than 18000 copies, to be printed. CHAP. 255.-AN ACT to provide for the publication of a new edition of the laws and regulations of the Post Office Department, and a perfect list of the post-offices in the United States. [SEC. 1.] Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress A complete edi- assembled, That the Postmaster General be, and he is hereby, tion, of not less authorized and required to cause to be collated and printed in pamphlet form, suitably for distribution, a complete edition, of not less than eighteen thousand copies, of the laws relating to the Post Office Department; together with the regulations established by said Department for the better conduct of its business; and also a new and complete list of all the post-offices in the United States; showing their respective distances from Washington, and from the capitols of the States in which the several offices are situated. $9,100 appropriated. SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That for the purpose of carrying into effect the provisions of this act, the sum of nine thousand one hundred dollars is hereby appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated. Approved, August 29th, 1842. tern trict," and the CHAP. 256.-AN ACT for creating a new land district in the State of Missouri, and for changing the boundaries of the southwestern and western land districts in said State. [SEC. 1.] Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress Part of the Wes. assembled, That all that portion of the "western land district," Land Dis- created by an act of Congress, entitled "An act to establish an Platte river coun- additional land office in the State of Missouri," approved third the Platte Land of March eighteen hundred and twenty-three which is situated north of the Missouri river, together with the late northwest addition to the State of Missouri, commonly known as the "Platte river country," shall constitute a separate land district, to be called the Platte district. try." to constitute District. Register and Re pointed-their re SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That there shall be a ceiver to be ap- register and a receiver appointed for said land district, who shall sidence. reside and superintend the sales of the public lands at such Their security, place as the President shall designate. They shall give security compensation, in the same manner and in the same sums, and their compenmoluments, duty, and authority. sation, emoluments, duty, and authority, shall, in every respect, be the same in relation to the lands which may be disposed of at said office, as are or may be provided by law relative to the registers and receivers of public money in the several offices established for the sale of the public lands. Part of the south ette districts an SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That all that part of the western and Fay-southwestern district of Missouri which is situated north of the nexed to the Wes- line between townships thirty-four and thirty-five, and that portion of the Fayette land district lying west of the line dividing ranges twenty and twenty-one west, south of the Missouri river, is hereby annexed to, and shall make a part of the western or tern or Lexington District. Location of the office. to be deposited in the proper offices. Lexington district of Missouri, the office for which district shall be located at such place as the President shall designate. SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That it shali be the duty Plats of surveys of the Secretary of the Treasury, as soon as the same can be done, to cause the plats of the surveys of the new district hereby created, and of the portion annexed to the western district, to be deposited in the proper offices and he is hereby authorized to allow and pay, out of the proceeds of the sales of the public Reasonable exlands, the reasonable expenses which may be incurred in carrying this act into effect. SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That this act shall take effect and be in force from and after the expiration of six calendar months from the date of the passage thereof. Approved, August 29th, 1842. penses to be paid. Act to take effect six months. at the expiration of CHAP 257.—AN ACT to provide further remedial justice in the courts of the and judges of dis powered to grant corpus, when subof foreign therein, are in cus or any of them, of a foreign state [SEC. 1.] Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That either of the justices of the Supreme Court of Justices of the the United States, or a judge of any district court of the United Supreme Court, States, in which a prisoner is confined, in addition to the au- trict courts, emthority already conferred by law, shall have power to grant writs of habeas writs of habeas corpus in all cases of any prisoner or prisoners ets in jail or confinement, where he, she, or they, being subjects or states, domiciled citizens of a foreign State, and domiciled therein, shall be com- tody of the U. S. mitted or confined, or in custody, under or by any authority or for acts done un law, or process founded thereon, of the United States, or of any der sanction, &c., one of them, for or on account of any act done or omitted under any alleged right, title, authority, privilege, protection, or exemption, set up or claimed under the commission, or order, or sanction, of any foreign State or Sovereignty, the validity and effect whereof depend upon the law of nations, or under color thereof. And upon the return of the said writ, and due proof of Upon return of the service