route. Proviso. Lawful struc completed shall be deemed and taken to be a lawful structure and post ture, and shall be recognized and known as a post route for the United States mails: Provided, That before the construction of the said bridge shall be begun all proper and requisite authority therefor shall be obtained from the government of the Dominion of Canada. Consent of Can ada. Secretary of War to approve plans, etc. Unobstructed navigation. Lights. Use by other companies. Terms. Commencement and completion. Amendment, etc. Removal. SEC. 2. That the bridge herein provided for shall be subject in its location, plan, and construction to the supervision of the Secretary of War of the United States, to whom the plans and specifications relative thereto shall be submitted for approval; and until the said location and plan of construction of said bridge hereby authorized to be constructed are approved by the Secretary of War, the said bridge shall not be commenced or built; and no change shall be made in the plan of such bridge during the progress of construction or after completion thereof unless by the consent and with the approval of the Secretary of War first obtained. The said bridge shall be so located and constructed as not to obstruct the navigation of the main channel of the river. The said company shall submit to the Secretary of War, for his examination and approval, drawings of the said bridge and piers, together with a map of the location, showing for the space of at least one mile below and one mile above the proposed location the topography of the banks of the river, the shore lines at high and low water, the location of the channel, together with the direction and strength of the current at ordinary high and low stages, and the soundings of the river bed, and shall furnish such further information as may be required by the Secretary of War for a full understanding of the subject. The corporation owning or operating the said bridge shall maintain at its own expense, from sunset to sunrise, such lights or other signals thereupon as the United States Light-House Board may require. SEC. 3. That all railway companies desiring to use the said bridge shall have and be entitled to equal rights and privileges in the passage of the same and in the use of the machinery and fixtures thereof, and of the approaches thereto, under and upon such terms as may be from time to time agreed upon between such railway companies and the persons or corporation owning or operating the said bridge, and in case they shall not agree upon the same, then upon such terms and conditions as may be prescribed by the district court of the United States for the northern district of New York, after hearing the allegations and proofs of the parties in due form presented. SEC. 4. That this Act shall be null and void if actual construction of the bridge herein authorized be not commenced within one year and completed within three years from the date of approval hereof. SEC. 5. That the right to alter, amend, or repeal this Act is hereby expressly reserved; and the right to require the entire removal of the bridge constructed under the provisions of this Act, at the expense of the owners thereof, whenever Congress shall decide that the public interests require it, is also expressly reserved. Approved, March 2, 1897. CHAP. 362.-An Act Making appropriations for the support of the March 2, 1897. Army for the fiscal year ending June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and ninety-eight. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Army approfollowing sums be, and they are hereby, appropriated, out of priations. any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the support of the Army for the year ending June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and ninety-eight: FOR PAY OF THE GENERAL STAFF. * * General staff. Corps of Engi. THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS: For pay of officers in the neers. Corps of Engineers, as now authorized and provided by law, two hundred and thirty-nine thousand five hundred dollars; For additional pay to such officers for length of service, to be paid with their current monthly pay, seventy-one thousand eight hundred and fifty dollars; In all, three hundred and eleven thousand three hundred and fifty dollars. Longevity. Pay to officer, Additional pay to officer in charge of public buildings and public buildings grounds at Washington, District of Columbia, in addition and grounds, D. to pay as major, one thousand dollars. ENGINEER DEPARTMENT. C. Engineer Department. ENGINEER DEPOT AT WILLETS POINT, NEW YORK: Incidental exFor incidental expenses of the depot, including fuel, lights, penses. chemicals, stationery, hardware, extra-duty pay to soldiers necessarily employed for periods not less than ten days as artificers on work in addition to and not strictly in the line of their military duties, such as carpenters, blacksmiths, draftsmen, printers, lithographers, photographers, engine