CHAPTER 58. AN ACT TO AUTHORIZE THE SECRETARY OF WAR TO PRESCRIBE RULES AND REGULA- April 10, 1878. 20 Stat. L., 36. Secretary of War may make rules respecting bids for contracts, require bonds of bidders, &c. Be it enacted, &c., That the Secretary of War is hereby authorized to Secretary of War prescribe rules and regulations to be observed in the preparation and may make rules submission and opening of bids for contracts under the War Depart- respecting bids for contracts, require ment; bonds of bidders, And he may require any bid to be accompanied by a bond in such &c. penal sum as he may deem advisable, with good and sufficient security, R. S., $$ 3709, conditioned that the bidder will enter into a contract agreeably to the 3714, 3716, 3717. terms of his bid, if the same be awarded to him within sixty days from the date of the opening of the bids, or otherwise pay the penalty. No bid shall be withdrawn by the bidder within the said period of sixty days. [April 10, 1878.] CHAPTER 60. AN ACT TO PREVENT DEPREDATIONS UPON PROPERTY IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. April 17, 1878. 20 Stat. L., 36. Depredation on fixtures in houses Be it enacted, &c., That every person who, in the District of Columbia, shall willfully and without color of right, enter into any occupied or un- in District of Cooccupied dwelling-house or other building, the property of another, and lumbia; how punshall cut, break, or tear from its place any gas-pipe, water-pipe, door- ished. bell, or other fixture therein; Or who shall, in such dwelling house or other building, willfully and without color of right cut, break, or tear down any wall, or part of a wall, or door, with intent to cut, break, or tear from its place any pipe or fixture therein, Shall, for the first offense, be fined not more than two hundred dollars, and be imprisoned in the District jail not less than two months or more than one year, and for any subsequent offense shall be imprisoned in the penitentiary for not less than one year or more than three years. [April 17, 1878.] CHAPTER 66. AN ACT TO PREVENT THE INTRODUCTION OF CONTAGIOUS OR INFECTIOUS DISEASES SECTION 1. Vessels from infected ports, or with infected passengers, &c., entering United States, subject to State quarantine laws and certain regulations. 2. Consuls to report vessels leaving infected ports. Surgeon-general of marine hospital service to execute act. 3. Marine-hospital and customs officers to enforce quarantine laws. Be it enacted, &c. SECTION 4. Surgeon-general of marine hospitals to notify 5. Officers of State quarantine system may act State laws, &c., not to be interfered with. April 29, 1878. 20 Stat. L., 37. [SECTION 1], That no vessel or vehicle coming from any foreign port Vessels from inor country where any contagious or infectious disease may exist, and no fected ports or vessel or vehicle conveying any person or persons, merchandise or ani- with infected pasmals, affected with any infectious or contagious disease, shall enter any tering United sengers, &c., enport of the United States or pass the boundary line between the United States subject to States and any foreign country, contrary to the quarantine laws of any State quarantine laws and certain one of said United States, into or through the jurisdiction of which said regulations. vessel or vehicle may pass, or to which it is destined, or except in the R. S., § 4792manner and subject to the regulations to be prescribed as hereinafter 4796. 1879, June 2, ch. provided. 11. Consuls to report vessels leaving in1879, June 2, ch. fected ports. 11, § 9. act. Surgeon-general SEC. 2. That whenever any infectious or contagious disease shall appear in any foreign port or country, and whenever any vessel shall leave any infected foreign port, or, having on board goods or passengers coming from any place or district infected with cholera or yellow fever, shall leave any foreign port, bound for any port in the United States, the consular officer, or other representative of the United States at or nearest such foreign port shall immediately give information thereof to the Supervising Surgeon-General of the Marine Hospital Service, and shall report to him the name, the date of departure, and the port of destination of such vessel; And shall also make the same report to the health officer of the port of destination in the United States, and the consular officers of the United States shall make weekly reports to him of the sanitary condition of the ports at which they are respectively stationed; And the said Surgeon-General of the Marine-Hospital Service shall, of marine hospital under the direction of the Secretary of the Treasury, be charged with service to execute the execution of the provisions of this act, and shall frame all needful 1879, June 2, ch. rules and regulations for that purpose, which rules and regulations, shall 11, § 9. be subject to the approval of the President, but such rules and regulations shall not conflict with or impair any sanitary or quarantine laws or regulations of any State or municipal authorities now existing or which may hereafter be enacted. Marine hospital and customs offi cers to enforce quarantine laws. Surgeon-general SEC. 3. That it shall be the duty of the medical-officers of the MarineHospital Service and of customs officers to aid in the enforcement of the national quarantine rules and regulations established under the preceding section; but no additional compensation shall be allowed said officers by reason of such services as they may be required to perform under this act, except actual and necessary traveling expenses. SEC. 4. That the Surgeon-General of the