Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 65.djvu/606

 572

Acceptance of contributions.

PUBLIC LAW 186—OCT. 20, 1951

[65 STAT.

any adjoining upland owner, issue a quitclaim deed to the owners of adjoining upland for the lands between the original meander line and the shore line, without making a survey. SEC. 4. For the benefits of this Act the ownership of such adjoining uplands shall be determined as of the date of October 2, 1946. Any adjoining upland owner receiving a conveyance of lands under the provisions of this Act, who shall have prior to receipt of such conveyance conveyed or contracted to convey any part of such lands, shall through any conveyance made under this Act take title in trust for any such grantees and their successors in interest. SEC. 5. I n order to facilitate prompt execution of the investigations, examinations, surveys, or other action which may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act, the Secretary may accept contributions to be used for such purpose. Approved October 20, 1951. CHAPTER 524

Public Law 186 AN ACT October 20, 1951 [H. R. 1764]

To authorize the Secretaries of the Army and Air Force to settle, pay, adjust, and compromise certain claims for damages and for salvage and towage and to execute releases, certifications, and reports with respect thereto, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Ar^y-^*™F^orTO^ *^^ United States of Amerioa in Congress assembled, That the Secretaries Certain maritime of the Army and Air Force, under the direction of the Secretary of ^™^" Defense, are hereby authorized to consider, ascertain, adjust, determine, compromise, or settle claims for damages caused by vessels of or in the service of their respective departments, and for compensation for towage and salvage services, including contract salvage, rendered to such vessels, and to pay the amount of any claims so determined, compromised, or settled, and upon acceptance of such payment by the claimant, and not until then, such determination, settlement, or compromise of such claim shall be final and conclusive for all purposes, any law to the contrary notwithstanding: Provided, That this section, as respects the determination, compromise, settlement, and payment of claims, shall be supplementary to, and not in lieu of, all other provisions of law authorizing consideration, adjustment, determinaautiwrized^^**""^ ^^^^"i Settlement, and payment of claims: Provided further. That all payments of claims made under this section shall be made out of provided Limitation of a u applicable appropriations which are hereby authorized: And thority. further, That the payment of any claim on which a net amount exceeding $500,000 is determined to be due from the United States, or which is compromised or settled at a net amount exceeding $500,000 payable by the United States, shall not be authorized by this section, and all claims determined, compromised, or settled hereunder at a net amount exceeding $500,000 payable by the United States shall be certified by the Secretary concerned to the Congress. Damage claims SEC. 2. The Secretaries of the Army and Air Force, under the direcfavor of U. S. tion of the Secretary of Defense, are hereby authorized to consider, ascertain, adjust, determine, compromise, or settle claims for damage cognizable in admiralty in a district court of the United States and all claims for damage caused by a vessel or floating object to property

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