June 20, 1878. Venezuela Mixed CHAP. 360.-An act in relation to the Venezuelan Mixed Commission Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the act entitled "An act to enforce the stipulations of the convention of Venezuela of April twenty. Commission. fifth, eighteen hundred and sixty-six, and the payment of adjudicated claims", approved February twenty-fifth, eighteen hundred and seventythree, be, and the same is hereby, repealed: Provided, however, That nothing herein, or in the act hereby repealed, shall be construed as an expression of any opinion on the part of Congress in respect to the validity of any awards made under said convention, or as to the propriety of a negotiation by the Executive of a new convention in respect to the same. Approved, June 20, 1878. CHAP. 361.-An act to appoint a commission to ascertain the cost of removing the Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the President be, and he is hereby, directed to appoint, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, a commission consisting of three persons, one of whom shall be a Real Admiral of the Navy, one of whom shall be a Colonel of Engineers, and one shall be chosen from civil life, whose duty it shall be to select a site, within the District of Columbia, for the United States Naval Observatory, such site to possess relatively the advantages of healthfulness, clearness of atmosphere, convenience of access from the City of Washington, and such other advantages as may be found expedient, and to report fully thereon including estimates of the total expense of said site and the removal of the Observatory, to the next session of Congress: Provided, however, That no member of said commission shall be, directly or indirectly, interested, for himself, or for any other person, in any property to be selected as a site for said Observatory. 1873, ch. 201, 17 Stat., 477, Repealed. Proviso. Proposals for sale SEC. 2 Said commission shall invite sealed proposals or offers of sale from the owners of land deemed fit for such a site, containing such of site. provisions as they may deem sufficient to bind such owners to convey such land to the United States in case the same shall hereafter be selected and determined on as the site of said Observatory; which proposals shall be opened by the full commission publicly, and in the presence of persons interested who may choose to attend, on a day to be fixed for that purpose, after due notice to all parties interested; and no proposal received after such formal opening shall be opened or considered. Sale of present SEC. 3. Said commission shall also consider and report upon the propriety and expediency of disposing of the old observatory grounds and site, etc. buildings, the best and most advantageous method of selling the same, and the probable sum which may be realized therefore. SEC. 4 Said commissioners may if they deem it necessary in order Examination of to secure the best site for said observatory examine any premises within sites not offered. said District not offered for sale as before provided which may seem eligible, and may report their estimate of the cash market value of the same Approved, June 20, 1878. CHAP. 362.-An act creating the Utah and Northern Railway Company, a corporation in the Territories of Utah, Idaho, and Montana, and granting the right of way to said company through the public lands Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United June 20, 1878. Utah and North States of America in Congress assembled, That the right of way through ern Railway Comthe public lands of the United States and other priveleges heretofore pany. Right of way granted by law to the Utah Northern Railroad Company are hereby modified, etc. modified and regranted so as to enable the Utah and Northern Railway Company and its assigns to build their road by the way of Marsh Valley, Portneuf River and Snake River Valley instead of by the way of Soda Springs and Snake River Valley as originally granted ho, and Montana. Proviso. To be a corрогаSEC. 2. And said Company is hereby made a railway corporation in the tion in Utah, Ida- Territories of Utah, Idaho, and Montana, under the same conditions and limitations and with the same rights and priveleges that it now has and enjoys under its articles of incorporation. Provided that said corporation shall at all times hereafter be subject to all the laws and regulations in relation to railroads of the United States or of any territory or state through which it may pass And suits against said corporation may be instituted in the courts of said Territories or either of them having jurisdiction by the laws of such Territory. Suits. Amendment, etc. act SEC. 3. Congress may at any time add to, alter, amend or repeal this Approved, June 20, 1878. June 20, 1878. West Virginia, Boldiers' union. Condemned cannon granted to. CHAP. 363.-An act granting condemned bronze cannon to the soldiers Union of Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of War be and he is hereby, authorized to furnish to the Governor of West Virginia for the soldiers union of that State, one or more of the condemned bronze cannon belonging to the government of the United States, as may be necessary to make a bronze soldiers statue, to be erected upon a monument in the capitol square of Wheeling. Approved, June 20, 1878. June 20, 1878. Rifled small arins. Sale of, authorized. CHAP. 364.-An act to authorize the sale of the small-arms now in use in the naval service, and the conversion of the proceeds of such sale, in the purchase of arms similar in caliber to the arms now in use by the United States Army. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the chief of the Bureau of Ordnance of the Navy Department be, and he is hereby, authorized to sell the rifled small-arms and carbines of caliber "fitty", now used in the Navy, as well as the cartridges adapted to them (now or which may be on hand), in such manner and upon such terms and conditions as may be approved by the Secretary of the Navy; the proceeds of which sale shall be used, under the direction of the Secretary of the Navy, in the purchasing of arms and ammunition of the caliber of small-arms in use by the United States Army; and that he shall report his action to Congress. Approved, June 20, 1878. June 20, 1878. Appropriation. CHAP. 365.