Marine-Hospital Service of marine hospitals shall, upon receipt of information of the departure of any vessel, goods, to notify collectors from infected places to any port in the United States, imand to transmit or passengers weekly abstracts mediately notify the proper State or municipal and United States officer of sanitary re- or officers at the threatened port of destination of the vessel, and shall ports to certain prepare and transmit to the medical officer of the Marine Hospital Service, to collectors of customs, and to the State and municipal health authorities in the United States, weekly abstracts of the consular sanitary reports and other pertinent information received by him. officers. Officers of State SEC. 5. That wherever, at any port of the United States, any State quarantine system or municipal quarantine system may now, or may hereafter exist, the may act as officers officers or agents of such system shall, upon the application of the respectof national system, ive State or municipal authorities, be authorized and empowered to act when, &c. as officers or agents of the national quarantine system, and shall be clothed with all the powers of United States officers for quarantine purposes, but shall receive no pay or emoluments from the United States. At all other ports where, in the opinion of the Secretary of the Treasformed by officers ury, it shall be deemed necessary to establish quarantine, the medical of marine hospital officers or other agents of the Marine-Hospital Service shall perform R. S., §§ 4801- such duties in the enforcement of the quarantine rules and regulations as may be assigned them by the Surgeon-General of that service under this act: Duties to be per service. 4813. State laws not to be interfered with. R. S., § 4792. Repeal. Provided, That there shall be no interference in any manner with any quarantine laws or regulations as they now exist or may hereafter be adopted under State laws. SEC. 6. That all acts or parts of acts inconsistent with this act be, and the same are hereby, repealed. [April 29, 1878.] CHAPTER 68. AN ACT TO PREVENT THE SALE OF POLICY OR LOTTERY TICKETS IN THE DISTRICT OF 1. Policy-lottery or policy-shop in District of 2. Permitting house to be used for policy-lottery Columbia, and sale of tickets, &c., prohib ited. Be it enacted, &c. prohibited. April 29, 1878. 20 Stat. L., 39. [SECTION 1], That if any person shall, within the District of Colum- Policy-lottery or bia, keep, set up, or promote, or be concerned as owner, agent, clerk, or policy-shop in Disin any other manner, in managing any policy-lottery or policy-shop, or and sale of tickets, trict of Columbia, shall sell or transfer any ticket, certificate, bill, token, or other device &c., prohibited. purporting or intended to guarantee or assure to any person, or entitle him to a chance of drawing or obtaining a prize, or share of, or interest in, any prize to be drawn in any lottery, or in the game or device commonly known as policy-lottery or policy; or shall, for himself or another person, sell or transfer, or have in his possession, for the purpose of sale or transfer, or shall aid in selling, exchanging, negotiating, or transferring a chance or ticket in, or share of a ticket in, any policy-lottery, or any such bill, certificate, token, or other device, he shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof, shall forfeit and pay a fine of not more than five hundred dollars, or be imprisoned in the District jail not less than two months or more than one year or both in the discretion of the court. prohibited. SEC. 2. That if any person shall knowingly permit in any house under Permitting his control, in the District of Columbia, the sale of any chance or ticket house to be used in, or share of a ticket in, any lottery or policy-lottery, or shall know- for policy-lottery ingly permit any lottery or policy-lottery or policy shop in such house, he shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than fifty dollars or more than five hundred dollars, or be imprisoned in the District jail not less than two months or more than one year, or both, in the discretion of the court. [April 29, 1878.] CHAPTER 69. AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE RECORDING OF DEEDS, MORTGAGES, AND OTHER CONVEY- April 29, 1878. 20 Stat. L., 39. SECTION 1. Deeds, &c., in District of Columbia to take effect on delivery to recorder as against purchasers, &c., without notice. Be it enacted, &c. SECTION Recorder to note on deeds, &c., day and hcur 2. Deeds already recorded not affected. to take effect on [SECTION 1], That sections four hundred and forty-six and four hundred Deeds, &c., in and forty seven of the Revised Statutes relating to the District of Co- District Columbia lumbia, passed at the first session of the Forty-third Congress, eighteen delivery to recordhundred and seventy-three and eighteen hundred and seventy-four, be, er, as against purand the same hereby are, repealed, and there is enacted in lieu thereof chasers, &c., withthe following: out notice; repealing and substitute R. S., vol. 2 Dist. Col., §§ 446, 447. All deeds, deeds of trust, mortgages, conveyances, covenants, agree for ments, or any instrument of writing which by law is entitled to be recorded in the office of the recorder of deeds, shall take effect and be valid, as to creditors and as to subsequent purchasers for valuable consideration without notice, from the time when such deed, deed of trust, mortgage, conveyance, covenant, agreement, or instrument in writing shall, after having been acknowledged, proved, or certified, as the case may be, be delivered to the recorder of deeds for record, and from that time only; Recorder to note And the recorder of deeds shall note on each deed or other instruon deeds, &c., day ment of writing required by law to be recorded, the day and hour of delivery of the same to him to be recorded. and hour of delivery. Deeds already recorded not affected. SEC. 2. That this act shall not be so construed as to affect any deed or other instrument of writing heretofore recorded. [April 29, 1878.] CHAPTER 74. April 30, 1878. 