Evidences of SEC. 5. And it further enacted, That the evidences of the public debt of the United States shall be receivable in payment for the said public debt may lands, agreeably to the directies of an inted "An act to authorize the receipt of evidences of the public debt in payment for the lands of the United States." be received in payment. Ante, p. 507. APPROVED, March 2, 1799. STATUTE III. CHAP. XXXVI.—An Act in addition to "An act for the relief of sick and disabled March 2, 1799. Seamen." (a) Manner of ex collected. 1802, ch. 51. SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the pending monies President of the United States shall be, and he hereby is authorized to direct the expenditure of any monies which have been or shall be collected by virtue of an act, entitled "An act for the relief of sick and disabled seamen," to be made within the state wherein the same shall have been collected, or within the state next adjoining thereto, excepting what may be collected in the states of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut; any thing in the said act contained to the contrary thereof, notwithstanding Secretary of the Navy to de duct a certain sum from the SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the Secretary of the Navy shall be, and he hereby is authorized and directed to deduct, after the first day of September next, from the pay thereafter to become due, of the officers, seamen and marines of the navy of the United States, at the pay of the navy. rate of twenty cents per month, for every such officer, seaman and marine, and to pay the same quarter annually to the Secretary of the Treasury, to be applied to the same purposes, as the money collected by virtue of the above mentioned act is appropriated. SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That the officers, seamen and marines of the navy of the United States, shall be entitled to receive the same benefits and advantages, as by the act above mentioned are provided for the relief of the sick and disabled seamen of the merchant vessels of the United States. APPROVED, March 2, 1799. Officers, sea men, &c. of the navy entitled to the benefits of the act. STATUTE III. March 2, 1799. See act of July CHAP. XXXVII.—An Act authorizing an augmentation of the Marine Corps. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the President 11, 1798, ch. 72. of the United States shall be, and he is hereby authorized to cause the marine corps in the service of the United States to be augmented, by the appointment and enlistment of not exceeding two first lieutenants, six second lieutenants, eight sergeants, one hundred and seventy privates and eighteen drums and fifes, who shall be respectively allowed the same pay, bounty, clothing and rations, and shall be employed under the same rules and regulations to which the said marine corps are or shall be entitled and subject. APPROVED, March 2, 1799. STATUTE III. CHAP. XXXVIII.-An Act to augment the Salaries of the Officers therein men- March 2, 1799. tioned. [Obsolete.] 1802, ch. 25. SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That in lieu Repealed 1806, of the salaries heretofore allowed by law to the officers of the government of the United States, herein mentioned, the following annual com ch. 41. (a) An act for the relief of sick and disabled seamen, July 16, 1798, chap. 77, VOL. I.-92 1802, ch. 25. STATUTE III. March 2, 1799. STATUTE III. March 2, 1799. 1806, ch. 41. Compensations of clerks in the departments of state, treasury, war, and the navy, may be varied, so as not ed sums. pensations be, and are hereby granted to the said offics respectively, from the commencement of the present year; that is to say. The Secretary of State, fihousan dollars. The Secretary of the Treasury, five thousand dollars. The Secretary of War, four thousand five hundred dollars. The Secretary of the Navy, four thousand five hundred dollars. The Attorney General, three thousand dollars. The Comptroller of the Treasury, three thousand five hundred dollars. The Auditor of the Treasury, three thousand dollars. The Commissioner of the Revenue, three thousand dollars. The Register of the Treasury, two thousand four hundred dollars. And the Assistant Postmaster General, one thousand seven hundred dollars. Which sums shall be respectively paid, quarterly, at the treasury of the United States. SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That this act shall continue in force for three years, and no longer. APPROVED, March 2, 1799. CHAP. XXXIX.-An Act to erect a Beacon on Boon Island. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of the Treasury, under the direction of the President of the United States, be authorized, as soon as may be, to cause a beacon or monument to be erected on a ledge of rocks, called Boon Island, on the seacoast of the district of Maine; and that the sum of four hundred dollars be appropriated for the same, out of any monies in the treasury, not otherwise appropriated. APPROVED, March 2, 1799. CHAP. XL.