of notice of the said proceeding to the Attorney Gen- said writ, &c., the justice ог eral or other officer prosecuting the pleas of the State, under judge shall prowhose authority the petitioner has been arrested, committed, or cause. is held in custody, to be prescribed by the said justice or judge at the time of granting said writ, the said justice or judge shall proceed to hear the said cause; and if, upon hearing the same, it shall appear that the prisoner or prisoners is or are entitled to be discharged from such confinement, commitment, custody or right, &c., claimarrest, for or by reason of such alleged right, title, authority, judge, shall forthwith discharge privileges, protection or exemption, so set up and claimed, and him; the law of nations applicable thereto, and that the same exists in fact, and has been duly proved to the said justice or judge, then it shall be the duty of the said justice or judge forthwith to discharge such prisoner or prisoners accordingly. And if it shall And if not, he appear to the said justice or judge that such judgment of dis ceed to hear the If the prisoner is entitled to be dis charged for the ed, the justice or shall be forthwith. remanded. charge ought not to be rendered, then the said prisoner or prisonProviso: appeal ers shall be forthwith remanded: Provided always, That from decision of of any decision of such justice or judge an appeal may be taken to the justice or judge to the cir- the circuit court of the United States for the district in which from And from the circuit court cuit court, the said cause is heard; and from the judgment of the said cirto cuit court to the Supreme Court of the United States, on such terms and under such regulations and orders as well for the custody and appearance of the prisoner or prisoners as for sending up to the appellate tribunal a transcript of the petition, writ of habeas corpus returned thereto, and other proceedings, as the judge hearing the said cause may prescribe; and pending such proceedings or appeal, and until final judgment be rendered Until final judg- therein, and after final judgment of discharge in the same, any discharge, pro proceeding against said prisoner or prisoners, in any State court, ceedings in State or by or under the authority of any State, for any matter or thing so heard and determined, or in process of being heard and determined, under and by virtue of such writ of habeas corpus, shall be deemed null and void. ment, and after courts null and void. Approved, August 29th, 1842. issue patents, the chase may be sur celled. CHAP. 258. AN ACT in relation to lands sold in the Greensburgh, late St.. Helena, land district, in the State of Louisiana, and authorizing the re-survey of certain lands in said district. [SEC. 1.] Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress In cases where assembled, That in all cases where lands shall have been enthe U. S. cannot tered at the land office in the Greensburgh, late St. Helena, land certificates of pur- district, in the State of Louisiana, where the United States canrendered to be can not issue patents therefor, owing to the errors and imperfections of the public surveys, or to conflicting claims, it shall be lawful for the person having made such entries, or his or her heirs or legal representatives, or grantees, or their heirs or legal representatives, who may legally and equitably entitled to the same, after a demand of the patent, and a refusal to issue the same, to surrender his or her certificate of purchase to the Secre Purchase money tary of the Treasury to be cancelled; and, upon such surrender, without interest, it shall be the duty of the Secretary of the Treasury to refund, without interest, the purchase-money for said lands to the person' entitled to receive the same, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated. to be refunded. President may of the unsold lands, &c., SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That it shall be lawful cause a resurvey for the President of the United States, if he shall deem it expedient, to cause a resurvey of all or any part of the lands lying in said district remaining unsold, or the certificates for which may be surrendered in virtue of this or any other act of Congress, thereby correcting the surveys, and designating the lands covered by private claims under Spanish or French grants; and and confirmed, so soon as said resurveys shall have been returned and confirmed lands to be subject by the Secretary of the Treasury, the unreserved public lands to laws for dispo- therein specified shall be subject to the laws for the disposal of When returned unreserved public sal thereof, &c. pur Proviso chasers may retain the public lands, and patents therefor shall issue as in other cases: Provided, That purchasers aforesaid may retain their certificates of purchase, and the surveys of said tracts shall be their certificates, corrected, and when said surveys are corrected, may receive their patents from the United States for the land so purchased by them. Approved, August 29th, 1842. &c. CHAP. 259.-AN ACT to provide for the settlement of certain accounts for the support of Government in the Territory of Wiskonsan, and for other purposes. Assembly to be set pensation to any ficer, &c. [SEC. 1.] Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the proper accounting officers of the Treasury Accounts of the Department be directed to audit and settle the accounts for the Legislative expenses of the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Wis- tled. konsan, including the printing of the laws and other incidental expenses which have not heretofore been closed and settled at the Treasury Department; but no allowance shall be made for No extra com extra compensation to any member of the Legislative Assembly member except of said Territory for extra services, except to the presiding offi- the presiding of cers of the two Houses of said Assembly, nor for extra compensation to the Secretary of said Territory, nor to the Clerk of either House of said Legislative Assembly for the performance of duties required by law, nor for any other purpose not authorized by the eleventh section of the act of Congress, approved April twenty, eighteen hundred and thirty-six, entitled "An act establishing the Territorial Government of Wiskonsan;" and the incidental expenses therein authorized shall be construed to be the ordinary and necessary expenses of the sessions of said Legislative Assembly, and no other. ritories to be ad sury. the Legislature, be made, unless SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That all accounts for dis- Accounts of Ter bursements in the Territories of the United States, of money justed at the Trea appropriated by Congress for the support of Government therein, shall be settled and adjusted at the Treasury Department; and No act, &c., of no act, resolution, or order, of the Legislature of any Territory, authority for an directing the expenditure of the sum, shall be deemed a suffi- expenditure. cient authority for such disbursement, but sufficient vouchers and proof for the same shall be required by said accounting officers. And no payment shall be made or allowed, unless the No payment to Secretary of the Treasury shall have estimated therefor, and the approved by Con object been approved by Congress. No session of the Legisla-No session to be ture of a Territory shall be held until the appropriation for its held without an expenses shall have been made. In the adjustment of said ac- What officers alcounts, no charge for the services of a greater number of officers, lowed, and their and attendants shall be allowed than for one secretary and assistant secretary, or clerk, one sergeant-at-arms, or doorkeeper, one messenger, and one foreman for each House of the Legis. lature, to neither of whom shall a greater compensation than three dollars per day be paid. And it shall be the duty of the gress. appropriation. pay. P Territories to pre Secretaries of Secretary of each Territory to prepare the acts passed by the pare the acts for Legislature for publication, and to furnish a copy thereof to the publication, &c. public printer of the Territory within ten days after the passage of each act. Amount found due to be paid.. Accounts of the same manner, and paid. SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That whatever sum of money shall be found due, upon such auditing and settlement, beyond the amount of former appropriations, whether the same have been expended or not, be paid out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated. SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That said accounting Legislative As officers of the Treasury be directed to audit and settle the ac sembly of Florida, to be settled in the counts for expenses of the Legislative Assembly of the Territhe amount due tory of Florida, not heretofore audited and settled, in the same manner and upon the same principles herein prescribed for the settlement of the accounts of the Territory of Wiskonsan; and whatever sum of money shall be found due, upon such auditing, be paid out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated. Approved, August 29th, 1842. Detroit, authoriz CHAP. 260.-AN ACT supplementary to "An act to provide for the adjustment of titles to land in the town of Detroit, and Territory of Michigan, and for other purposes," passed April twenty-one, eighteen hundred and six. [SEC. 1.] Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress Mayor, recorder, assembled, That the mayor, recorder, and alderman of the city and aldermen of of Detroit, in the State of Michigan, be, and they, or a quorum ed to adjust claims of them in council assembled, are hereby, authorized to hear, which this is sup examine, and finally adjust, all claims arising under the act to which this is supplementary, against the governor and judges of the late Territory of Michigan, and receive all moneys, or other rights to property to which the said governor and judges were entitled, or became entitled under said act. under the act to plementary. Mayor, &c., au journals, &c., of 1806. SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the said mayor, rethorized to receive corder, and aldermen, of the said city of Detroit be, and they the board, acting are hereby, entitled to receive from any person or persons having under act 21 April the possession of the same, the journals, records, papers, and books of the governor and judges of the late Territory of Michigan, acting as a land board, under the act of April twenty-first, one thousand eight hundred and six, to which this is a supplement; and that all powers and rights vested by the said act in in said the said governor and judges, for the purposes therein mentionto the mayor, &c. ed, are hereby transferred and vested in the mayor, recorder, and aldermen, of the city of Detroit, in the State of Michigan. Mayor, &c., au- And the said mayor, recorder, and aldermen, are hereby authortute legal proceed- ized to institute proceedings at law or in equity, in any court of competent jurisdiction, in all cases where it may be necessary to carry into effect the purposes of this act. Powers, &c., thorized to insti ngs. |