LAWS AFFECTING THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS. FORTY-FIFTH CONGRESS, FIRST AND SECOND SESSIONS. 11 E 1877-978. LAWS AFFECTING THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS. FORTY-FIFTH CONGRESS, FIRST AND SECOND SESSIONS, 1977-78. CHAP. 1.—An act making appropriations for the support of the Army for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1878, and for other purposes. Nov. 21, 1877. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the following sums be, and Appropriations. Military service. the same are hereby, appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the support of the Army, for the year ending June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and seventy-eight, as follows: ENGINEER DEPARTMENT.-For engineer depot at Willets Point, New Engineer De. York, namely: For purchase of engineering materials to continue the partment. present course of instruction of the engineer battalion in field engineer- talion. ing, one thousand dollars. * * School of bat penses. For incidental expenses of the depot, remodeling ponton-trains, re- Incidental pairing instruments, fuel, forage, stationery, chemicals, extra-duty pay, ordinary repairs, one thousand five hundred dollars. * Approved, November 21, 1877. * ex Nov. 23, 1877. [No. 2.] Joint resolution fixing a site for the equestrian statue of General Greene. Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the statue of Major-General Na- Site for statue of thanael Greene, ordered by Congress, be erected at the intersection of General Greene. Maryland and Massachusetts avenues. Approved, November 23, 1877. CHAP. 3.-An act to provide for deficiencies in the appropriations for the service of the government for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1878, and for prior years, and for other purposes. Dec. 15, 1877. Deficiency ap Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the following sums be, and the same are hereby, appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury propriations. not otherwise appropriated, except as differently specified, for the objects hereinafter expressed, namely: * Cultivation of Use of lot for. For adapting the ponds in Monument lot in the city of Washington to the enlture of carp for distribution throughout the United States carp. (the use of which lot for the purpose in question being hereby granted to the United States Fish Commission), the work to be done by the engineer in charge of public buildings and grounds, according to the plans of the United States Fish Commission, five thousand dollars, to be available immediately. Rent of build That the Secretary of War is authorized to rent offices required for the construction of the State, War, and Navy Department building, and ings authorized. public buildings and grounds, at an aggregate rental not to exceed two thousand one hundred dollars per annum, until such offices can be supplied in buildings belonging to the government; and to pay for the rent of the building now occupied for said offices, from the first day of May, eighteen hundred and seventy-seven, out of any existing appropriations for the State, War, and Navy Department building, or public buildings and grounds. MISCELLANEOUS. State, War, and Navy Depart ment building. State, War, and Navy Department building: For continuation of the east wing of the building, one hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars; and for continuation of the north wing of the building, one hundred and fifty thousand dollars; in all, three hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars. Approved, December 15, 1877. Feb. 7, 1878. CHAP. 13.—An act for the removal of obstructions from the Mississippi, Missouri, Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the sum of forty thousand Appropriations. dollars be and the same is hereby appropriated out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to be expended under the direction of the War Department, for the removal of snags and other obstrucRemoving ob- tions from the Mississippi, Missouri, and Arkansas Rivers, and for the Mississippi and Preservation of the government vessels in that service. structions from other rivers. SEC. 2. That the sum of six thousand dollars be and the same is hereby Opening navi appropriated out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise approprigation of Red ated, to be expended under the direction of the War Department, for River, La. the purpose of opening the navigation of Red River above Shreveport in the State of Louisiana, and keeping said navigation open and free from rafts, and for the purpose of preserving the vessels and boats of. the United States employed in that work. To take effect. SEC. 3. That this act take effect from the date of its passage. March 13, 1878. wagon CHAP. 32.-An act to authorize the construction of a bridge across the Missouri River at or near Glasgow, Missouri. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That any corporation existing, Railroad and or which may be organized, under the laws of the State of Missouri, be, bridge may be built at and is hereby, authorized to construct and maintain a bridge, and apGlasgow, Mo. proaches thereto, over the Missouri River, at or near Glasgow, in the county of Howard, in said State. Said bridge shall be constructed to provide for the passage of railway-trains, and, at the option of the corporation by which it may be built, may be used for the passage of wagons and vehicles of all kinds, for the transit of animals, and for foot Post-route; rate passengers. SEC. 2. That any bridge built under this act, and subject to its limitapayable by Uni- tions, shall be a lawful structure, and shall be recognized and known as ted States. How to be constructed. a post-route, upon which also 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 railroad or public highways leading to the said bridge; and it shall enjoy the rights and privileges of other post-roads in the United States. SEC. 3. That if said bridge shall be made with unbroken and continuous spans, the spans thereof shall not be less than three hundred feet in length in the clear, and the main span shall be over the main channel of the river. The lowest part of the superstructure of said bridge shall be at least fifty feet above extreme high-water mark as understood at the point of location, and the bridge shall be at right angles to, and its piers parallel with, the current of the river: Provided, That if the same shall be constructed as a draw-bridge, the draw or pivot shall be over the main channel of the river at an accessible navigable point, and the spans shall not be less than one hundred and sixty feet in length in the clear, and the piers of said bridge shall be parallel with, and the bridge itself at right angles to, the current of the river, and the spans shall not be less than ten feet above extreme high-water mark, as understood at the point of location, to the lowest part of the superstructure of said bridge: Provided also, That said draw shall be opened promptly, Opening of upon reasonable signal, for the passing of boats; and said company or draw; signals. corporation shall maintain at its own expense, from sunset till 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 substantially or materially navigation. obstruct the free navigation of said river; and if any bridge erected under such authority shall, in the opinion of the Secretary of War, obstruct such navigation, he is hereby authorized to cause such change or alteration of said bridge to be made as will effectually obviate such obstruction; and all such alterations shall be made and all such obstructions 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 Jurisdiction of obstruction to the free navigation of said river, caused or alleged to be courts. caused by said bridge, the case may be brought in the district court of the United States of the State of Missouri, in which any portion of said Obstruction of Alterations. Use of bridge. obstruction or bridge may be located: Provided further, That nothing in Existing laws. this act shall be so construed as to repeal or modify any of the provisions of law now existing in reference to the protection of the navigation of rivers, or to exempt this bridge from the operation of the same. SEC. 4. 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 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. 5. That any bridge authorized to be constructed under this act Regulations by shall be built and located under and subject to such regulations for the Secretary of War. security of navigation of said river as the Secretary of War shall prescribe; and, to secure that object, the said company or corporation shall submit to the Secretary of War, for his examination and approval, a design and drawings of the bridge, and a map of the location, giving,, Map and drawfor the space of one mile above and one mile below the proposed location, ings. the topography of the banks of the river, the shore-lines at high and low water, the direction and strength of the currents at all stages, and the soundings, accurately showing the bed of the stream, the location of any other bridge or bridges, 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 Approval. Secretary of War, the bridge shall not be built; and should any change be made in the plan of said bridge during the progress of construction, such change shall be subject to the approval of the Secretary of War. SEC. 6. That the right to alter, amend, or repeal this act is hereby Amendment and expressly reserved. repeal. Approved, March 13, 1878. CHAP. 43.-An act making appropriations for fortifications and for other works of defense, and for the armament thereof, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1879, and for other purposes. March 23, 1878. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the sum of one hundred thousand Appropriations. dollars be, and the same is hereby, appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the protection, preservation, and repair of fortifications and other works of defense, for the fiscal year ending June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and seventy-nine, Fortifications. |