# United States Statutes at Large/Volume 2/8th Congress

The Eighth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1803 to March 3, 1805, during the last two years of the first administration of U.S. President Thomas Jefferson. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the Second Census of the United States in 1800. Both chambers had a Democratic-Republican majority.Warning: template has been deprecated.
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## 1st Session
### Public Laws

ACTS OF THE EIGHTH CONGRESS
of the
UNITED STATES,
Passed at the first session, which was begun and held at the City of Washington, in the District of Columbia, on Monday, the seventeenth day of October, 1803, and ended on the twenty-seventh day of March, 1804.
Thomas Jefferson, President; Aaron Burr, Vice President of the United States, and President of the Senate; John Brown, President of the Senate pro tempore, from the 31st day of October to the 19th day of December, 1803, and from the 26th day of January to the 25th of February, 1804; Nathaniel Macon, Speaker of the House of Representatives.
| | Chapter | Title | Date |
| 1 | Chapter I. | An Act to enable the President of the United States to take possession of the territories ceded by France to the United States, by the treaty concluded at Paris, on the thirtieth of April last; and for the temporary government thereof. | Oct. 31, 1803 |
| 2 | Chapter II. | An Act authorizing the creation of a stock, to the amount of eleven millions two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, for the purpose of carrying into effect the convention of the thirtieth of April, one thousand eight hundred and three, between the United States of America and the French Republic; and making provision for the payment of the same. | Nov. 10, 1803 |
| 3 | Chapter III. | An Act making provision for the payment of the claims of citizens of the United States on the government of France, the payment of which has been assumed by the United States, by virtue of the convention of the thirtieth of April, one thousand eight hundred and three, between the United States and the French Republic. | Nov. 10, 1803 |
| 4 | Chapter IV. | An Act making an appropriation for carrying into effect the seventh article of the treaty of amity, commerce and navigation, between the United States and his Britannic Majesty. | Nov. 16, 1803 |
| 5 | Chapter V. | An Act to repeal the act, intituled “An act to allow a drawback of duties on goods exported to New Orleans, and therein to amend the act intituled An act to regulate the collection of duties on imports and tonnage.” | Nov. 25, 1803 |
| 6 | Chapter VI. | An Act to repeal an act, intituled “An act to establish an uniform system of Bankruptcy throughout the United States.” | Dec. 19, 1803 |
| 7 | Chapter VII. | See Private Acts of the Eighth Congress in Volume 6. | Jan. 14, 1804 |
| 8 | Chapter VIII. | See Private Acts of the Eighth Congress in Volume 6. | Jan. 26, 1804 |
| 9 | Chapter IX. | An Act making appropriations for the support of the Navy of the United States, during the year one thousand eight hundred and four. | Jan. 31, 1804 |
| 10 | Chapter X. | See Private Acts of the Eighth Congress in Volume 6. | Jan. 31, 1804 |
| 11 | Chapter XI. | An Act making appropriations for the support of the Military establishment of the United States, in the year one thousand eight hundred and four. | Feb. 10, 1804 |
| 12 | Chapter XII. | An Act continuing for a limited time, the salaries of the officers of government therein mentioned. | Feb. 20, 1804 |
| 13 | Chapter XIII. | An Act for laying and collecting duties on imports and tonnage within the territories ceded to the United States, by the treaty of the thirtieth of April, one thousand eight hundred and three, between the United States and the French Republic, and for other purposes. | Feb. 24, 1804 |
