Use by other tion. etc., rights. Construction without a draw. Reconstruc the United States than the rate per mile for the transportation over the railroads or public highways leading to the said bridge, and it shall enjoy the rights and privileges of other post-roads in the United States: Provided, That all Proviso. railroad companies desiring the use of said bridge shall be roads. entitled to equal rights and privileges in the passage of railroad trains over the same, and the approaches thereto, upon the payment of a reasonable compensation therefor, Compensaand 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 the rules and conditions to which each shall conform in the use of 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, and equal privileges in the use of said bridge shall be granted to all telegraph and telephone companies, and the United Telegraph, States shall have the right of way across said bridge and its approaches for postal telegraph and telephone purposes. SEC. 3. That if the Secretary of War shall find and determine that said bridge as actually located is situate at a point where said Rainy River is not actually navigable for boats, then the Secretary of War shall permit the construction of such bridge without a draw: Provided, how- Proviso. ever, That in that case if the river at the point of the tion of bridge to location of such bridge shall in the future be rendered aid navigation. navigable for boats by the construction of a canal and lock, or otherwise, then the International Bridge and Terminal Company, its successors and assigns, shall reconstruct said bridge at its own expense with a draw, whenever directed so to do by the Secretary of War, upon plans and in accordance with specifications to be submitted for that purpose and to be first approved by the Secretary of War; and if in such case the International Bridge and Terminal Company, its successors and assigns, shall fail to proceed at once upon receiving such directions from the Secretary of War to reconstruct said bridge and to complete such reconstruction in accordance with such plans and specifications with all reasonable diligence, then it shall be the bridge. duty of the Secretary of War to remove such bridge. SEC. 4. That any bridge constructed under the author- Protection to ity of this Act, including any reconstruction thereof as provided for in the last section, shall be built and located and operated under and subject to such regulations for the security of the navigation of said river as the Secretary of War shall from time to time prescribe; and to secure that object the International Bridge and Terminal Company, its successors and assigns, shall submit to and file with the Secretary of War all designs, drawings, and maps of loca- Map. tion of the bridge, and furnish such other information as may be required for a full and complete understanding of the subject; and the company, its successors and assigns, shall cause to be displayed on said bridge, from the hours Removal of navigation. of sunset to sunrise and at other times, such lights and Lights, etc. other signals as may be prescribed by the Light-House Board. Opening draw. Booms, etc. Time of construction. SEC. 5. That in case the Secretary of War shall direct that said bridge shall be constructed with a draw or draws such draw or draws shall be opened promptly upon reasonable signal for the passage of boats, vessels, or other water craft; and at the time of the erection of the piers, or when ever in the opinion of the Secretary of War the same may be necessary, the persons or corporations constructing owning, or operating said bridge shall, at their own expense, construct proper sheer booms or other proper struc tures to safely guide boats, vessels, or other water craft through the said spans. SEC. 6. That if the actual construction of the bridge hereby authorized shall not be commenced within two years from the date of the approval of this Act, and completed within five years after the same date, then this Act shal be void, and all rights hereby conferred shall cease and be Construction determined; and that the construction shall not be com within Canadian jurisdiction." menced until the government of the Dominion of Canada has authorized the construction and maintenance of that part of said bridge which shall occupy that portion of the river which is under the jurisdiction of said Dominion government. Amendment. February 7,1903. SEC. 7. That the right to alter, amend, or repeal this Act is hereby expressly reserved. Approved, February 7, 1903. CHAP. 513.-An Act Permitting the building of a dam across Vol. 32, p. 802. the St. Croix River at or near the village of St. Croix Falls, Polk County, Wisconsin. River, Wis. provement Falls. Provisos. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives Croix of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That St. Croix Falls the consent of Congress is hereby granted to St. Croix Falls Wisconsin Im- Wisconsin Improvement Company, a corporation organCompany may ized under the laws of the State of Wisconsin, and to St. dam at St. Croix Croix Falls Minnesota Improvement Company, a corporation organized under the laws of the State of Minnesota, or either of them, their and each of their successors or assigns, to build a dam across the St. Croix River at or near the St. Croix Falls, so called, in said river, and all works incident thereto in the utilization of the power thereby developed: Provided, That the plans for the construction of proved by the said dam and appurtenant works shall be submitted to Secretary of and approved by the Chief of Engineers and the Secretary of War before the commencement of the construction of such dam: And provided further, That said St. Croix Falls Wisconsin Improvement Company and said St. Croix Falls Minnesota Improvement Company, or either of them, their and each of their successors or assigns shall not deviate from such plans after such approval either before or after the completion of the structure, unless the modification of said plans shall have previously been submitted to and received the approval of the Chief of Engineers Construction and of the Secretary of War: And provided further, That there shall be placed and maintained in connection with said dam a sluiceway so arranged as to permit logs, tim War. of sluiceway. gation. ber, and lumber to pass around, through or over said dam, without unreasonable delay or hindrance, and without toll or charges; that the Government of the United States Aids to navimay, at any time, construct in connection therewith a suitable lock for navigation purposes, may at any time. without compensation control the said dam for purposes of navigation, but shall not destroy the water power created by said dam to any greater extent than may be necessary to provide proper facilities for navigation; and that the Secretary of War may, at any time, require and enforce, at the expense of the owners, such modifications and changes in the construction of said dam and may changes. make such regulations for the operation of said dam as he may deem advisable in the interests of navigation. SEC. 2. That in case any litigation arises from the Litigation. building of said dam or from the obstruction of said river by said dam or appurtenant works cases may be tried in the proper courts, as now provided for that purpose in the States of Wisconsin and Minnesota, and in the courts of the United States. struction. SEC. 3. That this Act shall be null and void unless the Time of con dam herein authorized be commenced within two years and completed within five years from the time of the passage of this Act. SEC. 4. That the right to amend or repeal this Act is Amendment. hereby expressly reserved. Approved, February 7, 1903. CHAP. 553.