tion of the governors of said States or Territories showing the absolute necessity of arms for the protection of the citizens and their property against Indian raids into said States or Territories also that militia companies are regularly organized and under control of the governors of said States or Territories to whom said arms are to be issued, and that said governor or governors shall give a good and sufficient bond for the return of said arms or payment for the same at such time as the Secretary of War may designate. [July 3, 1876.] July 22, 1876. 19 Stat. L., 215. Silver coin to be issued in exchange for legal-tender notes, &c. R. S., § 3513, 3572. [SECTION 1], That the Secretary of the Treasury, under such limits and regulations as will best secure a just and fair distribution of the same through the country, may issue the silver coin at any time in the Treasury to an amount not exceeding ten million dollars, in exchange for an equal amount of legal-tender notes; and the notes so received in 1876, April 17, exchange shall be kept as a special fund separate and apart from all ch. 63, § 2. 1879, June 9, ch. other money in the Treasury, and be reissued only upon the retirement 12. June 21, ch. and destruction of a like sum of fractional currency received at the 34, § 3. Treasury in payment of dues to the United States; Fractional cur And said fractional currency, when so substituted, shall be destroyed rency to be de- and held as part of the sinking fund, as provided in the act approved stroyed. 1876, April 17, April seventeen, eighteen hundred and seventy-six. ch. 63, § 2. Trade dollar not SEC. 2. That the trade dollar shall not hereafter be a legal tender, and to be legal tender, the Secretary of the Treasury is hereby authorized to limit from time to and ited. R. S., § 3513. Fifty million dollars of subsidi ary silver coin may R. S., § 3513. 15 Opin. Att'yGen., 312. Purchase of sil ed for. time, the coinage thereof to such an amount as he may deem sufficient to meet the export demand for the same. SEC. 3. That in addition to the amount of subsidiary silver coin authorized by law to be issued in redemption of the fractional currency it shall be lawful to manufacture at the several mints, and issue through the Treasury and its several offices, such coin, to an amount, that, including the amount of subsidiary silver coin and of fractional currency outstanding, shall, in the aggregate, not exceed, at any time, fifty million dollars. SEC. 4. That the silver bullion required for the purposes of this resover bullion; price lution shall be purchased, from time to time, at market-rate, by the Seclimited; seigniorage to be account- retary of the Treasury, with any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated; but no purchase of bullion shall be made under this resolution when the market-rate for the same shall be such as will not admit of the coinage and issue, as herein provided, without loss to the Treasury; and any gain or seigniorage arising from this coinage shall be accounted for and paid into the Treasury, as provided under existing laws relative to the subsidiary coinage: R. S., § 3526. Amount to be in vested in silver bullion limited. R. S., § 3526. Provided, That the amount of money at any one time invested in such silver bullion, exclusive of such resulting coin, shall not exceed two hundred thousand dollars. [July 22, 1876.] NUMBER 18. JOINT RESOLUTION TO CORRECT AN ERROR IN THE ENROLMENT OF THE POST-OFFICE APPROPRIATION ACT. Compensation of postmasters; error in act corrected. July 25, 1876. 19 Stat. L., 215. Compensation of Resolved, &c., That the act approved July twelfth, eighteen hundred and seventy-six, entitled "An act making appropriations for the service postmasters; error in act corrected. of the Post Office Department for the fiscal year ending June thirtieth, 1876, July 12, ch. eighteen hundred and seventy-seven, and for other purposes," be amended 179, § 7. as follows: In line thirty-six, section seven of said act (as printed by authority of the Department of State), after the word "sums" strike out the word "not." [July 25, 1876.] NUMBER 20. JOINT RESOLUTION PROHIBITING SUPPLY OF SPECIAL METALLIC CARTRIDGES TO HOS- Metallic ammunition not to be supplied to hostile Indians; may be declared contraband of war. Whereas, it is ascertained that the hostile Indians of the Northwest are largely equipped with arms which require special metallic cartridges, and that such special ammunition is in large part supplied to such hostile In dians directly or indirectly through traders and others in the Indian country: Therefore, Aug. 5, 1876. 19 Stat. L., 216. Resolved, &c., That the President of the United States is hereby au- Metallic ammuthorized and requested to take such measures as in his judgment may nition not to be be necessary to prevent such special metallic ammunition being con- Indians; may be supplied to hostile veyed to such hostile Indians, and is further authorized to declare the declared contrasame contraband of war in such district of country as he may designate band of war. during the continuance of hostilities. [August 5, 1876.] R. S., § 2136. NUMBER 21. JOINT RESOLUTION PROVIDING FOR THE POSTPONEMENT OF THE PUBLICATION OF THE ARMY REGULATIONS. Publication of Army regulations to be postponed. Whereas the President was, by an act of Congress approved March first, eighteen hundred and seventy-five, authorized to make and publish regulations for the government of the Army, in accordance with existing laws; and Whereas by an act of Congress approved July twenty-four, eighteen hundred and seventy-six, a commission was created to which has been referred the whole subject matter of reform and reorganization of the Army of the United States; Therefore Resolved, &c., That the President be requested to postpone all action in connection with the publication of said regulations until after the report of said commission is received and acted on, by Congress at its next session. (1) [August 15, 1876.] NOTE (1) By act of 1879, June 13, ch. 35, § 2, the Secretary of War is directed to cause the regulations of the Army and general orders to be codified and published. GENERAL LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES ENACTED BY THE FORTY-FOURTH CONGRESS-SECOND SESSION, IN THE YEAR 1877. [NOTE.