20 Stat. L., 40. Passports for col AN ACT AUTHORIZING THE ISSUE OF PASSPORTS FREE TO COLORED CITIZENS GOING Passports for colored citizens going to Brazil for certain purposes to be issued free of charge. Be it enacted, &c., That the Secretary of State be, and he is hereby ored citizens going directed to issue passports, free of charges and fees therefor, to any to Brazil for certain purposes to be colored citizens of the United States who may wish to go to Brazil to issued free of engage in work upon the Madera and Mamore Railway, and to that extent the provisions of section four thousand and seventy-five of the Revised Statutes are suspended. [April 30, 1878.] charge. R. S., § 4075. 1874, June 20, ch. 328, par. 7. CHAPTER 76. AN ACT AUTHORIZING THE SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY TO EMPLOY TEMPORARY April 30, 1878. 20 Stat. L., 46. SECTION 2. Collections for SECTION 2. Par. 1. Collections for depredations on lands to be Par. 2. Timber cut on public lands exported from Be it enacted, &c. SEC. 2. * [Par. 1.] Provided, That all moneys heretofore, and that shall heredepredations on atter be, collected for depredations upon the public lands shall be covlands to be covered into the Treasury of the United States as other moneys received ered into Treasury from the sale of public lands: R. S., § 2461, * 4751. 1878, June 3, ch. 150, § 1. 1878, June 3, ch. 151, §§ 4,5. Timber cut on [Par. 2.] And provided, further, That if any timber cut on the public public lands ex- lands shall be exported from the Territories of the United States, it shall be liable to seizure by United States authority wherever found. Certain claims AN ACT FOR THE ALLOWANCE OF CERTAIN CLAIMS REPORTED BY THE ACCOUNTING Certain claims not to be allowed where more is fraudulently claimed than is justly due. * SEC. 2. No claim shall hereafter be allowed by the accounting-officers, not to be allowed under the provisions of the act of congress, approved June sixteenth, where more is eighteen hundred and seventy-four, or by the Court of Claims, or by fraudulently claimed than is Congress, to any person, where such claimant, or those under whom he justly due. claims, shall willfully, knowingly, and with intent to defraud the United R. S., §§ 300 A, States, have claimed more than was justly due in respect of such claim, or presented any false evidence to Congress, or to any department or court, in support thereof. [April 30, 1878.] CHAPTER 78. AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE OATH OF OFFICE TO COL- Alaska; oaths of customs officers in; before whom may be taken. May 2, 1878. 20 Stat. L., 47. Be it enacted, &c., That until the formal organization of the Territory Alaska; oath of of Alaska, the oath of office required by law to be taken by a collector customs officers in; or other officer of the customs in Alaska may be taken before the judge be taken. before whom may of any circuit or district court of the United States. [May 2, 1878.] R. S., §§ 2591, 2592, 2617, 2618. CHAPTER 79. AN ACT TO PROHIBIT THE COINAGE OF THE TWENTY CENT PIECE OF SILVER. Be it enacted, &c., That from, and after the passage of this act, the coinage of the twenty cent piece of silver, by the Government of the United States be, and the same is hereby prohibited. And all laws in conflict with this act are hereby repealed. [May 2, 1878.], CHAPTER 88. AN ACT TO EXTEND THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION THIRTY-TWO HUNDRED AND NINETY- May 3, 1878. 20 Stat. L., 48. Alcohol in bond for scientific pur Be it enacted, &c., That the Secretary of the Treasury, be and is hereby authorized to grant permits, as provided for in section thirty-two hun- may be withdrawn dred and ninety-seven of the Revised Statutes of the United States poses without paypassed at the first session of the Forty-third Congress, to any scientific ment of tax by ceruniversity, or college of learning created and constituted such by any tain institutions, though not incorState or Territory under its laws, though not incorporated or chartered, porated. upon the same terms and subject to the same restrictions and penalties, already provided by said section thirty-two hundred and ninety-seven: Provided further, That the bond required thereby may be executed by any officer of such university or college, or by any other person for it, signed. and on its behalf, with two good and sufficient sureties, upon like conditions, and to be approved as by said section is provided. [May 3, 1878.] R. S., § 3297. Bond; how CHAPTER 91. AN ACT MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE NAVAL SERVICE FOR THE YEAR ENDING SECTION 1. Par. 1. Secretaries or clerks to Admiral, Vice-Ad miral, and commanders of vessels, &c., Be it enacted, &c. ]SECTION 1.] * SECTION 1. Par. 2. Charts furnished persons not in govern- Secretaries or [Par. 1.] That on and after the first day of July, eighteen hundred and seventy-eight, there shall be no appointments made from civil life clerks to Admiral, of secretaries or clerks to the Admiral, or Vice-Admiral, when on sea commanders of Vice-Admiral, and service, commanders of squadrons, or of clerks to commanders of vessels; vessels, &c., not to |