drivers, teamsters, wheelwrights, masons, machinists, painters, overseers, laborers, repairs of, and for materials to repair, public buildings, machinery, and unforeseen expenses, five thousand dollars: For the purchase of material for use of United States Materials. Engineer School and for instruction of engineer troops at Willets Point in their special duties as sappers and miners; for land and submarine mines, pontoniers, torpedo drill, and signaling, one thousand five hundred dollars; For purchase and repair of instruments, to be issued to Instruments. officers of the Corps of Engineers and to officers detailed and on duty as acting engineer officers, for use on public works and surveys, three thousand dollars; LIBRARY OF THE UNITED STATES ENGINEER SCHOOL: Library. For purchase and binding of professional works of recent date treating of military and civil engineering and kindred scientific subjects, five hundred dollars; In all, ten thousand dollars. # Approved, March 2, 1897. March 3, 1897. Montgomery, CHAP. 373.-An Act To amend an Act entitled "An Act to authorize the Montgomery Bridge Company to construct and maintain a bridge across the Alabama River near the city of Montgomery, Alabama," approved March first, eighteen hundred and ninety-three. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives Bridge over of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That Alabama River, section six of an Act approved March first, eighteen hundred and ninety-three, to authorize the Montgomery Bridge Company to construct and maintain a bridge across the Alabama River near Montgomery, Alabama, be, and is hereby, amended to read as follows: Ala. Vol. 27, p. 528. Time for construction ex tended. "SEC. 6. That all telephone and telegraph companies shall be granted equal rights and privileges in the construction and operation of their lines across said bridge; and if actual construction of the bridge herein authorized shall not be commenced within one year from March first, eighteen hundred and ninety-seven, and be completed within three years from same date, the rights and privileges hereby granted shall cease and be determined. Approved, March 3, 1897. March 3, 1897. umbia. CHAP. 375.-An Act Declaring the Potomac Flats a public park, under the name of the Potomac Park. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of District of Col- the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Potomac Park entire area formerly known as the Potomac Flats and now established em being reclaimed, together with the tidal reservoirs, be, and the same are hereby, made and declared a public park, under the name of the Potomac Park, and to be forever held and used as a park for the recreation and pleasure of the people. Approved, March 3, 1897. bracing the Potomac Flats. March 3, 1897. CHAP. 381.-An Act To authorize the construction of a bridge across the Yazoo River at or near the city of Greenwood, in Leflore County, in the State of Mississippi. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of Leflore County the United States of America in Congress assembled, That may bridge Yazoo River, Green the board of supervisors of Leflore County, in the State wood, Miss. of Mississippi, be, and is hereby, authorized to construct and maintain a bridge and approaches thereto across the Yazoo River at or within five miles above or below GreenWagon and foot Wood, in the State of Mississippi. Said bridge shall be bridge. constructed to provide for the passage of wagons and vehicles of all kinds, animals, foot passengers, and for all road travel, for such reasonable rates of toll and under such reasonable rules and regulations as may be prescribed by said board of supervisors and approved by the Secretary of War. Toll. Lawful struc SEC. 2. That any bridge built under this Act and subject ture and post to its limitations shall be a lawful structure, and shall be route. recognized and known as a post route, upon which no charge shall be made for the transmission over the same of the mails, the troops, and the munitions of war of the United States, and it shall enjoy the rights and privilege of other post roads in the United States; and an equal privilege in the use of said bridge shall be granted to all telegraph and telephone companies; and the United States shall have the right of way across said bridge and its Postal tele approaches for postal telegraph purposes. graph. Drawspan. Provisos. Opening draw. a. Lights, etc. navigation. SEC. 3. That said bridge shall be constructed as a wagon bridge, and shall contain a drawspan giving a clear opening of a width to be determined by the Secretary of War, which drawspan shall be maintained over the main channeĺ of the river at an accessible and navigable point, and said bridge other than the drawspan shall be at right angles to the current of the river at high water: Provided, That said draw shall be opened promptly by said company upon reasonable signal for the passage of boats and rafts; and said board of supervisors