to immediate transportation of dutiable goods, and for other purposes," be, and the same are hereby, extended to the port of Albany, New York. Approved, February 19, 1890. CHAP. 15.-An act for the relief of the sufferers by the wreck of the United States steamers Trenton and Vandalia, and the stranding of the United States steamer Nipsic, at Apia, Samoan Islands. February 19, 1890. U. S. S. Trenton, Relief of sufferers Apia, Samoan Isl Losses re-imbursed. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That, to reimburse the survivors of the officers and crews of the United States steamers Vandalia, and Nipsic. Trenton and Vandalia, wrecked in the harbor of Apia, Samoan by disaster to, at Islands, on the sixteenth day of March, eighteen hundred and eighty- ands. nine, and the survivors of the officers and crew of the United States steamer Nipsic, stranded at the same time and place, for losses incurred by them, respectively, in the wreck and stranding of said vessels, there shall be paid to each of said survivors, out of any money in the Treasury of the United States not otherwise appropriated, a sum equal to the losses so incurred by them: Provided, That the accounting officers of the Treasury shall, in all cases, require a schedule Schedules. and certificate from each person making a claim under this act Provided further, That, in no case, shall the aggregate sum allowed as compensation for such losses exceed the amount of twelve months' sea pay of the grade or rating held by such person at the time such losses were incurred. Provisos. Not to exceed twelve months' pay. Payment to heirs of deceased. SEC. 2. That the widow, child, or children, and, in case there be not such, that the parent or parents, and if there be no parents, the brothers and sisters, of the officers, enlisted men, and others in the service who were lost in the wreck of the said steamers Trenton and Vandalia and by the stranding of the said steamer Nipsic, or who died in consequence of the hardship and exposure to which they were thereby subjected, shall be entitled to and shall receive, out of any money in the Treasury of the United States not otherwise appropriated, as follows, to wit: The relatives in the order named of the persons connected with the vessels hereinbefore referred to, a sum equal to twelve months' sea pay of the grade or rating of each person deceased as aforesaid: Provided, That the legal representatives of the deceased persons herein before referred to shall also be paid from the Treasury of the United States any arrears of pay due the said Arrearages. deceased at the time of their death; And Provided further, That the provisions of this section shall apply to the relatives, in the order named of Chief Engineer George W. Hall and Lieutenant George W. Hall. Frank R. Heath, who were on-board said steamers Nipsic and Vandalia, respectively, at the time of the stranding and wreck of said vessels, and have since died. Frank R. Heath. Removal of remains to Mare Island Naval SEC. 3. That the Secretary of the Navy be, and he is hereby, au- Provisos. ୯ home if desired. burial expenses incurred. Appropriation. Hallam D. Alexander. Removal to former remains of such be taken to their homes, within the United States, shall have such privilege extended to them and the expense thereof shall be borne by the United States: And, provided further, That the expense of removal incurred by the relatives of those whose Reimbursement of bodies have already been removed shall be reimbursed to them, and the sum of ten thousand dollars, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to carry out the provisions of this section. SEC. 4. That the proper accounting officers of the Treasury be, and Allowance to legal they are hereby, authorized to allow and pay, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to the legal representatives of Hallam D. Alexander, late pay clerk of the United States steamer Trenton, who died in January, eighteen hundred and eightynine on board that vessel during her passage from Panama, United States of Colombia, to Apia, Samoan Islands, compensation for his personal effects lost in the wreck of said vessel, upon satisfactory evidence of the value of the same: Provided, That the sum allowed therefor shall not exceed twelve months' sea pay of said deceased. representatives. Proviso. John C. Wilson. Allowance to, for funds stolen. SEC. 5. That the proper accounting officers of the Treasury be, and they are hereby, authorized to allow and pay, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to Lieutenant John C. Wilson, United States Navy, who was attached to and serving on board the United States steamer Vandalia at the time of her wreck in the harbor of Apia, Samoan Islands, on the sixteenth day of March, eighteen hundred and eighty-nine, the sum of one hundred and twenty dollars, being the amount stolen from public money in his possession while he was proceeding from the Samoan Islands to Auckland, New Zealand, under orders of the commander-chief of the Pacific Station, to communicate to the Navy Department information of the wreck and stranding of the vessels hereinbefore referred to: Provided, That Absence of negli- the said Lieutenant Wilson shall satisfy the said accounting officers that such loss was not incurred through negligence or any want of care on his part. Proviso. gence to be shown. Accounts of officers, be adjusted. SEC. 6. That the proper accounting officers of the Treasury be, etc. of Vandalia, to and they are hereby, authorized and directed to settle "pon principles of justice and equity the accounts of the officers, enlisted men, and others on board the United States steamer Vandalia when wrecked, and to assume the last quarterly return of the paymaster of said vessel as the basis of computation of the subsequent credits to those on board to the date of such loss, if there be no evidence to the contrary. And if upon a settlement of the accounts of Frank H. Arms, late paymaster in the United States Navy, who was lost on said vessel with his accounts and vouchers for expenditures and payments made by him, and with all the money, stores, and supplies procured for the said vessel, any sum shall be found due from him to the United States, the proper accounting officers of the Treasury are hereby authorized and required to allow him a credit therefor. Frank H. Arms. .counts. ac Approved, February 19, 1890. February 19, 1890. Indiana. CHAP. 16.