thousand five hundred dollars; and to the assistant postmaster general, and additional assistant postmaster general, Assistants to two thousand five hundred dollars each: to commence the first day of January, one thousand eight hundred and nineteen; and From 1st Jan. to be paid out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated. [Approved, February 20, 1819.] 4000. supreme court, 4500. P. M. G. 2500 each 1819. Vol. iii. p. 1642. The president any tract of by act of 3d CHAP. 152. An act authorizing the president of the United States to purchase the lands reserved by the act of the third of March, eighteen hundred and seventeen, to certain chiefs, warriors, or other Indians, of the Creek nation. § 1. Be it enacted, &c. That it shall be lawful for the president may purchase of the United States to purchase for, and on behalf of, the Unitland reserved, ed States, any tract or tracts of land, reserved, by the act of the March, 1817, third day of March, eighteen hundred and seventeen, to the to the Creeks. chiefs, warriors, or other Indians, of the Creek nation, which they, or either of them, may be disposed to sell; and the amount of such purchase shall be paid out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated. ed by virtue of upon such Lands acquir- 2. That any tract or tracts of land, the title of which may this act to be be acquired by the United States by virtue of this act, shall be offered for sale offered at public sale, at the land offices of the district in which days as the they may be situate, upon such day or days as the president shall, president may by proclamation, designate for that purpose, in the same manner, designate. and on the same conditions and terms of credit, as is provided by law for the sale of public lands of the United States; and patents shall be granted therefor, as for other public lands and town lots sold by the United States. [Approved, February 20, 1819.] Two sections of land for a seat of government. To be located in one entire tract, &c. CHAP. 155. An act providing for a grant of land for the seat of government in the state of 1. Be it enacted, &c. That there shall be granted to the state of Mississippi, two entire sections of land, or fractional sections, quarter sections, not exceeding the quantity contained in two entire sections, for a seat of government in the said state; which land shall be located in one entire tract, at such place as, under the authority of the said state, shall be designated for the seat of government therein, whenever the Indian title shall have been extinguished thereto, and before the commencement of the public sales of the adjoining and surrounding lands belonging to the United States. the support of treasury, 2. That, in addition to the township of land granted for the Another support of Jefferson college, there shall be granted, in the said township for state, another township, or a quantity of land equal thereto, to a seminary of be located in tracts of not less than four entire sections each, learning, &c. which shall be vested in the legislature of the said state, in trust, for the support of a seminary of learning therein; which lands To be located shall be located by the secretary of the treasury of the United by the secreStates, whenever an extinguishment of Indian title shall be made tary of the for lands, suitable, in his opinion, for that purpose, in the said whenever, &c. This grant in state which grant, hereby provided to be made, shall be con- lieu of a townsidered as made in lieu of a township directed to be reserved by ship reserved, the fifth section of an act, entitled "An act to provide for the Vol. iii. p. ascertaining and surveying of the boundary lines fixed by the 1511. treaty with the Creek Indians, and for other purposes," passed March three, one thousand eight hundred and fifteen; and which The township reserve of one township, provided to be made by the aforesaid reserved by fifth section of said act, shall be offered for sale, in the same act of 3d March, 1815, manner as the other public lands in the same district. [Approv- to be sold. ed, February 20, 1819.] &c. CHAP. 160. An act providing aditional penalties for false entries for the benefit of draw- Vol. i. p. 652. back, or bounty on exportation. to the value persons mak § 1. Be it enacted, &c. That, in addition to the forfeitures and A sum equal penalties heretofore provided by law, for making a false entry of the articles, with the collector of any district, of any goods, wares, or merforfeited by chandise, for the benefit of drawback or bounty on exportation, ing false enthe person making such false entry shall (except in the cases try for benefit heretofore excepted by law,) forfeit and pay to the United States or bounty, &c. a sum equal to the value of the articles mentioned or described ered as pre in such entry; to be sued for, recovered, distributed, and ac- To be recov counted for, in the manner prescribed by the act, entitled "An scribed by act act to regulate the duties on imports and tonnage," passed on of 2d March, the second day of March one thousand seven hundred and ninety-nine. [Approved, February 20, 1819.] 1799. CHAP. 165. An act allowing further time to complete the issuing and locating of military Vol. ii. p. land warrants. 1243. 1433. Vol. iv. p. granted to the acts of 6th 1. Be it enacted, &c. That the authority granted to the se- 2162. 2410. cretary for the department of war, by the second section of the The authority act to provide for designating, surveying, and granting, the mili- secretary of tary bounty lands, approved the sixth day of May, one thousand war, by the eight hundred and twelve, and by the fourth section of the act May, 1812, making further provision for filling the ranks of the army of the and 10th Dec. United States, approved December tenth, one thousand eight military bounhundred and fourteen, to issue warrants for the military land ty land warbounties to persons entitled thereto, shall be revived, and con- ued until 4th tinued in force, for the term of five years from and after the March, 1824. fourth day of March next. 1814, to issue rants, contin The time lim ing land war 2. That the time limited by the act supplementary to the ited for issuact further extending the time for issuing and locating military ing and locatland warrants, and for other purposes, approved March ninth, rants, &c. one thousand eight hundred and eighteen, for issuing military Vol. iii. p. land warrants, shall be extended to the fourth day of March, one 1918. 1969. 1661. 1812. |