to wit: one at the west end of St. George's island and one at the entrance of St. Joseph's bay, in Florida; one at Cunningham's harbor and one at Otter creek, on Lake Erie; the light-house on Otter creek not to be discontinued, however, until the light-house at Monroe be completed; and that, whenever the light-house on the Execution rocks, Long Island sound, is completed, then the light at Sand's point, on Long Island, be discontinued.

Approved, March 3, 1847.

CHAP. 53. AN ACT for the admission of the State of Wisconsin into the

Union.

Whereas the people of the Territory of Wisconsin did, on Preamble. the sixteenth day of December, eighteen hundred and fortysix, by a convention of delegates called and assembled for that purpose, form for themselves a constitution and State government, which said constitution is republican; and said convention having asked the admission of said Territory into the Union as a State, on an equal footing with the original States:

[SEC. 1.] Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress as

into the Union.

sembled, That the State of Wisconsin be, and the same is State of Wishereby declared to be, one of the United States of America, consin admitted and is hereby admitted into the Union on an equal footing with the original States, in all respects whatever.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the assent of

Congress is hereby given to the change of boundary pro- Change of bounposed in the first article of said constitution, to wit: leaving dary, &c.

the boundary line prescribed in the act of Congress entitled "An act to enable the people of Wisconsin Territory to form a constitution and State government, and for the admission of such State into the Union," at the first rapids in the river St. Louis, thence in a direct line southwardly to a point fifteen miles east of the most easterly point in lake St. Croix, thence due south to the main channel of the Mississippi river or lake Pepin, thence down the said main channel, as prescribed in said act.

gress to resolu

and the 5 pr. ct.

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That the assent of Con- Assent of Congress is hereby given to the resolutions adopted by said con- tions of convenvention and appended to said constitution, and the acts of tion relative to Congress referred to in said resolutions are hereby amended grants of lands, so that the lands thereby granted and the proceeds thereof, fund. and the five per centum of the net proceeds of the public lands, may be held and disposed of by said State, in the manner and for the purposes recommended by said convention: Provided, however, That the liabilities incurred by the Proviso.

Condition.

territorial government of Wisconsin, under the act entitled "An act to grant à quantity of land to the Territory of Wisconsin, for the purpose of aiding in opening a canal to connect the waters of Lake Michigan with those of Rock river," shall be paid and discharged by said State: And provided, further, That the even numbered sections along the route of said proposed canal shall be brought into market, and sold at the same minimum price, and subject to the same rights of pre-emption to all the settlers thereon at the passage of this act, as other public lands of the United States.

SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That it is made and declared to be a fundamental condition of the admission of said State of Wisconsin into the Union, that the constitution adopted at Madison, on the sixteenth day of December, in the year one thousand eight hundred and forty-six, shall be assented to by the qualified electors, in the manner and at the times prescribed in the ninth section of the twentieth article of said constitution. And as soon as such assent shall be given, the President of the United States shall announce the same by proclamation; and therefrom, and without any further proceedings on the part of Congress, the admission of said State of Wisconsin into the Union, on an equal footing in all respects whatever with the original States, shall be considered as complete.

Approved, March 3, 1847.

CHAP. 54.-AN ACT to create an additional land district in the Territory of Wisconsin, and for other purposes.

[SEC. 1.] Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rep resentatives of the United States of America in Congress asChippewa land sembled, That all that portion of the public lands lying withdistrict created. in the Territory of Wisconsin, north and west of the follow

ing boundary, to wit: Commencing at the Mississippi river on the line between townships twenty-two and twenty-three north, running thence east along said line to the fourth principal meridian, thence north along said meridian line to the line dividing townships twenty-nine and thirty, thence east along said township line to the Wisconsin river, thence up the main channel of said river to the boundary line between the State of Michigan and the Territory of Wisconsin, shall form a land district to be called the Chippewa land district; Land office to and for the sale of the lands in said district a land office be established. shall be established at such place therein as the President of the United States may select.

Geological exSEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the Secretary of amination of the Treasury shall cause a geological examination and sur

made.

sale.

vey of the lands embraced in said district to be made and lands in said reported to the Commissioner of the General Land Office, district to be And the President is hereby authorized to cause such of said lands as may contain copper, lead, or other valuable ores, to be exposed to sale, giving six months' notice of the times Mineral and and places of sales in such newspapers of general circulation other lands to in the several States as he may deem expedient, with a brief be exposed to description of the lands to be offered; showing the number' and localities of the mines known, the probability of discovering others, the quality of the ores, the facilities of working the mines, and the means and expense of transporting their products to the principal markets in the United States. And all the lands embraced in said district, not reported as aforesaid, shall be sold in the same manner as other lands under the laws now in force for the sale of the public lands, excepting and reserving from such sales section sixteen in 16th sections, each township for the use of schools, and such reservations &c., to be reas the President shall deem necessary for public uses.

served.