-An act to appropriate forty thousand dollars for the maintenance of the Marion Branch of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, for year ending June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and ninety. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Marion Branch, Na United States of America in Congress assembled, That the sum of tional Soldiers' Home, forty thousand dollars be, and hereby is, appropriated, out of any Appropriation for moneys in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the maintenance of the Marion, Indiana, branch of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers (now being erected under the provisions of the act of Congress, approved July twenty-third, eighteen hundred maintenance. Vol. 25, p. 341. and eighty-eight, entitled: "An act to authorize the location of a CHAP. 17-An act to authorize the construction and maintenance of a bridge across the Missouri River at a point to be selected in the county of Douglas, or in the county of Sarpy, in the State of Nebraska, and the county of Pottawattamie, in the State of Iowa, and to make the same a post-route. February 21, 1890. Iowa and Nebraska Western Railway. tween Nebraska and Location. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Iowa and Nebraska Western Railway Company, a corporation organized under Company may bridge the laws of the State of Iowa, is hereby authorized to construct and Missouri River bemaintain a bridge across the Missouri River on the line on which its lowa. railway may be hereafter located, either in Douglas or Sarpy Counties, in the State of Nebraska, and the county of Pottawattamie, in the State of Iowa, and also to construct accessory works to secure a practicable channel way for navigation, and confine the flow of the water to a permanent channel at such point; and also to lay on and over such bridge a single or double railway track, for the more Railway bridge. perfect connection of its railway, when constructed to said river: Provided, That said bridge shall not be located within one-third of a mile of any existing bridge. SEC. 2. That said bridge shall be constructed and built without material interference with the security and convenience of the navigation of said river beyond what is necessary to carry into effect the rights and privileges hereby granted; and in order to secure that object the said company or corporation shall submit to the Secretary of War for his examination and approval a plan, design, and drawings of the bridge, and a map of the location, giving for the space of one mile above and one mile below the proposed location the topography of the banks of the river, the shore-lines at high and low water, the direction and velocity of the current at the time the aforesaid plan is constructed, and the surroundings, accurately showing the bed of the stream, the location of any other bridge or bridges across the said river within the limits mentioned, and shall furnish 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 built: Provided, That the said bridge shall be built with unbroken and continuous spans, it shall have three or more channel spans of not less than three hundred feet each in the clear, and shall not be of less elevation in any case than fifty feet above extreme high-water mark, as understood at the point of location, to the bottom chord or to the lowest member of the floor system of the spans of the bridge, and the piers of said bridge shall be parallel to the current of said river, and the main span shall be over the main channel of the river and not less than three hundred feet in length in the clear; and said company or corporation shall maintain, at its own expense, from sunset till sunrise, such lights or other signals on such bridge as the Light-House Board shall prescribe. Proviso. Secretary of War to approve plans, etc. Proviso. Lights, etc. proval. Changes. Notification of ap- SEC. 3. That the Secretary of War is authorized and directed, upon receiving such plan, map, and other information, and upon being satisfied that the bridge built upon such plan and with such accessory works and at such locality will conform to the prescribed conditions of this act, to notify said company or corporation that he approves the same; and upon receiving such notification said company or corporation may proceed to the erection of said bridge, conforming to the approved plan and location; and should any change be made in the plan of the bridge or said accessory works, either during the progress of the work thereon or after it shall be completed, such change shall be subject likewise to the approval of the Secretary of War; and in case of any litigation arising from any obstruction or alleged obstruction to the free navigation of said river caused or alleged to be caused by said bridge, the case may be brought in the circuit court of the United States of the district where said bridge or any part thereof is located. Litigation. Lawful structure and post-route. Postal telegraph. Use by other companies. Terms. Secretary of War to decide disagreements. Removal of obstructions, Commencement and completion. Amendment, etc. SEC. 4. That the said bridge and accessory works, when built and constructed under this act and according to the terms and limitations thereof, shall be lawful structures, and shall be recognized and known as a post-route having the rights and privileges accorded to other post-routes; that