-An act to construct a road to the national cemetery at Vicksburg, Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the sum of seven thousand Road to ceme- dollars be, and the same is hereby, appropriated out of any money in tery near Vicks the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the purpose of constructburg. ing a macadamized road from the city of Vicksburg, Mississippi to the national cemetery near that city, to be expended under the direction of the Secretary of War, or so much of the above sum as is necessary. Approved, June 20, 1878. CHAP. 366.-An act to amend section twenty-five hundred and seventeen of the Revised Statutes of the United States, making Gardiner and Richmond, in Maine, ports of entry. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That section twenty-five hundred and seventeen of the Revised Statutes of the United States is hereby amended by inserting in article ten, after the words "Bowdoinham", the words "Gardiner and Richmond”. Approved, June 20, 1878. CHAP. 367.—An act relating to claim agents and attorneys in pension cases Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, It shall be unlawful for any attorney, agent or other person to demand or receive for his services in a pension case a greater sum than ten dollars. No fee contract shall hereafter be filed with the Commissioner of Pensions in any case. In pending cases in which a fee contract has heretofore been filed, if the pension shall be allowed, the Commissioner of Pensions shall approve the same as to the amount of the fee to be paid at the amount specified in the contract. Sections forty-seven hundred and sixty-eight fortyseven hundred and sixty-nine and forty-seven hundred and eighty-six of the Revised Statutes shall not apply to any case or claim hereafter filed, nor to any pending claim in which the claimant has not been represented by an agent or attorney prior to the passage of this act. SEC. 2. Section forty-seven hundred and eighty-five of the Revised Statutes is hereby repealed. Approved, June 20, 1878. RESOLUTIONS. [No. 1. Joint resolution in relation to the International Industrial Exposition to be held in Paris in eighteen hundred and seventy-eight. Whereas, the United States have been invited by the Republic of France to take part in a universal exposition of the productions of agriculture, manufactures, and the fine arts, to be held in Paris in eighteen hundred and seventy-eight: Therefore, Dec. 15, 1877. Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That said invitation is accepted, and Paris Exposition; that the Governors of the several States and Territories be, and are invitation to, achereby, requested to invite the people of their respective States and cepted. Territories to assist in the proper representation of the productions of our industry, and of the natural resources of the country, and to take such further measures as may be necessary in order to secure to their respective States and Territories the advantages to be derived from this beneficent undertaking. Commissioner Additional com Assistant com Allowances SEC. 2. That the President by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall appoint a Commissioner General to represent the General; appointUnited States in the proposed exposition, and, under the general direc- ment; powers. tion of the Secretary of State, to make all needful rules and regulations in reference to the contributions from this country, and to control the expenditures incident to the proper installation and exhibition thereof, and to the preparation of the reports on the exposition; and that the President may also appoint twenty additional commissioners, no two of whom shall be appointed from any one State of whom three shall be missioners. practical artisan experts, three shall be skilled representatives of commerce and manufactures, and four shall be practical agriculturalists, nine shall be scientific experts, corresponding to, and specifically assigned to report upon, the nine groups into which the exposition will, under the official regulations, be divided, and one who shall be assistant commissioner-general, and shall perform the duties of commissioner. missioner-general. general in case of his death or disability, and shall report upon the exhibition at large, and the general results thereof; that the allowance to said commissioner-general for salary and personal expenses shall not exceed five thousand dollars for his whole term of office; and the allowance of the twenty additional commissioners for salary and personal expenses shall not exceed twelve hundred dollars each, not including such clerical service as may be allowed by the commissioner-general, which shall not exceed fifteen thousand dollars; and the Governors of the several States may nominate and the President appoint two honorary commissioners from each of the several States, and the President may appoint twenty-four additional honorary missioners. commissioners, among whom there shall be at least one resident of each of the Territories of the United States which said honorary commissioners may report upon such special subjects as the commissioner-general may direct, and shall serve without pay or other expense to the United States. And provided further, That in case the authorities of any State or Territory shall appoint a commissioner or commissioners to represent sioners. the interests of such State or Territory at said exhibition said commis. sioner or commissioners so appointed shall have the same status in the commission as the honorary commissioners provided for herein but shall not be entitled to either pay or compensation out of the money hereby appropriated: Provided always, That no person appointed by virtue of No pecuniary in this resolution shall have any pecuniary interest, directly or indirectly, in terest in exhibits. 245 Clerical Fervice. Honorary com State commis |