Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 3.djvu/828



Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the act, entitled “,” passed the first day of March, one thousand eight hundred and seventeen, be so construed as to embrace within its provisions all officers, soldiers, and persons, attached to, and followers of, the army of the United States, who were captured and made prisoners by the enemy, and who were ransomed during the late war with Great Britain; and that the proper accounting officer of the War Department be, and he is hereby, authorized and required to adjust and settle the accounts of any person, his assigns or his legal representatives, who may have purchased and ransomed from captivity any citizen, officer, soldier, or other person aforesaid, upon equitable principles: Provided, The evidence produced in support of such accounts shall be the best in the power of the claimant, and sufficient to satisfy the accounting officer of the justice of the claim; Provided also, That in no case shall a greater sum than one hundred and fifty dollars be allowed for the ransom of any one person.

. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of such accounting officer, and he is hereby authorized and required, to adjust and settle the accounts of any person, his assigns, or his legal representatives, who shall have furnished proper and necessary articles of clothing to, and for the use of, any citizen, officer, soldier, or other person, purchased and ransomed from captivity during the late war with Great Britain, aforesaid: Provided, It shall be satisfactorily proved, and made to appear, to such accounting officer, that the apparel and clothing so furnished were necessary, at the time, to the safety, support, and comfort, of the person ransomed; and that the articles charged were applied to the clothing of such prisoners, and to no other purpose whatever.

. And be it further enacted, That all sums of money to be audited and allowed under this act, and the act to which this is an amendment, shall be paid out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated.

, March 3, 1823.

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 employ a skilful engineer or officer of the ordnance department, with such other person or persons as he may judge proper, to examine the most suitable site for a national armory on the western waters; and that the said engineer, and such other person or persons be requested to report the result of their examinations to Congress at the commencement of its next session, particularly designating the sites by them examined, with the comparative advantages of each, and an estimate showing the amount necessary for purchasing each, and erecting all necessary buildings thereon.

. And be it further enacted, That the sum of five thousand dollars be, and the same is hereby, appropriated, to effect the object of this act.

, March 3, 1823.