no higher charge shall be made for the transmission over the same of the mails, the troops, and the munitions of war of the United States than the rate per mile paid for the transportation over the railroads or public highways leading thereto, and that the Unite States shall have the right of way across said bridge for postal-telegraph lines. SEC. 5. That all railroad companies desiring the use of said bridge shall have and be entitled to equal rights and privileges relative to the passage of railway trains or cars over the same, and over the approaches thereto, upon payment of a reasonable compensation for such use; and in case the owner or owners of said bridge and the several railroad companies, or any one of them, desiring such use shall fail to agree upon the sum or sums to be paid, and upon rules and conditions to which each shall conform in using said bridge, all matters at issue between them shall be decided by the Secretary of War upon a hearing of the allegations and proofs of the parties. SEC. 6. That Congress shall have power at any time to cause to be removed ali material and substantial obstructions to the navigation of said river by the construction of said bridge and its accessory works, and the expense of altering said bridge or removing such obstructions shall be borne by the owners of or persons controlling the same. SEC 7. 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 hereof. SEC. 8. Congress shall have power, at all times, to amend or repeal this act as in its judgment the public interests shall require. Approved, February 21, 1890. February 21, 1890. CHAP. 18.—An act to amend and alter an act entitled "An act to authorize the construction of a railroad, wagon, and foot-passenger bridge across the Mississippi River at or near Burlington, Iowa," approved August sixth, eighteen hundred and eighty-eight. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Bridge over Missis- United States of America in Congress assembled, That the time for sippi River, Burlington, Iowa. commencement and completion of the bridge authorized by said act, as provided in section six thereof, be, and is hereby, each extended two years from the passage of this act. Time for construct ing extended. Vol. 25, p. 880. Railroad, wagon,etc., or railroad or wagon SEC. 2. That the said Burlington and Illinois Bridge Company, its and foot bridge. successors and assigns, be, and are hereby, authorized to construct and maintain, under the provisions of said act, as far as applicable, except as herein modified, altered, or amended, either a railroad, wagon, and foot-passenger bridge, or a railroad, or wagon and footpassenger bridge, and in the event that only a wagon and foot-passenger bridge be built that the provisions in said act for the passage of railroad trains and rights of railway companies incident thereto shall not apply. modified. SEC. 3. That in case the bridge authorized at or near Burlington, Length of spans Iowa, by an act approved August sixth, eighteen hundred and eightyeight, be constructed in the immediate vicinity of the existing railroad bridge, the length of spans required by said act may be so modified as to make the clear channel-ways correspond in length and location to the clear channel-ways of the existing bridge: Provided, Proviso. That in the opinion of the Secretary of War the interests of navigation be not materially affected thereby. Approved, February 21, 1890. Not to affect naviga tion. CHAP. 19.—An act to require the Superintendent of Census to ascertain the number of people who own farms and homes, and the amount of mortgage indebtedness thereon. February 22, 1890. Enumeration of Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That it shall be Eleventh Census. the duty of the Superintendent of Census, in addition to the duties owners of farms, now required of him by law, to ascertain the number of persons who mortgages, etc. live on and cultivate their own farms, and who live in their own homes, and the number who hire their farms and homes, and the number of farms and homes which are under mortgage, the amount of mortgage debt, and the value of the property mortgaged. He shall also ascertain whether such farms and homes have been mortgaged for the whole or part of the purchase money for the same, or for other purposes, and the rates of interest paid upon mortgage loans. SEC. 2. That for the purposes of this act the sum of one million Appropriation. dollars is hereby appropriated out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated. SEC. 3. That the provisions of sections thirteen, fourteen, fifteen and sixteen of the "Act to provide for taking the Eleventh Census and subsequent censuses," approved March first, eighteen hundred and eighty-nine, shall apply to the provisions of this act. Approved, February 22, 1890. Penalties, etc. CHAP. 20.—An act to authorize the President to confer brevet rank on officers of the United States Army for gallant services in Indian campaigns. February 27, 1890. Brevet rank author Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the President Army. of the United States be, and he is hereby, authorized and empowered, ized for gallantry, inat his discretion, to nominate, and by and with the advice and con- dian campaigns. sent of the Senate, to appoint to brevet rank all officers of the United States Army, now on the active or retired list, who by their department commander, and with the concurrence of the commanding general of the Army, have been or may be recommended for gallant service in action against hostile Indians since January first, eighteen hundred and sixty-seven. Date of commis SEC. 2. That such brevet commissions as may be issued under the provisions of this act shall bear date only from the passage of this stons. act: Provided, however, that the date of the particular heroic act for which the officer is promoted shall appear in his commission. Proviso. Date of heroic service. |