-The omitted chapters and parts of chapters are private, special, local, or temporary acts, and are not of general interest. R. S. refers to Revised Statutes; S. L. and STAT. L. to Statutes at Large.] ceivers. [SECTION 1], That whenever it shall be made appear to the register Saline lands to and the receiver of any land office of the United States that any lands be examined by within their district are saline in character, it shall be the duty of said registers and reregister and said receiver, under the regulations of the General Land R. S., § 2258. Office, to take testimony in reference to such lands to ascertain their true character, and to report the same to the General Land office; And if, upon such testimony, the Commissioner of the General Land -to be sold at office shall find that such lands are saline and incapable of being pur- public auction. chased under any of the laws of the United States relative to the public R. S., § 23532379. domain, then, and in such case, such lands shall be offered for sale by public auction at the local land office of the district in which the same shall be situated, under such regulations as shall be prescribed by the Commissioner of the General Land office, and sold to the highest bidder for cash, at a price not less than one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre; And in case said lands fail to sell when so offered, then the same shall may be sold at be subject to private sale, at such land office, for cash, at a price not less private sale; when. than one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre, in the same manner as other lands of the United States are sold, Provided, That the foregoing enactments shall not apply to any State Act not to apply or Territory which has not had a grant of salines by act of Congress, to certain States, nor to any State which may have had such a grant, until either the &c. grant has been fully satisfied, or the right of selection thereunder has expired by efflux of time. 17 (257) Patents to be But nothing in this act shall authorize the sale or conveyance of any only a release, &c. title other than such as the United States has, and the patents issued shall be in the form of a release and quit-claim of all title of the United States in such lands. Proclamation of SEC. 2. That all executive proclamations relating to the sales of Pubsale of public lic Lands shall be published in only one newspaper, the same to be lands; where to be published. printed and published in the State or Territory where the lands are sitR. S., § 2359. uated, and to be designated by the Secretary of the Interior. [January 1876, July 4, ch. 12, 1877.] 165. Jan. 16, 1877. 19 Stat. L., 222. In District of Co lumbia, constables to take oath and give bond. R. S., vol. 2, Dist. Col., 1036. CHAPTER 22. AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION TEN HUNDRED AND THIRTY-SIX OF THE REVISED STAT- In District of Columbia, constables to take oath and give bond. Be it enacted, &c., That section ten hundred and thirty six of the Revised Statutes relating to the District of Columbia be amended to read as follows: "Each constable shall, before performing any of the duties of his office, take the oath prescribed for civil officers in the District, and shall enter into a bond to the United States in the sum of five thousand dollars, with security, to be approved by the clerk of the supreme court of the District, conditioned for the faithful performance of the duties of his office, and for the punctual payment of all moneys coming into his hands to the persons entitled to receive the same. And the clerk of said supreme court shall approve of no bond of any constable until at least three bondsmen shall sign said constable's bond, and each of said bondsmen shall file with said constable's bond an affidavit that he is the owner in fee-simple of unincumbered real estate, situated in the District of Columbia, of the cash value of at least five thousand dollars." [January 16, 1877.] Recorder of point deputy. CHAPTER 23. AN ACT AUTHORIZING THE RECORDER OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA TO APPOINT Recorder of deeds in District of Columbia may ap Deputy to act in cases of vacancy. Be it enacted, &c., That the recorder of deeds for the District of Codeeds in District of lumbia is authorized to appoint a deputy recorder; and all deeds of conColumbia may apveyance, leases, powers of attorney, and other written instruments reR. S., vol. 2, Dist. quired to be filed and recorded, and all copies of instruments and records, Col., § 467-471. and certificates authorized by law, filed, recorded, made, and certified by the deputy recorder, shall have the same legality, force, and effect as if performed by the recorder. Deputy to act in case of vacancy. No additional In case of a vacancy in the office of recorder by death, resignation, or other cause, the deputy recorder shall act until a recorder shall be duly appointed and qualified: Provided, That no additional expense shall be incurred by the District expense or fees al- for said deputy, and no other fees shall be allowed than are now pro lowed. vided by law. [January 16, 1877.] |