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Passed at the first session, which was begun and held at the City of Washington, in the District of Columbia, on Monday, the seventeenth day of October, 1803, and ended on the twenty-seventh day of March, 1804.

, President;, Vice President of the United States, and President of the Senate; , President of the Senate pro tempore, from the 31st day of October to the 19th day of December, 1803, and from the 26th day of January to the 25th of February, 1804; , Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the President of the United States be, and he is hereby authorized to take possession of, and occupy the territory ceded by France to the United States, by the treaty concluded at Paris, on the thirtieth day of April last, between the two nations; and that he may for that purpose, and in order to maintain in the said territories the authority of the United States, employ any part of the army and navy of the United States, and of the force authorized by an act passed the third day of March last, intituled “,” which he may deem necessary: and so much of the sum appropriated by the said act as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated for the purpose of carrying this act into effect; to be applied under the direction of the President of the United States.

. And be it further enacted, That until the expiration of the present session of Congress, unless provision for the temporary government of the said territories be sooner made by Congress, all the military, civil and judicial powers, exercised by the officers of the existing government of the same, shall be vested in such person and persons, and shall be exercised in such manner, as the President of the United States shall direct for maintaining and protecting the inhabitants of Louisiana in the free enjoyment of their liberty, property and religion.

, October 31, 1803.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That for the purpose of