| 14 | Chapter XIV. | An Act supplementary to an act intituled “An act to incorporate the inhabitants of the City of Washington, in the District of Columbia.” | Feb. 24, 1804 |
| 15 | Chapter XV. | An Act to amend the Charter of Alexandria. | Feb. 25, 1804 |
| 16 | Chapter XVI. | See Private Acts of the Eighth Congress in Volume 6. | Feb. 25, 1804 |
| 17 | Chapter XVII. | An Act relating to the recording, registering and enrolling of ships or vessels in the district of Orleans. | Feb. 25, 1804 |
| 18 | Chapter XVIII. | An Act for the relief of certain military pensioners in the state of South Carolina. | March 3, 1804 |
| 19 | Chapter XIX. | An Act to allow drawbacks of duties, on goods, wares and merchandise transported by land, in the cases therein mentioned. | March 3, 1804 |
| 20 | Chapter XX. | An Act further to amend the act intituled “An act to lay and collect a direct tax within the United States.” | March 3, 1804 |
| 21 | Chapter XXI. | An Act making appropriations for the support of government, for the year one thousand eight hundred and four. | March 3, 1804 |
| 22 | Chapter XXII. | An Act declaring the assent of Congress to an act of the General Assembly of Virginia, therein mentioned. | March 16, 1804 |
| 23 | Chapter XXIII. | An Act to revive and continue in force, an act intituled “An act for the relief of the refugees from the British Provinces of Canada and Nova Scotia.” | March 16, 1804 |
| 24 | Chapter XXIV. | An Act making an appropriation for carrying into effect the convention concluded between the United States and the King of Spain, on the eleventh day of August, one thousand eight hundred and two. | March 16, 1804 |
| 25 | Chapter XXV. | An Act to provide for Lighthouses and buoys in the cases therein mentioned. | March 16, 1804 |
| 26 | Chapter XXVI. | An Act granting further time for locating military land warrants, and for other purposes. | March 19, 1804 |
| 27 | Chapter XXVII. | An Act providing for the expenses of the Civil Government of Louisiana. | March 19, 1804 |
| 28 | Chapter XXVIII. | An Act for the relief of the sufferers by fire, in the town of Norfolk. | March 19, 1804 |
| 29 | Chapter XXIX. | An Act making an appropriation for defraying the expenses incurred in inquiring into the official conduct of Samuel Chase, and Richard Peters, and in conducting the impeachment against John Pickering. | March 19, 1804 |
| 30 | Chapter XXX. | See Private Acts of the Eighth Congress in Volume 6. | March 19, 1804 |
| 31 | Chapter XXXI. | An Act altering the sessions of the District Courts of the United States for the districts of Virginia, Rhode Island, and for the district of West Tennessee. | March 23, 1804 |
| 32 | Chapter XXXII. | An Act supplementary to the act, intituled “An act to incorporate the subscribers to the Bank of the United States.” | March 23, 1804 |
| 33 | Chapter XXXIII. | An Act to ascertain the boundary of the lands reserved by the state of Virginia, northwest of the river Ohio, for the satisfaction of her officers and soldiers on continental establishment, and to limit the period for locating the said lands. | March 23, 1804 |
| 34 | Chapter XXXIV. | An Act further to alter and establish certain post roads, and for other purposes. | March 26, 1804 |
| 35 | Chapter XXXV. | An Act making provision for the disposal of the public lands in the Indiana territory, and for other purposes. | March 26, 1804 |
| 36 | Chapter XXXVI. | An Act altering the time for the next meeting of Congress. | March 26, 1804 |
| 37 | Chapter XXXVII. | See Private Acts of the Eighth Congress in Volume 6. | March 26, 1804 |
| 38 | Chapter XXXVIII. | An Act erecting Louisiana into two territories, and providing for the temporary government thereof. | March 26, 1804 |
| 39 | Chapter XXXIX. | An Act, in addition to “An act for fixing the military peace establishment of the United States.” | March 26, 1804 |
