Chairman to no eral of order, &c., half of the United States, which he may require to be shown by affidavit, his own fees, the fees of the marshal, his deputies or other persons serving papers, giving the items, and such other facts in relation to the circumstances connected with the taking of the depositions as he may deem material. He shall then seal up such depositions and papers securely, direct them to the chairman of such committee at Washington, stating briefly on the outside the nature of the contents, and place the same in the post-office, paying the postage thereon; and said package shall be opened only in the presence of such committee. The chairman of any committee ordering testimony to be taken under tify Attorney-Gen- this act shall, at least ten days before the time fixed for such examinato take testimony. tion, and within two days after the adoption of such order, cause a copy thereof to be directed and delivered to the Attorney-General of the United States, or sent to him by mail at the Department of Justice, to enable him to give such instructions as he may deem best to the district attorney of the district where such testimony is to be taken, who may, and, if required by the Attorney-General, shall, though not requested by the committee, appear for the United States in person or by assistant, and take such part in such examination as the Attorney-General shall direct. [February 3, 1879.] Feb. 3, 1879. 20 Stat. L., 280. Aet of New Mex CHAPTER 41. AN ACT TO DISAPPROVE AND ANNUL AN ACT OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF THE Act of New Mexico incorporating the Jesuit Fathers disapproved and declared void. Be it enacted, &c., That an act of the legislative assembly of the Terico incorporating ritory of New Mexico, entitled "An act to incorporate the Society of the the Jesuit Fathers Jesuit Fathers of New Mexico", which passed both houses of said legisdisapproved and declared void. lative assembly on or about the eighteenth day of January, eighteen R. S., § 1889. hundred and seventy-eight, over the veto of the governor of said Territory, being in violation of section eighteen hundred and eighty-nine of the Revised Statutes of the United States, which declares, "The legislative assemblies of the several Territories shall not grant private charters or especial privileges", said bill being a grant of a private charter or act of incorporation, with the "especial privileges" of an unlimited power to acquire, hold, and transfer all kinds of property, both real and personal, and the exemption from taxation of all the effects and property of said corporation, be, and the same is hereby, disapproved and declared null and void. [February 3, 1879.1 Feb. 3, 1879. 20 Stat. L., 280. Embezzlement CHAPTER 42. AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION FIVE THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED AND NINETY-SEVEN OF Embezzlement by officers of United States and their assistants; how punished. Be it enacted, &c., That section five thousand four hundred and ninetyby officers of Uni- seven of the Revised Statutes of the United States be, and the same is ted States and their assistants; hereby, amended by adding at the end thereof the following, to wit: how punished. R. S., § 5497. "And any officer connected with, or employed in, the internal-revenue service of the United States, and any assistant of such officer, who shall embezzle or wrongfully convert to his own use any money or other property of the United States, and any officer of the United States, or any assistant of such officer, who shall embezzle or wrongfully convert to his own use any money or property which may have come into his possession or under his control in the execution of such office or employment, or under color or claim of authority as such officer or assistant, whether the same shall be the money or property of the United States or of some other person or party, shall, where the offense is not otherwise punishable by some statute of the United States, be punished by a fine equal to the value of the money and property thus embezzled or converted, or by imprisonment not less than three months nor more than ten years, or by both such fine and imprisonment." [February 3, 1879.] CHAPTER 43. AN ACT TO EXTEND THE JURISDICTION OF THE DISTRICT AND CIRCUIT COURTS OF Feb. 3, 1879. 20 Stat. L., 280. SECTION 1. Judicial districts in Florida: northern and southern. SECTION 2. Circuit and district courts to be held at Tampa Be it enacted, &c. [SECTION 1], That from and after the passage of this act the southern judicial district of the State of Florida shall embrace the counties of Hernando, Hillsborough, Polk, Manatee, and Monroe, in said State; and all the Territory within the remaining counties shall constitute the northern judicial district. SEC. 2. That a term of the district and circuit courts of the United States shall be held in each year at Tampa, in said district, commencing on the first Monday in March: Provided, That nothing herein contained shall be construed to impair or affect the jurisdiction of the district court of the United States for the northern district of Florida in any case, civil or criminal, pending therein at the time of the passage of this act. But the same shall be proceeded in to final disposition as if this act had not been passed. [February 3, 1879.] Judicial districts in Florida: north ern and southern. R. S., § 534. Circuit and dis trict courts to be held at Tampa on first Monday in March. R. S., §§ 572, 658. CHAPTER 44. AN ACT AUTHORIZING THE SECRETARY OF WAR TO ERECT HEADSTONES OVER THE Headstones for soldiers' graves in private cemeteries may be erected by Secretary of War. Record of names and places of burial of all sol. Feb. 3, 1879. 