Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 25.djvu/289

 FIFTIETH CONGRESS. Sess. I. Cns. 592, 593. 1888. 243 for the 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, 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 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 Secretary of War the bridge shall not be built; and should any change be made in the lan of said bridge during the progress of construction, such change sdiall be subject to the approval of the Secretary of War; and if said bridge is not commenced within two years and completed within four years Corglmencementand from the passage of this act, the rights and privileges hereby granted °°mp emu' shall be null and void. Sec. 6. That the right to alter, amend, or repeal this act is hereby Am*>¤¤lm¤¤*· expressly reserved, and the right to require any changes in said structure or its entire removal, at the expense of the owners thereof, whenever the Secretary of War shall decide that the public interest requires it, is also expressly reserved. Approved, July 9, 1888. _ CHAP. 593.-An act providing for an international marine conference to secure July 9, 1888. greater safety for life and property at sea. "_""i"" Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representati*ues of the _ United States of America in Congress assembled, That the President f,,f§,‘,*f;;“,§;‘gc“,§*,G S‘j,‘}‘; of the United States be, and he hereby is, authorized and requested tyof Me and property to invite the Government of each maritime nation to send delegates miighgates to a marine conference that shall assemble at such time and place as he may designate, and to a point seven delegates, two of whom shall be an officers of the United States Navy and one an official of the Life- Saving Service, two masters from the merchant marine (one from the sailing marine and one from the steam marine), and two citiaens familiar with shipping and admiralgy practice to represent the United States at said marine conference, an to nll vacancies in their number. Sec. 2. It shall be the object of said marine conference to revise Scope or me conferand amend the rules, regulations, and practice concerning vessels at °”°°‘ sea, and navigation generally and the “International Code of F lag and Night Signals ;” to adopt a uniform system of marine signals, or other means of plainl ‘ indicating the direction in which vessels are moving in fog, mist, fyalling snow, and thick weather, and at night; to compare and discuss the various systems employed for the saving of life and property from shipwreck, for reporting, marking, and removing dangerous wrecks O1' obstructions to navigation, for designating vessels, for conveying to mariners and dpersons interested in shipping, warnings of approaching storms, of angers to navigation, of changes in lights, buoys, and other day andnight marks, and other important information; and to formulate and submit for ratification to the Governments of all maritime nations (proper international regulations for the prevention of collisions an other avoidable marine ` disasters. Sec.  That the sum of twenty thousand dollars. or so much thereof APP*¤P¤‘i¤¤¤¤~ as shall be necessary, is hereby appropriated, out of any money in the Treasnrv of the United States not otherwise appropriated, for the necessary ezipenses of said marine conference, including the pay and allowances of the representatives of the United States therein. which shall be at the rate of five thousand dollars per annum, and actual