—An Act To increase the efficiency of the Army. Vol. 32, p. 830. Army. General Staff Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That there is hereby established a General Staff Corps, to be composed of officers detailed from the Army at large, under lished. such rules as may be prescribed by the President. Corps estab SEC. 2. That the duties of the General Staff Corps shall Duties of. be to prepare plans for the national defense and for the mobilization of the military forces in time of war; to investigate and report upon all questions affecting the efficiency of the Army and its state of preparation for military operations; to render professional aid and assistance to the Secretary of War and to general officers and other superior commanders, and to act as their agents in informing and coordinating the action of all the different officers who are subject under the terms of this Act to the supervision of the Chief of Staff; and to perform such other military duties not otherwise assigned by law as may be from time to time prescribed by the President. SEC. 3. That the General Staff Corps shall consist of Composition one Chief of Staff and two general officers, all to be detailed by the President from officers of the Army at large not below the grade of brigadier-general; four colonels, six lieutenant-colonels, and twelve majors, to be detailed from the corresponding grades in the Army at large, under such of. signments. rules for selection as the President may prescribe; twenty captains, to be detailed from officers of the Army at large of the grades of captain or first lieutenant, who while so serving shall have the rank, pay, and allowances of capTerm of serv-tain mounted. All officers detailed in the General Staff ice. Corps shall be detailed therein for periods of four years, Temporary as- unless sooner relieved. While serving in the General Staff Corps, officers may be temporarily assigned to duty with any branch of the Army. Upon being relieved from duty in the General Staff Corps, officers shall return to the branch of the Army in which they hold permanent Subsequent commission, and no officer shall be eligible to a further detail in the General Staff Corps until he shall have served two years with the branch of the Army in which commisExceptions. sioned, except in case of emergency or in time of war. detail restrict ed. Chief of Staff. SEC. 4. That the Chief of Staff, under the direction of the President or of the Secretary of War, under the direction of the President, shall have supervision of all troops of the line and of the Adjutant-General's, Inspector-General's, Judge-Advocate's, Quartermaster's, Subsistence, Medical, Pay, and Ordnance departments, the Corps of Engineers, and the Signal Corps, and shall perform such other military duties not otherwise assigned by law as may be assigned to him by the President. Duties now prescribed by statute for the Commanding General of the Army as a member of the Board of Ordnance and Fortification and of the Board of Commissioners of the Soldiers' Home shall be performed by the Chief of Staff or other Aids-de-camp officer designated by the President. Acts and parts of and military secretaries. Acts authorizing aids-de-camp and military secretaries R. S., sees shall not apply to general officers of the General Staff Vol. 25, p. 489. 1096-1098, p. 203. ber. Rank, pay, etc. Corps. Chief of Artil- SEC. 5. That the Chief of Artillery shall hereafter serve lery to serve as as an additional member of the General Staff and by and additional memwith the advice and consent of the Senate shall have the rank, pay, and allowances of a brigadier-general and when the next vacancy occurs in the office of brigadier-general Number of of the line, it shall not be filled, and thereafter the numbrigadier-gen-ber of brigadier-generals of the line, exclusive of the Chief erals limited. of Artillery, shall not exceed fourteen; and the provisions In effect Au- of the foregoing sections of this Act shall take effect August 15, 1903. gust fifteenth, nineteen hundred and three. February 18, 1903. Approved, February 14, 1903. CHAP. 560.-An Act To authorize the construction of a bridge across the Missouri River between the city of Chamberlain, in Brule Vol. 32, p. 833. County, and Lyman County, in the State of South Dakota. er, S. Dak. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives Missouri Riv- of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That Missouri the Missouri River Bridge Company, a corporation duly Bridge Com-organized and existing under the laws of the State of bridge, at Cham-South Dakota, be, and is hereby, authorized to construct and maintain a bridge and approaches thereto across the Missouri River between the city of Chamberlain, in Brule pany may berlain. Wagon and foot bridge. Toll. County, in the State of South Dakota, and Lyman County, in the State of South Dakota. Said bridge shall be constructed to provide for the passage of wagons and vehicles of all kinds, animals, and foot passengers for such reasonable rates of toll and under such reasonable rules and regulations as may be prescribed by said corporation and approved by the Secretary of War. SEC. 2. That any bridge built under this Act and subject Lawful structo its limitations shall be a lawful structure and shall be ture and post route. recognized and known as a post route upon which 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 highway leading to said bridge. The United States shall also have the right Telegraph, to construct, without charge therefor, telegraph and telephone lines across and upon said bridge, and equal privileges in the use of said bridge shall be granted to all telegraph and telephone companies. etc., rights. Provisos. Opening draw. Lights, etc. navigation. SEC. 3. That said bridge shall be constructed as a pon- Pontoon toon bridge, and shall contain a drawspan giving a clear bridge. opening of not less than three hundred feet in length, which drawspan shall be maintained over the main channel 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 the said draw shall be opened promptly by said company upon the reasonable signal for the passage of boats and rafts, and said company or corporation 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 author- Unobstructed ity of this Act which shall at any time unreasonably obstruct the free navigation of said river; and if any Changes. 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 alteration of such 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 Litigation. 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 district court of the United States of the State of South Dakota in whose jurisdiction any portion of said obstruction or bridge may be located: Provided further, That nothing in this act Existing laws 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. SEC. 4. That no bridge shall be commenced or built under this Act until the location thereof and the plans for not affected. Secretary of plans, etc. War to approve |