Bridges over to be rebuilt joint expense Georgetown. levy court and the corporation of the said City. And in case of any difference of opi· nion as to what are or may be properly called general expenses, and applicable to the whole county, agreeably to the provisions of this and other acts relating to the subject, it shall be the duty of the circuit court for the said county, upon joint application, or upon the application of either party, and due notice to the other party; to inquire, determine and settle in a summary way the matter in difference. Sec. 12. And be it further enacted, That the two bridges over Rock creek, immediate. and kept in ly between the City of Washington and repair at the Georgetown, shall be kept in repair and reof the City & built, in like manner as at present, at the joint expense and cost of the said City and Georgetown; and the sums required for such repairs or rebuildings shall from time to time be ascertained by the said board of commissioners or levy court for the county, and the amount required from each corporation shall be paid over, after, sixty days' notice, to the treasurer of the county. The two cor porations authorised to erect a permanent bridge. Sec. 13. And be it further enacted, That it shall and may be lawful at any time hereafter for the corporation of the City of Washington, and the corporation of Georgetown, jointly or separately, and at their joint or scparate expense, as the case may be, to erect a permanent bridge across Rock creek, and between the two places, at such scites as the corporation first choosing to build shall determine and fix upon; and if it should be necessary to obtain private property on which to fix either or both the abutments of the said permanent bridge or bridges, or for other purposes connected with the work, the said corporation so chusing to build shall have power to agree with the owner or owners for the purchase of such property; and in case of disagreement, or in case the owner shall be a feme covert, under age or non compos, or out of the county, the mayor of the said corporation shall thereupon summon a jury to be composed of twelve freeholders, inhabitants of the said county, not related to the said owner, nor in any manner interested, who shall meet on the ground to be valued, at a day to be expressed by the mayor in the said summons, of which ten days' notice shall be given by the mayor to the owner or owners of the said ground, or left at his, her or their place of abode, or given to his, her or their guardian, if an infant, or if out of the county, by publishing notice thereof for six weeks in some newspaper printed in the county, and when the jury shall have met pursuant to the aforesaid summons, each juryman shall swear or affirm, that he will justly, faithfully and impartially value all the ground held as private property and intended and required to be used or occupied by reason of the contemplated erection of the permanent bridge, and the amount of damages the proprietor or proprietors of said ground will sustain (taking into view at the same time the benefits which the said proprietor or proprietors will derive from the erection of the said bridge) according to the best of his skill and judgment. And the inquisition and valuation thereupon taken, shall be signed by the mayor and seven or more of the said jury, and shall be binding and conclusive upon all parties concerned; and the same shall be transmitted to the clerk of the county, to be by him recorded: And the valuation expressed in the aforesaid inquisition shall be paid or tendered to the owner or owners of the ground so condemned, or his or their legal representatives, by the corporation intending to build such bridge, within thirty days after such valuation shall have been made, and before any work is commenced on the grounds so valued. H. CLAY, Speaker of the House of Representatives. July 1, 1812. APPROVED, JAMES MADISON. CHAPTER CXVIII. AN ACT giving validity to the sale of certain tracts of public lands sold in the western district of the territory of Orleans, now State of Louisiana. BE it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That the sale of the several tracts of public lands sold in the month of January, one thousand eight hundred and twelve, at the public sales held under the superintendence of the Regis ter of the Land Office, and the principal deputy surveyor of the western district of the territory of Orleans (now State of Louisi ana,) be, and the same is hereby made good and valid, to all intents and purposes, any law to the contrary notwithstanding: And the purchasers of the said tracts shall severally, on completing the payment of the purchase money, according to law, be entitled to receive a patent or patents for the lands so purchased and paid for, as in case of other lands sold by the United States; the first instalment of the purchase money shall be considered as due and payable at ten days after the receiver of public monies, for the district within which the lands lie, shall have entered on the discharge of the duties of his office. H. CLAY, Speaker of the House of Representatives. July 1, 1812. APPROVED, JAMES MADISON. CHAPTER CXIX. AN ACT supplementary" An Act authorising the President of the United States to raise certain companies of Rangers for the protection of the frontier of the United States." BE it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That the President of the United States be, and he is hereby authorised to raise one additional company of rangers, when he may deem it necessary for the public service under the same provisions, conditions and restrictions of the act to which this is a supplement. Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That for defraying the expenses thereof, the sum of eleven thousand two hundred and fifty dollars be, and the same is hereby appropriated, to be paid out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated. H. CLAY, Speaker of the House of Representatives. President of the Senate pro-tempore. April 29, 1812. APPROVED, JAMES MADISON, CHAPTER CXX. AN ACT authorising the President of the United States to lease, for a term of years any part of the reservations of public ground in the city of Washington. BE it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the President of the United States be, and he is hereby authorised to take possession of the whole of the reservations of public grounds in the City of Washington, and lease them out for a term not exceeding ten years, on such terms and conditions as in his judgment may best effect the improvement of |