20 Stat. L., 281. Headstones for 1873, ch. 229 (17 Stat. L., 545). R. S., § 4877. Be it enacted, &c., That the Secretary of War is hereby authorized to soldiers' graves in private cemeteries erect headstones over the graves of soldiers who served in the Regular may be erected by or Volunteer Army of the United States during the war for the Union, Secretary of War. and who have been buried in private village or city cemeteries, in the same manner as provided by the law of March third, eighteen hundred and seventy-three, for those interred in national military cemeteries; And for this purpose, and for the expenses incident to such work, so much of the appropriation of one million dollars, made in the act above mentioned, as has not been expended, and as may be necessary, is hereby made available. Record of names whom headstones The Secretary of War shall cause to be preserved in the records of and places of burihis Department the names and places of burial of all soldiers for whom al of all soldiers for such headstones shall have been erected by authority of this or any are erected to be former acts. [February 3, 1879.] preserved. Feb. 4, 1879. 20 Stat. L., 281. Sureties on postmasters' bonds to be notified of deficiencies in accounts. 3845. CHAPTER 45. AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION THIRTY-EIGHT HUNDRED AND THIRTY-FIVE OF THE RE- Sureties on postmasters' bonds to be notified of deficiencies in accounts. Be it enacted, &c., That section thirty-eight hundred and thirty-five of the Revised Statutes is amended by adding the following: "Hereafter, when a deficiency shall be discovered in the accounts of any postmaster, who after the adjustment of his accounts fails, to make R. S., 3835, good such deficiency, it shall be the duty of the Sixth Auditor of the Treasury Department to notify the Postmaster-General of such failure, and upon receiving such notice the Postmaster General shall forthwith deposit a notice in the post-office at Washington, District of Columbia, addressed to the sureties respectively upon the bonds of said postmaster, at the office where he or they may reside, if known; But a failure to give or mail such notice shall not discharge such surety or sureties upon such bond. [February 4, 1879.] Feb. 4, 1879. 20 Stat. L., 282. Oneida land dis CHAPTER 48. AN ACT TO CREATE AN ADDITIONAL LAND-DISTRICT IN THE TERRITORY OF IDAHO SECTION 1. Oneida land district in Idaho; how bounded. Be it enacted, &c. SECTION 2. Register and receiver. 3. Unfinished business transferred to, &c. [SECTION 1], That all that portion of the Territory of Idaho described trict in Idaho; and bounded as follows, namely: how bounded. R. S., 2256, Nos. 87, 88, 2d ed., p. 413. Commencing at the southeastern corner of said Territory: thence running west on the line between said Territory and the Territory of Utah to the line between ranges numbered twenty-three and twenty four east, Boise meridian; thence north to the southern boundary of Lemhi County; thence west to the western line of said Lemhi County; thence north on said western line of said county to the line between the Territories of Idaho and Montana; thence easterly on said Territorial line to the east ern boundary of the Territory of Idaho; thence south on the line of the eastern boundary of Idaho Territory to the place of beginning, shall -office of, at constitute a separate land district, to be called Oneida land-district, the Oneida, but may office of which shall be located at Oxford, in Oneida County: be changed by President. -register and receiver of. 2247. - unfinished busi Provided, The President of the United States may change the location of said land-office, from time to time, as the public interests may require. SEC. 2. That the President shall appoint, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, or during the recess thereof, a register and a reR. S., 2234-ceiver of public moneys for said district; and said officers shall reside in the place where said land-office is located, and shall have the same powers and responsibilities; and shall receive the same fees and emoluments as like officers now receive in other land-offices in said Territory. SEC. 3. That all persons in said district who, prior to the opening of ness transferred to, said Oneida land-office, shall have filed their declaratory statements, or application for pre-emption, homestead, or other land rights, in any landoffice, in said Territory of Idaho, shall hereafter make proofs and entries at said Oneida land-office; and all unfinished business in any other landoffice relating exclusively to lands in said Oneida land district shall be transferred to said Oneida land-office when notified by the officers of the opening thereof. [February 4, 1879.] &c. CHAPTER 49. AN ACT DECLARATORY OF THE LAW RELATING TO DESCENTS AND INHERITANCE IN THE Feb. 6, 1879. 20 Stat. L., 282. Issue of colored [SECTION 1], That the issue of any marriage of colored persons, contracted and entered into according to any custom prevailing at the time persons married in any of the States wherein the same occurred, shall, for all purposes tom prevailing at according to cusof descent and inheritance and the transmission of both real and per- time and place sonal property within the District of Columbia, be deemed and held to may in District of be legitimate, and capable of inheriting and transmitting inheritance, Columbia take and and taking as next of kin and distributee according to law, from and to by inheritance, transmit property their parents, or either of them, and from and to those from whom such &c., as legitimate. parents, or either of them, may inherit or transmit inheritance, anything in the laws of such State to the contrary notwithstanding: Provided, That nothing herein shall be construed as implying that any such marriage is not valid, or such issue legitimate for all other purposes. SEC. 