| 40 | Chapter XL. | An Act in addition to the act intituled “An act for the punishment of certain crimes against the United States.” | March 26, 1804 |
| 41 | Chapter XLI. | See Private Acts of the Eighth Congress in Volume 6. | March 26, 1804 |
| 42 | Chapter XLII. | See Private Acts of the Eighth Congress in Volume 6. | March 26, 1804 |
| 43 | Chapter XLIII. | An Act to make further appropriations for the purpose of extinguishing the Indian claims. | March 26, 1804 |
| 44 | Chapter XLIV. | An Act to authorize the adjournment of District Courts by Marshals, in certain cases. | March 26, 1804 |
| 45 | Chapter XLV. | See Private Acts of the Eighth Congress in Volume 6. | March 26, 1804 |
| 46 | Chapter XLVI. | An Act further to protect the commerce and seamen of the United States against the Barbary powers. | March 26, 1804 |
| 47 | Chapter XLVII. | An Act in addition to an act intituled “An act to establish an uniform rule of naturalization, and to repeal the acts heretofore passed on that subject.” | March 26, 1804 |
| 48 | Chapter XLVIII. | An Act in relation to the Navy Pension Fund. | March 26, 1804 |
| 49 | Chapter XLIX. | An Act to erect a Lighthouse at the mouth of the Mississippi river, and also a Lighthouse at or near the pitch of Cape Lookout, in the state of North Carolina; and a beacon at the north point of Sandy Hook. | March 26, 1804 |
| 50 | Chapter L. | An Act supplementary to the act intituled “An act relative to the election of a President and Vice President of the United States, and declaring the officer who shall act as President, in case of vacancies in the offices both of President and Vice President.” | March 26, 1804 |
| 51 | Chapter LI. | An Act to repeal a part of the act intituled “An act supplementary to the act concerning Consuls and Vice Consuls, and for the further protection of American seamen.” | March 27, 1804 |
| 52 | Chapter LII. | An Act to amend the act intituled “An act concerning the registering and recording of ships and vessels.” | March 27, 1804 |
| 53 | Chapter LIII. | An Act supplementary to the act intituled “An act providing for a Naval Peace Establishment, and for other purposes.” | March 27, 1804 |
| 54 | Chapter LIV. | An Act supplementary to the act, intituled “An act concerning the City of Washington.” | March 27, 1804 |
| 55 | Chapter LV. | An Act concerning the Public Buildings at the City of Washington. | March 27, 1804 |
| 56 | Chapter LVI. | An Act supplementary to the act intituled “An act to prescribe the mode in which the public acts, records and judicial proceedings in each State shall be authenticated so as to take effect in every other State.” | March 27, 1804 |
| 57 | Chapter LVII. | An Act for imposing more specific duties on the importation of certain articles; and also, for levying an collecting light money on foreign ships or vessels, and for other purposes. | March 27, 1804 |
| 58 | Chapter LVIII. | An Act relative to the compensation of certain officers of the customs, and to provide for appointing a surveyor in the district therein mentioned. | March 27, 1804 |
| 59 | Chapter LIX. | An Act for the appointment of an additional judge for the Mississippi territory; and for other purposes. | March 27, 1804 |
| 60 | Chapter LX. | An Act to provide for a more extensive distribution of the Laws of the United States. | March 27, 1804 |
| 61 | Chapter LXI. | An Act supplementary to the act intituled “An act regulating the grants of land, and providing for the disposal of the lands of the United States, south of the state of Tennessee.” | March 27, 1804 |

### Public Resolutions

| Resolution | Date |
| Resolution 1. | 1804 |
| Resolution 2. | n.d. |

## 2nd Session
### Public Laws

ACTS OF THE EIGHTH CONGRESS
of the
UNITED STATES,
Passed at the first session, which was begun and held at the City of Washington, in the District of Columbia, on Monday, the fifth day of November, 1804, and ended on the third day of March, 1805.
