** For more convenient reference, the laws contained herein are severally designated by chapters and numbers in regular series. **The laws of the regular session of the third Legislature, heretofore published, are divided into two parts-the first embracing the general, and the second the special laws. Those of the extra or second session, are published as Part III of volume III. Those of the second extra, or third session, contained herein, are therefore published as Part IV of volume III.

**Those laws signed by the Governor, are designated by the word Approved - and those not signed by him, are said to be Passed.

VOLUME III.-PART IV.

GENERAL AND SPECIAL LAWS.

CHAPTER I.

An Act to legalize the acts of the County Surveyors of the County of Cass.

Whereas the County Court of the County of Cass failed or neglected to comply with the requirements of an act entitled "an act to give to each corporate county in this State its own County Surveyor, map and records," approved March 20, 1848, but proceeded to order elections for the office of County Surveyor: and whereas the Surveyors so elected have proceeded to do a great deal of surveying, which, if not legalized, will operate greatly to the prejudice of the citizens of said County-Therefore,

Section 1. Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Texas, That all the acts of the said surveyors of the county of Cass, elected as aforesaid, be and the same are hereby rendered as legal, valid and binding in all respects as though the said act had been fully complied with.

Sec. 2. Be it further enacted, That the map of Cass county, drawn by A. F. Halcomb, in 1848, and now in the General Land Office, shall have the same legal force and effect as though the same had been returned to said office in accordance with the provisions of said act of the 20th March, 1848.

Sec. 3. Be it further enacted, That this act take effect and be in force from and after its passage.

Approved, November 25, 1850.

CHAPTER II.

An Act accepting the Propositions made by the United States to the State of Texas, in an Act of the Congress of the United States, approved the 9th day of September, A. D. 1850, entitled "an Act proposing to the State of Texas the Establishment of her Northern and Western Boundaries, the Relinquishment by the said State of all Territory claimed by her exterior to said Boundaries and of all her Claims upon the United States, and to establish a Territorial Government for New Mexico."

Whereas, said propositions are contained in the first section of said act, in the following words, to wit: "Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the following propositions shall be, and the same hereby are, offered to the State of Texas, which, when agreed to by the said State, in an act passed by the General Assembly, shall be binding and obligatory upon the United States and upon the said State of Texas: provided, the said agreement by the said General Assembly shall be giveu on or before the first day of December, eighteen hundred and fifty. First: The State of Texas will agree that her boundary on the north shall commence at the point at which the meridian of one hundred degrees west from Greenwich is intersected by the parallel of thirty-six degrees thirty minutes north latitude, and shall run from said point due west to the meridian of one hundred and three degrees west from Greenwich; thence her boundary shall run due south to the thirty-second degree of north latitude; thence on the said parallel of thirty-two degrees of north latitude to the Rio Bravo del Norte; and thence with the channel of said river to the Gulf of Mexico.

Second: The State of Texas cedes to the United States all her claim to territory exterior to the limits and boundaries which she agrees to establish by the first article of this agreement.

Third: The State of Texas relinquishes all claim upon the United States for liabilty of the debts of Texas, and for compensation or indemnity for the surrender to the United States of her ships, ports, arsenals, customhouses, customhouse revenue, arms and munitions of war, and public buildings with their sites, which became the property of the United States at the time of the annexation.

Fourth: The United States in consideration of said estab

lishment of boundaries, cession of claim to terrritory, and relinquishment of claims, will pay to the State of Texas, the sum of ten millions of dollars in a stock bearing five per cent. interest, and redeemable at the end of fourteen years, the interest payable half yearly at the Treasury of the United States.

Fifth: Immediately after the President of the United States shall have been furnished with an authentic copy of the act of the General Assembly of Texas accepting these propositions, he shall cause the stock to be issued in favor of the State of Texas, as provided for in the fourth article of this agreement: Provided also, That no more than five millions of said stock shall be issued until the creditors of the State holding bonds and other certificates of stock of Texas, for which duties on imports were specially pledged, shall first file at the Treasury of the United States, releases of all claim against the United States for or on account of said bonds or certificates, in such form as shall be prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury and approved by the President of the United States: Provided, That nothing herein contained, shall be construed to impair or qualify anything contained in the third article of the second section of the joint resolution for annexing Texas to the United States, approved March first, eighteen hundred and forty-five, either as regards the number of States that may hereafter be formed out of the State of Texas, or otherwise:

Therefore, 1st. Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Texas, That the State of Texas hereby agrees to and accepts said propositions; and it is hereby declared that the State shall be bound by the terms thereof. according to their true import and meaning.

2d. That the Governor of this State be, and he is hereby, requested to cause a copy of this act, authenticated under the seal of the State, to be furnished to the President of the United States by mail as early as practicable; and also a copy thereof certified in like manner, to be transmitted to each of the Senators and Representatives of Texas, in Congress; and that this act take effect from and after its passage.

Approved, November 25, 1850.

CHAPTER III.

An Act to incorporate Fayette Academy, in the County of Fay

ette.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Texas, That T. D. Fisher, G. A. Kerr, U. Gregory, John R. B. Baylor, J. M. Hill, J. Izzard, S. S. Munger, P. J. Shaver, John Anderson, A. P. Manly, and D. Myers, be, and they are hereby incorporated a body politic, under the name and style of the Trustees of Fayette Academy, capable of suing and being sued, of pleading and being impleaded, of holding property, either real, personal or mixed, of selling and conveying the same at pleasure, of having a common seal, and of changing the same at pleasure, and of doing and performing whatever else that may be proper and necessary to be done for the advancement of said institution, not contrary to the constitution and laws of the State.

Sec. 2. That this charter and privilege shall extend to said trustees and their successors in office, as long as they confine the benefit of the same to the advancement of the sciences, and the promotion of useful knowledge to the rising generation, which institution shall be accessible alike to all, without regard to opinions of religion or politics.

Sec. 3. That the said trustees, and their successors in office, shall have full power to enact by-laws, rules and regulations for the government of said academy as may seem to them necessary for that object, to fill all vacancies which may occur in said board of trustees, to elect such officers as may be necessary for the efficient discharge of their duties, and that six members shall form a quorum for the transaction of business.

Sec. 4. That this act take effect and be in force from and after its passage.

Approved, November 26, 1850.

CHAPTER IV.

An Act to permanently locate the Seat of Justice of Denton.

County.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Texas. That the seat of justice of Denton county be permanent