Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1850-09-21

guaon and Of the table Of post Offices eight thousand i've
hundred dollars.
Sec q .ard be It further enacted That the Postmaster
General and he hereby authorized to pay out OF mo-
ney in the Treasury the credit Of the Post Ofce Depart
men all such balances have hereafter become due
the General Post Office Of London, upon the adjustment
of the quarterly arising out Of the Postal Conven
ton, concluded December fifteenth, eighteen hundred and
forty between the United States and the United king
dom Of Great Britain and Ireland.
Approved, September l6, 1850.
lPuBLIc-No. 3l.l
AN ACT to amend and supplementary to the act entitled
ssAn act respecting fugives from justice and persons
Gaping from the service Of their masters approved Feb
ruary H. l793.
Be enacted 5y the Senate and House of Representatives.
of the United States of America in Congress assembled
That the who have been who may hereafter be
appointed commissioners in virtue Of any act Of Congress by
the circuit Of the United States and who, in conse
quenoe ofsuch appointment authorized to exercise the
powers that any justice Of the peace other magistrate Of any
the United States may exercise in respect to offenders for
any crime or offence against the United States by arresng
mprsonng baing the under and by vIue of the
section Of the act Of the twenty Of Septem
ber hundred and eighty nne entitled An act to
establish the judicial of the United States shall be and
are hereby authorized and required exercise and discharge
all the powers and duties conferred by this act.
Sec 2. And be further enacted That the superior court
of each organized Territory Of the United States shall have
the power appoint commissioners TO take acknow
Judgments of bail and adavits and take dispositions of
witnesses civil which possessed by the circuit
the United States and all commissioners who shall
hereafter be appointed for such purposes by the superior court
organized Territory of the United States shall
all the powers and exercise all the duties conferred by law
upon appointed by the circuit courts Of the
United States for similar purposes, and shall
else and discharge all the and duties conferred by this
act.
Sec g. and be 1t further enacted, That the circuit courts
Of the United States and the superior courts each organized
Territory Of the United States shall from time to time enlarge
the number Of commissioners with view TO afford reasonable
facilities reclaim ugives from labor and to the prompt
discharge of the duties imposed by this act
Sec. A. And be further enacted That the commissioners
above named shall have concurrent Jurisdiction with the
judges of the circuit and district courts Of the United States
in their respective circuits and districts within the several
States and the Judges of the superior Of the Terrific
ries severay and collectively, in term time and vacation
and shall grant certificates to such claimants, upon sasac-
tory proof being made, with authority take and remove
such fgives from service labor under the restrictions
herein contained, the State Territory from which such
persons may have escaped or fed.
Sec. 5. And be further enacted, That shall be the
duty Of all marha and deputy marshas obey and execute
all warrants and precepts issued under the provisions Of this
act when to them directed and should any marshal de-
putty marshal refuse receive such other process
when rendered, to all proper diligently to
cute the same he shall conviction thereof be fined in the
Of thousand dollars to the of such claimant
the motion of such claimant by the circuit district court
for the district Of such marshal and after of such
fugitive by such marshal his deputy, whilst any time
custody under the shoud such
fugitive escape, whether with without the Of such
marshal or bis deputy, such marshal shall be liable his Off
c bond to be prosecuted for the benefit of such claimant
the full value of the service labor of said fugitive in the
State, Territory, District whence he escaped and the bet
enable the said commissioner when thus appointed
to execute their duties faithfully and efficiently, in conform
y with the requirements Of the Constitution Of the United
States and Of this act they hereby authorized and empow
cred, within their counties respectively 10 appoint in writing
under their hands, any suitable persons from
time to time, to execute all such warrants and other process
may be issued by them in the lawful performance Of their
respective Duties with authority to such commissioners,
the persons be appointed by them process
aforesaid to and call their aid the bysandes
posse cous of the proper county, when necessary
faithful observance Of the clause of the constitution
fered to- in conformity with the provisions Of this act
the prompt and efficient execution Of thslaw whenever their
services may be required, aforesaid for that purpose
said warrants shall and be executed by said officers any
where IN the State within which they are issued.
Sec. g. and be It further enacted, That when person
held to service labor in any Stale Territory of the Unit
ed States has heretofore shall hereafter escape into
Their State or Territory Of the United States, the person
persons to whom such service labor may be DUE his
her, or their agent Attorney duly authorized by power
attorney in writing acknowledged and certified under the
seal OF some legal officer court of the State Territory
which the may be executed may pursue and reclaim
such fugitive person, either by procuring from
one OF the courts judges commissioners aforesaid of
proper circuit district county, for the apprehension Of
fugitive from service labor by seizing and arresng
such fugitive where the be done without process
by taking causing such person to be aken forthwith
such court, judge commissioner whose duty it shall be
to hear and determine the of such claimant in
mary manner and upon satisfactory proof being made BY
deposition or affidavit in writing to be taken and certified
by such court judge, commissioner, by other satsac
tory testimony, duly taken and certified by court msgis
trae justice Of the peace other legal officer authorized
administer oath and take dispositions under the laws Of the
State Territory from which such person owing service
labor may have escaped with certificate such magstracy
other authority, aforesaid with the seal Of the proper
court or officer thereto attached which seal shall be sufficient
establish the competency of the proof and with proof also
by affidavit of the deny of the person whose service labor
claimed be due aforesaid that the person arrested
does in fact labor to the person persons
claiming him or her. in the State Territory from which
such fugitive may have escaped aforesaid and that said
person escaped to make out and deliver such claimant his
her agent or Attorney certificate setting forth the sub
stanta facts the service labor due from such fugitive
the claimant and Of his her escape from the State or
Territory in which such labor due, to the State
Territory in which he she arrested with authority to
such claimsn his her agent attorney, to use such
reasonable force and restraint be necessary under the
circumstances Of the case take and such fugitive
back TO the State or Territory whence he she may
have escaped aforesaid In trial hearing under this
act shall the testimony of such alleged fugitive be admitted IN
evidence and the certificates in this and the first section
mentioned shall be conclusive Of the right OF The person or
persons in whose favor granted such fugitive 10
me State or Territory from which he escaped and shall pre-
vent all moesaon Of such person persons by process
issued BY any court judge magistrate, other person
vhomsoever.
Sec q indie Il further enacted, That any person who
'na knowingly and willingly obslruct hinder prevent
uen claimant his ssent attorney, any person or per-
Iu -