Thomas Jefferson, President; Aaron Burr, Vice President of the United States, and President of the Senate; Joseph Anderson, President of the Senate pro tempore, from the 19th to the 31st of January, and from the 1st to the 3d of March, 1805; Nathaniel Macon, Speaker of the House of Representatives.
| | Chapter | Title | Date |
| 1 | Chapter I. | An Act making a further appropriation for carrying into effect the treaty of amity, commerce and navigation, between his Britannic Majesty and the United States of America. | Nov. 24, 1804 |
| 2 | Chapter II. | An Act making an appropriation to supply a deficiency in an appropriation for the support of government during the present year, and making a partial appropriation for the same object during the year one thousand eight hundred and five. | Dec. 6, 1804 |
| 3 | Chapter III. | An Act for the disposal of certain copies of the Laws of the United States. | Jan. 2, 1805 |
| 4 | Chapter IV. | An Act concerning drawbacks on goods, wares and merchandise. | Jan. 5, 1805 |
| 5 | Chapter V. | An Act to divide the Indiana Territory into two separate governments. | Jan. 11, 1805 |
| 6 | Chapter VI. | An Act declaring Cambridge, in the state of Massachusetts, to be a port of delivery. | Jan. 11, 1805 |
| 7 | Chapter VII. | An Act authorizing the corporation of Georgetown to make a dam or causeway from Mason’s island to the western shore of the river Potomac. | Jan. 19, 1805 |
| 8 | Chapter VIII. | See Private Acts of the Eighth Congress in Volume 6. | Jan. 23, 1805 |
| 9 | Chapter IX. | An Act making appropriations for the support of the Navy of the United States, during the year one thousand eight hundred and five. | Jan. 25, 1805 |
| 10 | Chapter X. | An Act making an appropriations for completing the south wing of the Capitol, at the City of Washington, and for other purposes. | Jan. 25, 1805 |
| 11 | Chapter XI. | An Act to provide for completing the valuation of lands and dwelling-houses, and the enumeration of slaves in South Carolina, and for other purposes. | Jan. 30, 1805 |
| 12 | Chapter XII. | See Private Acts of the Eighth Congress in Volume 6. | Jan. 31, 1805 |
| 13 | Chapter XIII. | See Private Acts of the Eighth Congress in Volume 6. | Jan. 31, 1805 |
| 14 | Chapter XIV. | An Act concerning the mode of surveying the Public Lands of the United States. | Feb. 11, 1805 |
| 15 | Chapter XV. | An Act for carrying into more complete effect the tenth article of the treaty of friendship, limits and navigation with Spain. | Feb. 14, 1805 |
| 16 | Chapter XVI. | An Act authorizing the Postmaster-General to make a new contract for carrying the mail from Fayetteville, in North Carolina, to Charleston, in South Carolina. | Feb. 14, 1805 |
| 17 | Chapter XVII. | An Act making appropriations for the support of the Military establishment of the United States, for the year one thousand eight hundred and five. | Feb. 14, 1805 |
| 18 | Chapter XVIII. | An Act supplementary to the act intituled “An act to regulate the collection of duties on imports and tonnage.” | Feb. 22, 1805 |
| 19 | Chapter XIX. | An Act to continue in force “An act declaring the consent of Congress to an act of the state of Maryland, passed the twenty-eighth day of December, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-three, for the appointment of a health officer.” | March 1, 1805 |
| 20 | Chapter XX. | An Act to amend the act intituled “An act further to amend the act intituled, An act to lay and collect a direct tax within the United States.” | March 1, 1805 |
| 21 | Chapter XXI. | An Act making appropriations for the support of Government, for the year one thousand eight hundred and five. | March 1, 1805 |
| 22 | Chapter XXII. | See Private Acts of the Eighth Congress in Volume 6. | March 2, 1805 |
| 23 | Chapter XXIII. | An Act further providing for the government of the territory of Orleans. | March 2, 1805 |
| 24 | Chapter XXIV. | An Act further to amend an act, intituled “An act regulating the grants of land; and providing for the disposal of the lands of the United States, south of the state of Tennessee.” | March 2, 1805 |
