Proviso. ceive a land all sales, mortgages, powers, or other instruments of writing, I going to affect the title or claim to any such bounty right, made or exccuted prior to the issue of such warrant or certificate, shall be null and void to all intents and purposes whatsoever, nor shall such claim to bounty right be in anywise affected by, or charged with, or subject to, the payment of any debt or claim incurred by the soldier prior to the issuing of such certificate or warrant: Provided, That no land warrant issued under the provisions of this act shall be laid upon any lands of the United States to which there shall be a pre-emption right, or upon which there shall be an actual settlement and cultivation: Provided further, That every Proviso, that such non-commissioned officer, musician, and private who every person may be entitled, under the provisions of this act, to receive entitled to rea certificate or warrant for one hundred and sixty acres of warrant may reland, shall be allowed the option to receive such certificate ceive scrip for $100, bearing 6 ar warrant, or a treasury scrip for one hundred dollars, and such scrip, whenever it is preferred, shall be issued by the per ct. interest. Secretary of the Treasury to such person or persons as would be authorized to receive such certificates or warrants for lands; said scrip to bear an interest of six per cent. per annum, payable semi-annually, redeemable at the pleasure of the government. And that each private, non-commissioned Non-commis'l officer, and musician, who shall have been received into the officers, &c. unservice of the United States, since the commencement of cumstances, to the war with Mexico, for less than twelve months, and shall receive a warhave served for such term or until honorably discharged, rant for 40 acres shall be entitled to receive a warrant for forty acres of land, which may be subject to private entry, or twenty-five dollars in scrip if preferred; and in the event of the death of such volunteer during his term of service, or after an honorable discharge, but before the passage of this act, then the warrant for such land, or scrip, shall issue to the wife, child, or children, if there be any, and if none, then to the father, and if there be no father, then to the mother of such deceased volunteer: Provided, That nothing contained in this section. shall be construed to give bounty land to such volunteers as were accepted into service, and discharged without being marched to the seat of war. .der certain cir termasters. SEC. 10. And be it further enacted, That it shall, and may President to apbe lawful for the President, by and with the advice and con- point four quarsent of the Senate, to appoint from the officers of the army four quartermasters of the rank of major, and ten assistant quartermasters with the rank of captain. Approved, February 11, 1847. CHAP. 9.-AN ACT to change the time of holding one of the terms of the circuit court of the United States for the district of North Carolina. [SEC. 1.] Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress asTerm of the sembled, That the term of the circuit court of the United Circuit Court States for the district of North Carolina, now by law apof N. Carolina pointed to be held on the first Monday of December, shall for the District altered. 3 hereafter be held on the last Monday of November (instead of the first Monday of December) in each and every year, and all actions, suits, appeals, recognisances, writs, processes, and other proceedings whatever pending in said court, or returnable thereto, shall have day, and be heard, tried, proceeded with, and decided accordingly. Approved, February 15, 1847. from 20th January, 1848. CHAP. 10.-AN ACT for the relief of Thomas Blanchard. [SEC. 1.] Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Repre sentatives of the United States of America in Congress asHis patent for sembled, That the Commissioner of Patents be, and he is cutting irregu hereby, required to extend to Thomas Blanchard, a citizen lar forms out of wood, brass, or of the United States, his executors and administrators, his iron, &c. exten- patent for a machine for turning or cutting irregular forms ded for 14 years out of wood, iron, brass, or other materials or substance which can be cut by ordinary tools, for and during the term of fourteen years from the twentieth day of January, anno Domini eighteen hundred and forty-eight, the day on which said patent will expire, in which extension the Commissioner may include any improvements in said machine made by the said Thomas Blanchard prior to the date of such extension, on his paying into the treasury, to the account of the patent fund, the duty required by the eighteenth section of the act of Congress entitled "An act to promote the progress of the useful arts, and to repeal all acts and parts of acts heretofore made for that purpose," approved July the fourth, anno Domini eighteen hundred and thirty-six, on applications for the extension of patents: Provided, That such extension shall inure to the use and benefit of the said Thomas Blanchard, his executors and administrators, and to no other persons whomsoever, except that a bona fide assignee of the invention, by virtue of an assignment from the patentee heretofore made, shall have the benefit of this act upon just, reasonable, and equitable terms, according to his interest therein. And if the said Thomas Blanchard, his executors or administrators, cannot agree with such assignee, the terms shall be ascertained and determined by the circuit court of the United States for the district in which such assignee re Proviso. sides, to be decreed upon a bill to be filed by such assignce for that purpose: And provided further, That no assignee shall have the benefit of this act unless he shall, within ninety days from the date of its passage, agree with the said Thomas Blanchard, his executors or administrators, as to the consideration upon which he is to have it, or file his bill in the circuit court aforesaid, in order that the amount to be paid therefor, and the terms of such payment, may be decreed in conformity with the intent and meaning of this act: Provided, That the rights of the United States to use said invention, obtained by assignment or contract with said Blanchard, shall be and are hereby reserved to the same extent as they would have been if this act had not been passed. Approved, February 15, 1847. CHAP. 11-AN ACT to extend the time for selling the lands granted to the Kentucky Asylum for teaching the deaf and dumb. years allowed the [SEC. 1.] Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Repre- The further sentatives of the United States of America in Congress as- of five sembled, That the further time of five years, from and after for selling the the expiration of that time heretofore allowed, be, and the lands heretofore same is hereby, allowed and permitted the trustees of the granted Kentucky asyCentre College of Kentucky, who are also trustees of the lun. Kentucky Asylum for teaching the deaf and dumb, to sell the lands heretofore granted said asylum, and confirmed to said trustees for the use of said asylum by acts of Congress heretofore passed: Provided, That the provisions of this act shall not extend to any lands heretofore granted, lying in the State of Arkansas. Approved, February 18, 1847. CHAP. 12.-AN ACT for the relief of Thomas Brownell. month. [SEC. 1.] Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Repre- His name to be sentatives of the United States of America in Congress as- placed on the rell of navy sembled, That the name of Thomas Brownell be placed upon pensioners, and the roll of navy pensioners, and that he be paid ten dollars to be paid at the a month, commencing on the first day of October, eighteen rate of $19 per hundred and forty, for disability incurred by him while in the discharge of his duty as master on board the Lawrence, under command of Commodore Perry, in the year eighteen hundred and thirteen; the payment of said pension to be subject to the provisions of the second section of an act passed August sixteenth, eighteen hundred and forty-one, entitled "An act for the payment of navy pensions.' Approved, February 18, 1847. CHAP. 13.—AN ACT making appropriations for the payment of revolationary and other pensions of the United States for the year ending the thirtieth June, one thousand eight hundred and forty-eight. [SEC. 1.] Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress asAppropriation. sembled, That the following sums be, and the same are hereby appropriated, out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the payment of pensions for the year ending the thirtieth of June, one thousand eight hundred and forty-eight: Revolutionary pensioners. Invalid pensions. Pensions to For revolutionary pensions, under the act of the eighteenth of March, one thousand eight hundred and eighteen, sixtyseven thousand two hundred dollars. For invalid pensions, under various acts, one hundred and sixty-six thousand dollars. For pensions to widows and orphans, under the act of the widows and or- fourth of July, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-six, phans. two hundred and fifty-eight thousand dollars. For pensions to widows, under the act of the seventh of July, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight, and the acts supplementary thereto, two hundred and seventy thou sand dollars. For pensions to widows, under the act of the third of March, one thousand eight hundred and forty-three, fifty-six thousand dollars. For pensions to widows, under the act of the seventeenth of June, one thousand eight hundred and forty-four, four hundred and eighty thousand dollars. Half-pay pen- For half-pay pensions to widows and orphans, payable sions to widows through the Third Auditor's office, five thousand five hun and orphans. Arrearages. gents, &c. dred dollars. For arrearages prior to July first, one thousand eight hundred and fifteen, payable through the Third Auditor's office, one thousand dollars. Compensation SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That from and after to pension a- the passage of this act, the Secretary of War is hereby authorized to make such compensation to agents for paying pensions as may be just and reasonable, to be paid out of the fund appropriated for the payment of revolutionary pensions, but in no case to exceed two per centum on moneys disburs ed by them; the said compensation to be in full for all their services, and any contingent expenses that may arise in the discharge of their official duties, books, printing, and sta- Approved, February 20, 1847. CHAP. 14.-AN ACT for the relief of Joshua Shaw. The Sec'y of War to examine his claim upon [SEC. 1.] 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, the Government authorized and directed to examine the claims of Joshua of the U.S., and Shaw upon the Government of the United States, and re- to report to the Treasury such port to the proper officers of the Treasury for payment such amount as may amount as may be found due him, upon principles of justice be due him, not exceeding $25, and equity, not exceeding twenty-five thousand dollars; 000. which amount is hereby directed to be paid out of any mo- The amount neys in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, as a full found due to be compensation for the past and future use of his invention of paid him in full compensation percussion caps and locks for small arms, and percussion for the use of his locks and wafer primers, to be applied to the firing of cannon. percussion caps Approved, February 20, 1847. and locks and wafer primers. CHAP. 15.-AN ACT granting a pension to Patrick Kelly. [SEC. 1.] Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress as ed him. sembled, That the Secretary of War be directed to place the A pension of $8 name of Patrick Kelly upon the invalid pension roll; and a month allowthat a pension be granted to the said Patrick Kelly, at the rate of eight dollars a month, from and after the eighth day of May, eighteen hundred and forty-six. Approved, February 20, 1847. CHAP. 16.—AN ACT to regulate the carriage of passengers in merchant vessels. [SEC. 1.] Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress as sembled, That if the master of any vessel, owned in whole Number of pasor in part by a citizen of the United States of America, or sengers which |