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage. [February 6, 1879.] When act takes effect. CHAPTER 50. AN ACT RELATING TO TAX-SALES AND TAXES IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA In District of Columbia, list of lots sold for taxes, in whose name assessed, &c., to be kept by collector. Collector to furnish certified statement of taxes due on any land when called upon, and any tax omitted therefrom shall cease to be a lien as against subsequent purchasers. Public records relating to property, real and per- Feb. 6, 1879. 20 Stat. L., 283. In District of Co whose na we as Be it enacted, &c., That it shall be the duty of the collector of taxes for the District of Columbia to prepare aud keep in his office, for public lumbia, list of lots inspection, a list of lots and squares, arranged in numerical order, of all sold for taxes, in real estate in the city of Washington heretofore sold, or which may here- sessed, &c., to be after be sold, for the non-payment of any general or special tax or as- kept by collector. sessment levied or assessed upon the same, said list to show the date of sale and for what taxes sold; in whose name assessed at the time of sale; the amount for which the same was sold; when and to whom conveyed if deeded, or, if redeemed from said sale, the date of redemption. And it shall be the duty of said collector, whenever called upon, to Collector to furfurnish, in addition to the regular tax-bills, a certified statement, over nish certified statehis hand and official seal, of all taxes and assessments general and spe- ment of taxes due cial, that may be due and unpaid at the time of making said certificate, called upon, and on any land when and which may in any manuer be a lien upon any real estate located in any tax omitted said District; and for each and every certificate so furnished by said therefrom shall collector, the party requesting the same, shall pay into the treasury of cease to be lien as said District a fee of fifty cents; and said certificate when furnished as quent purchasers. against subseaforesaid, shall be a bar to the collection and recovery, from any subsequent purchaser, of any tax or assessment omitted from and which may be a lien upon the real estate mentioned in said certificate, and said lien shall be discharged as to such subsequent purchaser but shall not affect the liability of the person who owned the property at the time such tax was assessed to pay the same. And it is hereby declared that all public records which have any ref erence, or in any way relate, to real or personal property in said District, shall be open to the public for inspection free of charge. [February 6, 1879.] Public records relating to propsonal, open to inerty, real or per spection free of charge. Feb. 14, 1879. 20 Stat. L., 284. CHAPTER 68. AN ACT MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE NAVAL SERVICE FOR THE YEAR ENDING Charts furnished [Par. 1.] * That all charts hereafter furnished to mariners or to persons not in others not in the government service shall be paid for at the cost price public service to be paid for at cost. of paper and printing paid by the government. 91. R. S., §§ 226, 432. 1878, May 4, ch. Value of issues of small-stores to be credited to "small-stores fund"; how used. R. S., § 3618. Board of Visitors to Naval Academy; how appointed, &c. R. S., 1511-1528. -mileage of, to be paid. * BUREAU OF PROVISIONS AND CLOTHING. [Par. 2.] That from and after the first day of April, eighteen hundred and seventy-nine, the value of issues of small-stores shall be credited to a fund to be designated as the "small-stores fund", in the same manner as the value of the issues of clothing is now credited to the "clothing fund"; the resources of the fund to be used hereafter in the purchase of supplies of small-stores for issue. NAVAL ACADEMY. * [Par. 3.] That from and after the passage of this act there shall be appointed every year, in the following manner, a Board of Visitors, to attend the annual examination of the academy: Seven persons shall be appointed by the President, and two Senators and three Members of the House of Representatives shall be designated as Visitors by the Vice-President or President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, respectively, at the session of Congress next preceding such examination. Each member of said board shall receive not exceeding eight cents per mile traveled by the most direct route from his residence to Annapolis, and eight cents per mile for each mile from said place to his residence on returning. [February 14, 1879.] * Feb. 15, 1879. 20 Stat. L., 292. Court of United CHAPTER 81. AN ACT TO RELIEVE CERTAIN LEGAL DISABILITIES OF WOMEN. Women may be Be it enacted, &c., That any woman who shall have been a member of admitted to prac- the bar of the highest court of any State or Territory or of the Supreme tice in Supreme Court of the District of Columbia for the space of three years, and shall have maintained a good standing before such court, and who shall be a person of good moral character, shall, on motion, and the production of such record, be admitted to practice before the Supreme Ccart of the United States. [February 15, 1879.] R. S., § 747. |