| 25 | Chapter XXV. | See Private Acts of the Eighth Congress in Volume 6. | March 2, 1805 |
| 26 | Chapter XXVI. | An Act for ascertaining and adjusting the titles and claims to land, within the territory of Orleans, and the district of Louisiana. | March 2, 1805 |
| 27 | Chapter XXVII. | An Act to authorize the Secretary of War to issue military land warrants, and for other purposes. | March 2, 1805 |
| 28 | Chapter XXVIII. | An Act to amend the act, intituled “An act for the government and regulation of seamen in the merchants’ service.” | March 2, 1805 |
| 29 | Chapter XXIX. | An Act to appropriate a sum of money for the purpose of building Gun Boats. | March 2, 1805 |
| 30 | Chapter XXX. | An Act to authorize the erection of a bridge across a mill pond and marsh in the Navy Yard, belonging to the United States, in the town of Brooklyn, in the state of New York. | March 2, 1805 |
| 31 | Chapter XXXI. | An Act further providing for the government of the district of Louisiana. | March 3, 1805 |
| 32 | Chapter XXXII. | An Act to amend the charter of Georgetown. | March 3, 1805 |
| 33 | Chapter XXXIII. | An Act supplementary to the act intituled “An act making an appropriation for carrying into effect the convention between the United States of America and his Britannic Majesty.” | March 3, 1805 |
| 34 | Chapter XXXIV. | An Act to establish the districts of Gennessee, of Buffaloe Creek, and of Miami; and to alter the port of entry of the district of Erie. | March 3, 1805 |
| 35 | Chapter XXXV. | An Act further to alter and establish certain post roads; and for other purposes. | March 3, 1805 |
| 36 | Chapter XXXVI. | An Act making appropriations for carrying into effect certain Indian treaties, and for other purposes of Indian trade and intercourse. | March 3, 1805 |
| 37 | Chapter XXXVII. | See Private Acts of the Eighth Congress in Volume 6. | March 3, 1805 |
| 38 | Chapter XXXVIII. | An Act to extend jurisdiction in certain cases, to the Territorial Courts. | March 3, 1805 |
| 39 | Chapter XXXIX. | See Private Acts of the Eighth Congress in Volume 6. | March 3, 1805 |
| 40 | Chapter XL. | An Act to amend an act intituled “An act for imposing more specific duties on the importation of certain articles, and also for levying and collecting light money on foreign ships or vessels, and for other purposes.” | March 3, 1805 |
| 41 | Chapter XLI. | An Act for the more effectual preservation of peace in the ports and harbors of the United States, and in the waters under their jurisdiction. | March 3, 1805 |
| 42 | Chapter XLII. | An Act to regulate the clearance of armed merchant vessels. | March 3, 1805 |
| 43 | Chapter XLIII. | An Act supplementary to the act intituled “An act making provision for the disposal of the public lands in Indiana territory, and for other purposes.” | March 3, 1805 |
| 44 | Chapter XLIV. | An Act in addition to “An act to make provision for persons that have been disabled by known wounds received in the actual service of the United States, during the revolutionary war.” | March 3, 1805 |
| 45 | Chapter XLV. | See Private Acts of the Eighth Congress in Volume 6. | March 3, 1805 |
| 46 | Chapter XLVI. | See Private Acts of the Eighth Congress in Volume 6. | March 3, 1805 |
| 47 | Chapter XLVII. | An Act to provide for the accommodation of the President of the United States. | March 3, 1805 |

### Public Resolutions

| Resolution | Title | Date |
| Resolution I. | Resolution expressive of the sense of Congress of the gallant conduct of Captain Stephen Decatur, the officers and crew of the United States ketch Intrepid, in attacking, in the harbor of Tripoli, and destroying a Tripolitan frigate of forty-four guns. | Nov. 27, 1804 |
| Resolution II. | Resolutions expressive of the sense of Congress of the gallant conduct of Commodore Edward Preble, the officers, seamen and marines of his squadron. | March 3, 1805 |