-An Act to regulate and fix the Compensation of Clerks. SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretaries of the Treasury, State, War and Navy departments, shall be, and hereby are authorized and empowered, to vary the compensations heretofore established for clerks in their respective departments, in such manner as the services to be performed shall, in their judgment, require; to exceed limit any thing in any former act to the contrary notwithstanding. Provided always, that the whole amount of compensations for clerks, in the said departments, respectively, shall not exceed the following sums; that is to say: For the department of State, five thousand, nine hundred and fifty dollars: For the Treasury department, forty-two thousand, six hundred and twenty dollars, and thirty-four cents, that is to say, in the office of the Secretary of the treasury, five thousand, eight hundred and thirtynine dollars, and eighty-one cents; in the office of the comptroller of the treasury, nine thousand and sixty-seven dollars, and eight cents; in the office of the auditor of the treasury, eight thousand, eight hundred and ten dollars, and ninety-three cents; in the office of the treasurer of the United States, two thousand, eight hundred and seventeen dollars and forty-five cents; in the office of the commissioner of the revenue, two thousand, eight hundred and forty-three dollars, and six cents; and in the office of the register of the treasury, thirteen thousand, two hundred and forty-two dollars, and one cent: For the department of War, fifteen thousand, three hundred and forty dollars, that is to say; in the office of the secretary of the said department, six thousand, three hundred and forty dollars; in the office of the accountant of the said department, eight thousand, five hundred dollars; and in the office of the purveyor of public supplies, five hundred dollars: For the department of the Navy, eleven thousand, one hundred dollars; that is to say; in the office of the secretary of the department of the navy, four thousand two hundred dollars; and in the office of the accountant of the navy department, six thousand, nine hundred dollars. SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the Postmaster General of the United States shall be, and hereby is authorized and empowered to appoint such number of clerks in his office, as he shall judge proper, and to apportion and vary their compensations in such manner as the services to be rendered by each, shall in his judgment require: Provided always, that the whole amount of compensations for clerks in the said office, shall not exceed the sum of four thousand, two hundred and fifty dollars, annually; which sum shall be paid quarterly, out of the revenues of the post-office. SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That the director of the mint shall be, and hereby is authorized to allow to one of the clerks employed in his office, the sum of two hundred dollars per annum, in addition to the salary of five hundred dollars, heretofore established for the clerks in the said office. SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That there shall be allowed to the secretary and accountant of the Navy department respectively, in the settlement of their accounts, the following sums for deficiencies in the provisions made by law for their clerks during the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety-eight; that is to say; to the said secretary, eight hundred and eighty-seven dollars, and twenty-nine cents; and to the said accountant, one hundred and eighty-eight dollars, and thirty two cents. Clerks and commissioners of loans. SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That there shall be allowed to the commissioners of loans in the states of Massachusetts and New York, clerk hire to the respectively, not exceeding five clerks, at the rate of five hundred dollars per annum each; to the commissioner of loans in the state of Connecticut, not exceeding two clerks, at the rate of four hundred dollars per annum each; to the commissioners of loans in the states of Pennsylvania, Virginia and South Carolina, respectively, not exceeding two clerks, at the rate of five hundred dollars per annum each; the aggregate of the compensations for clerks employed by either of the said commissioners, to be apportioned among them at his discretion: And that there be annually allowed in lieu of clerk hire, to the commissioner of loans in the state of New Hampshire, three hundred and fifty dollars; to the commissioner of loans in the state of Rhode Island, four hundred dollars; to the commissioner of loans in the state of New Jersey, three hundred dollars; and to the commissioner of loans in the state of Maryland, two hundred and fifty dollars. APPROVED, March 2, 1799. CHAP. XLI.-An Act to revive and continue in force, certain parts of the "Act for the relief and protection of American seamen," and to amend the same. SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the first, second and third sections of the act, intituled “An act for the relief and protection of American seamen," shall be and hereby are revived and continued in force for one year. SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the Secretary of State shall be, and hereby is required to lay before Congress, within ten days after STATUTE III. March 2, 1799. [Obsolete.] Appropriation for the support of the naval establishment. For the sup rine corps. the commencement of each ordinary session, an annual statement, containing an abstract of all the returns made to him, by the collectors of the different ports, pursuant to the said act, and of the communications received by him, from the agents employed by virtue of the same, in foreign countries. APPROVED, March 2, 1799. CHAP. XLII.