Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 20.djvu/56

 FORTY-FIFTH CONGRESS. Sess. II. Ch. 37, 38, 42, 43. 1878. 3] Columbia, the person so charged shall, at his own request but not otherwise, be a competent witness. And his failure to make such request shall not create any presumption against him. Approved, March 16, 1878. CHAP. 38.-An act in aid of a Polar expedition designed by James Gordon Bennett. March 18, 1878. Whereas James Gordon Bennett, a citizen of the United States, 11as Pierre18g___` purchased in Great Britain a vessel supposed to be specially adapted to 1t*79,<·1¤.1<¤9, Arctic expeditions, and proposes, at his own cost, to fit out and man {)"**’= im-, said vessel, and to devote her to efforts to solve the Polar problem; and P,,,,,,,?, Whereas it is deemed desirable that said vessel, while so engaged, 1 ` shall carry the American flag and be officered by American naval officers: Therefore, Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of the Treas- American regisury be authorized to issue an American register to said vessel by the t°"“’ "°"°]· name of Jeannette, and that the President of the United States be authorized to detail, with their own consent, commissioned, warrant, and Naval emeers for petty officers of the Navy, not to exceed ten in number, to act as officers ¤¤¤¤¤¤=md ot of said vessel during her first voyage to the Arctic seas: Provided, how- Proviso. ever, That such detail shall be made of such officers only as the President is satisfied can be absent from their regular duties without detriment to the public service. Approved, March 18, 1878. CHAP. 2.-An i r n in of n meri n re i r rei n built ship, for thaecpdspdslbtgfilig Wil>EbdgriixH'tSc§antiH£:: Egpedithbn arcbdiid :l(ieavfbrltU Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of the Treas- _ \Voodruff Scienury be and he is hereby authorized and empowered to grant, for the *" EXP°‘h*"°“· purposes of the “Woodruif Scientihc Expedition around the World" a American regis register for a foreign built steamship: Provided, That the said steam- m` "° "°”°lf°*· ship be approved by the Secretary of the Navy as suitable in all respects for the purposes of said expedition and there shall be maintained there- pm-a,,,, on without expense to the United States a school with capacity for at least two hundred students together with a competent faculty for the promotion of scientific and nautical knowledge. And it is further provided, That in no case shall mercantile or commercial ventures form any part of said expedition or the government of the United States be now or hereafter subjected to any expense on account thereof. Approved, March 23, 1878. CHAP. 43.-An act making appropriations for fortifications and for other works of MMC]; 23, [373 defense, and for the armament thereof, for the Hscal year ending June thirticth, —————~————-— · eighteen hundred and seventy-nine, and for other purposes. 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 Appropriations. thousand 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 pomncmons, the fiscal year ending June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and seventy- nine, the same to be expended under the direction of the Secretary of War; also, the following for armament of fortifications, namely: For the armament of seacoast fortifications, including heavy guns Armamentofforand howitzers for flank defense, carriages, projectiles, fuses, powder, *i¥i¢Mi<>¤¤· and implements, their trial and proof, and all necessary. expenses incident thereto, and for Gatling or other machine guns, one hundred and twenty-tive thousand dollars.