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That every person or Pre-emption persons who shall be in possession, by actual occupancy, of right to actual a mine or mines, actually discovered previous to the passage mines. occupants of of this act, and who shall pay the same rents as those who hold under leases from the Secretary of War, and which rents accruing from such occupants and lessees shall be paid and delivered to such officer of the Government as the Secretary of the Treasury shall direct, shall be entitled to purchase the lands on which the same is or are situated at any time prior to the day of sale fixed by the President, in legal subdivisions, not exceeding in the aggregate one hundred and sixty acres, to include such mine or mines, paying to the United States therefor at the rate of five dollars per acre: Provided, That, prior to any entry being made under the Proviso. provisions of this section, proof of possession and occupancy as aforesaid of the mine or mines claimed shall be made to the register and receiver of the land district, together with the evidence of the payment of all rents due the United States, agreeably to such rules as may be prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury for that purpose, which register and receiver shall each be entitled to receive one dollar for his services therein: Provided, That an appeal from the de- Appeals may be cision of the register and receiver to the Secretary of the tary of Treasury Treasury may be had, under such regulations as the said Secretary may prescribe. And if two or more persons are in possession of the same quarter section, the first occupant shall be entitled to a preference, unless the same can be so divided by legal subdivisions as to give to each the discovery claimed by him.

made to Secre

lands shall be

SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That the said mineral How mineral lands shall be offered for sale in subdivisions of quarter- offered for sale.

Proviso.

quarter sections, and no bid shall be received at a less rate than five dollars per acre; and if such lands shall not be sold at public sale, they shall be subject to entry at private sale at that price: Provided, That no legal division or subdivision of any of said lands upon which there may be an outstanding lease or leases from the Secretary of War unexpired or undetermined, and which is actually occupied for mining purposes, and the occupants of which have complied with all the requisites of such lease or leases, and continued to per form the same, shall be sold until after the determination of such lease or leases by efflux of time, voluntary surrender, or other legal extinguishment thereof, except in such cases as are provided for in the third section of this act, and the lessees respectively, shall be entitled to the privilege secured by said section upon the voluntary surrender of the lease or leases held by them.

Management & SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That the management control of mine- and control of the mineral lands shall be transferred from the

transferred to

ral lands to be War Department, and placed under the jurisdiction and conTreasury De- trol of the Treasury Department, and all books, maps, partment, &c. papers, instruments, and other property procured to be used and employed in the management, survey, exploring or conducting of said mineral lands by the War Department, shall be delivered over and made subject to the disposition of the Secretary of the Treasury.

Register and SEC. 6. And be it further enacted, That the President, by Receiver to be and with the advice and consent of the Senate, so soon as a appointed. sufficient number of townships are surveyed, and returns thereof made to the General Land Office, to authorize the commencement of the sales in said district, shall appoint one register and one receiver for the land office in said district, who shall reside at the place designated by the President for the land office, receive such compensation, give security, and discharge all duties pertaining to such office, as are prescribed by law."

Approved, March 3, 1847.

Marshal to stay

CHAP. 55.—AN ACT for the reduction of the costs and expenses of proceedings in admiralty against ships and vessels.

[SEC. 1.] Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress asexecution in ad- sembled, That in any case brought in the courts of the United miralty cases & States, exercising jurisdiction in admiralty, where a warrant discharge the of arrest, or other process in rem, shall be issued, it shall be ed on receiving the duty of the marshal to stay the execution of such probond and secu- cess, or to discharge the property arrested, if the same has

property arrest

cree of court.

been levied, on receiving from the claimant of the same a rity from claimbond or stipulation in double the amount claimed by the ant to abide delibellant, with sufficient surety, to be approved by the judge of the said court, or, in his absence, by the collector of the port, conditioned to abide and answer the decree of the court in such cause; and such bond or stipulation shall be returned to the said court, and judgment on the same, both against the principal and sureties, may be recovered at the time of rendering the decree in the original cause: Provided, That Proviso--costs, the entire costs in any such case, in which the amount re- how limited & covered by the libellant shall not exceed one hundred dollars, applied.

shall not be more than fifty per cent. of the amount recovered in the same, which costs shall be applied, first to the payment of the usual fees for witnesses, and the commissioner, where a commissioner shall act on the case, and the residue to be divided, pro rata, between the clerk and marshal, under the direction of the judge of the court where the cause may be tried: Provided further, That no attorney's or proctor's fees shall be allowed or paid out of the said costs. Approved, March 3, 1847.

No attorney's proctor's fees

to be paid out of said costs.

CHAP. 56.-AN ACT to give the consent of Congress to the sale of certain salt spring lands heretofore granted to the States of Michigan, Illinois, and Arkansas.

lands granted to State

[SEC. 1.] Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the State of Michigan shall be, and hereby is, Sale of salt authorized and empowered to sell, in such manner as the spring legislature of said State shall by law direct, the salt spring of Michigan aulands granted to said State for its use, by an act entitled "An thorized. act supplementary to the act entitled an act to establish the northern boundary line of the State of Ohio, and to provide for the admission of the State of Michigan into the Union on certain conditions," approved June twenty-third, eighteen hundred and thirty-six.

State of Illinois

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the State of Illi- Sale of saline nois shall be, and hereby is, authorized and empowered to lands granted to sell, in such manner as the legislature of said State shall by authorized. law direct, the whole or any part of the saline lands lying in Jackson county, in said State, which were granted to the State of Illinois, by virtue of "An act to enable the people of the Illinois Territory to form a constitution and State government, and for the admission of such State into the Union on an equal footing with the original States," approved April eighteenth, eighteen hundred and eighteen.

Sale of saline

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That the State of Arkansas shall be, and hereby is, authorized to sell, in such lands granted to