—An Act making appropriations for the support of the Naval Establishment, for the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety-nine. SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That for the support of the naval establishment of the United States, during the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety-nine, there shall be, and hereby is appropriated, the sum of two millions, one hundred and two thousand, three hundred and eighty-four dollars, and forty-one cents, (including the sum of eight hundred and twenty-three thousand, eight hundred and eighty-seven dollars, and fourteen cents, being the balance, unexpended at the commencement of that year, of former appropriations for the naval department): that is to say: For the pay of the officers of the navy of the United States, the sum of three hundred and five thousand, nine hundred and eighty-two dollars. For the subsistence of the officers of the navy, the sum of one hundred and eighty-five thousand, five hundred and forty-four dollars, and nineteen cents. For the pay of the seamen, the sum of six hundred and seventy-two thousand, nine hundred and ninety dollars. For provisions, the sum of four hundred and thirty-one thousand, seven hundred and twenty-six dollars, and thirty cents. For contingent expenses (including waste of military stores) the sum of three hundred and forty-five thousand, eight hundred dollars. For the expense of medicines, hospital stores, &c., the sum of fortytwo thousand, seven hundred and fifty dollars. For the support of the revenue cutters, the sum of one hundred and seventeen thousand, five hundred and ninety-one dollars, and ninety-two cents. SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That for the support of the maport of the marine corps, during the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety-nine, there be, and hereby is appropriated the sum of two hundred and thirtyseven thousand, seven hundred and eighty-eight dollars, and thirty-eight cents; that is to say: For completing the vessels of war. How the ap For pay and rations for the said corps, the sum of one hundred and seventy-nine thousand, seven hundred and ninety-eight dollars. For clothing, the sum of twenty-nine thousand, five hundred and ninety-four dollars, and eighty-seven cents. For military stores, the sum of twenty-five thousand, nine hundred and fifty-one dollars, and fifty-one cents. For contingent expenses, the sum of four hundred and twenty dollars. For bounties and premiums, the sum of two thousand and twentyfour dollars. SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That for completing the vessels now building, the purchase of arms and military stores for the same, and for contingent expenses relative thereto, the sum of one million, four thousand five hundred and four dollars, and twenty-four cents, shall be, and hereby is appropriated. SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That the aforesaid appropriations propriations are shall be paid out of any monies in the treasury of the United States, not to be paid. otherwise appropriated. APPROVED, March 2, 1799. CHAP. XLIII.-An Act to establish the Post-Office of the United States. SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That there be established at the seat of government of the United States, a General Post-office, under the direction of a Postmaster General. The Postmaster General shall appoint an assistant, and such clerks as may be necessary for performing 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 post roads that are or may be established by law; he shall give his assistant, the postmasters, and all other persons whom he shall employ, or who may be employed in any of the departments of the general post-office, 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 postoffice; he shall pay all expenses which may arise in conducting the postoffice, and in the conveyance of the mail, and all other necessary 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 assistant, until a successor shall be appointed and arrive at the general post-office to perform the business. SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the Postmaster General, and 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 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, 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 the mail, shall be subject to all pains, penalties and forfeitures for violating 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. SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That if any person shall knowingly and wilfully obstruct or retard the passage of the mail, or of any driver or carrier, or of any horse or carriage carrying the same, he shall, upon conviction, for every such offence, pay a fine not exceeding one hundred dollars: And if any ferryman shall, by wilful negligence or refusal to transport the mail across any ferry, delay the same, he shall forfeit and pay for each half hour that the same shall be so delayed, a sum not exceeding ten dollars. |