shall maintain, at its own expense, from sunset to sunrise, such lights or other signals on said bridge as the Light-House Board shall prescribe. No bridge shall be erected or maintained under the authority of this Act which shall at any time unreasonably obstruct the free navigation of said river; and if any bridge erected under such authority shall, in the opinion of the Secretary of War, unreasonably obstruct such navigation, he is hereby authorized to cause the entire removal thereof or such change or Changes. alteration of said bridge to be made as will effectually obviate such obstruction, and all such alterations shall be made and all such obstructions shall be removed at the expense of the owner or owners of said bridge; and in case of any litigation arising from any obstruction or alleged ob- Litigation. struction to the free navigation of said river, caused or alleged to be caused by said bridge, the case may be brought in the district court of the United States of the State of Mississippi in whose jurisdiction any portion of said obstruction or bridge may be located: Provided further, Existing laws That nothing in this Act shall be so construed as to repeal or modify any of the provisions of the law now existing in reference to the protection of the navigation of rivers, or to exempt this bridge from the operations of the same. 'not affected. Secretary of War to approve SEC. 4. That any bridge authorized to be constructed under this Act shall be built and located under and subject plans, etc. to such regulations for the security of navigation of said river as the Secretary of War shall prescribe; and to secure that object the said board of supervisors shall submit to the Secretary of War, for his examination and approval, a design and drawing of the bridge and a map of the location, giving for the space of one-half mile above and one-half mile below the proposed location the high and low water lines upon the banks of the river, the direction and strength of the currents at low and at high water, with the soundings accurately showing the bed of the stream, and the location of any other bridge or bridges, such map to be sufficiently in detail to enable the Secretary of War to judge of the proper location of said bridge, and shall fur nish such other information as may be required for a full and satisfactory understanding of the subject; and until the said plan and location of the bridge are approved by the Secretary of War the bridge shall not be commenced or built, and should any change be made in the plans of said bridge during the progress of its construction such changes shall be subject to the approval of the Secretary of War. SEC. 5. That this Act shall be null and void if actual construction of the bridge herein authorized be not com- ̧ menced within one year and completed within three years from the date hereof: Provided, That Congress reserves the right to alter, amend, or repeal this Act whenever the public interests so require. Approved, March 3, 1897. March 3, 1897. appropriations. CHAP. 384.-An Act Making appropriations for fortifications and other works of defense, for the armament thereof, for the procurement of heavy ordnance for trial and service, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives Fortifications of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the sums of money herein provided for be, and the same are hereby, appropriated, out of any moneys in the Treas ury not otherwise appropriated, to be available until expended, namely: Gun and mor tar batteries. Work under contracts. GUN AND MORTAR BATTERIES: For construction of gun and mortar batteries, one million three hundred and fortyone thousand three hundred and thirty-three dollars. For materials and work for construction of fortifications, Vol. 29, p. 257. to meet contracts authorized by the fortification appropriation Act approved June sixth, eighteen hundred and ninetysix, two million five hundred thousand dollars. Plans for care, etc.. to be submitted. Sites, etc. Preservation, etc. Plans. That prior to any expenditure of money for the construction of necessary buildings connected with the new fortifications, except that already authorized, the Secretary of War shall report to Congress on or before December sixth, eighteen hundred and ninety-seven, the most practicable and economical plan for the care and preservation of the fortifications and their armament, said plans to be based upon the authorized strength of the artillery force of the Army. SITES FOR FORTIFICATIONS AND SEACOAST DEFENSES: For the procurement of land, or right pertaining thereto, needed for the site, location, construction, or prosecution of works for fortifications and coast defenses, three hundred thousand dollars. PRESERVATION AND REPAIR OF FORTIFICATIONS: For the protection, preservation, and repair of fortifications for which there may be no special appropriation available, one hundred thousand dollars. For preparation of plans for fortifications, five thousand dollars. |