Santa Fe weekly gazette. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 185?-1859, 1856-02-02

ed by the surveyor general OF any State or Ter
ritory, If the same be found correct by the said
commissioner: Provided, That such patents
shall only operate as REIMBURSEMENT of title
on the part Of the United States, and shall in
no manuer interfere with any valid adverse
right, if such exist, to the same land, nor be
construed to preclude a legal investigation and
decision by the proper judicial tribunal between
adverse claimants to the same land.
Approved, Decsmbcr %, 1854.
CHAP. XIV. An act to suppress the circulation
of small notes, as currency, in the district
Of Columbia.
Be it tenacted by the Senate and House of Re-
presentatives of the United States Of America in
Congress assembled, That if any person or per-
sons, body polite Or corporate, within the dis
trct of Columbia, sha!l make, emit, issue, ut
ter, sign, draw, or endorse any bank note, pro.
mistory note, or any instrument or writing,
for tho payment or delivery Of money, or other
valuable thing, or of any thing purporting to be
a valuable thing, of less amount than five dol
lars; to be used as q paper currency, or as a
circulating medium, either as money, or in lieu
of money or of any other currency, every such
person, and every member, officer, or agent of
such body pohtic or corporate, concerned in
or asserting to, such making, emitting, issuing
utterng, signing, drawing, or endorsing, as a.
forcsoid, for any Of the purposes aforesaid,
shall forfeit and pay the sum of ten dollars for
each and every such bank note, prOmissory note
or instrument of writing so made, issued, emit
ted, uttered, signed drawn, or enpOrsed, one
half to the use of any person who shall sue the
refnr, and the other half to the county of Wash
ington District of Columbia. And, on the trial
of my such cause, if the promissory note bank
note, or other instrument in question, be in
part or in the whole printed or engraven, it
shall be deemed sufficient evidence of an lnten-
tien to put the same into circulation in vio.
lation Of this act, unless the contrary bo sho.
wn,
Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That i
shall be unlawful for any person Or persons
body polite or corporate, to pass, or offer tt
pass, within the district of Columbia, any banl
note, promisory note, or anyinstrument in writ
ing of less denomination or amount than fy
dollars, either as money, or in lieu of money
or of any other currency; and any other persol
or persons, and every member, officer, or agcn
q of such body polite or corporate, violating tn
provisions of this section, shall forfeit and pa
% a sum not less than five, nor more than ten dol
IS lars, for every such offence, one half to the us
Is of tie person who shall sue therefore, and tn
|, other half to the use of the county of Washing
j. ton, District Of Columbia.
st Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That mn
+. person or persons, body polite and corporate
holding any such bank note, promissory not,
t. or instrument in writing may present the sam
d for payment to the person or persons, body pc
n litc or corporate, that made, emitted, ISSUED
A. uttered, signed, drew, or endorse the same; an
il, upon such presentmcnt, the person or persr
ID ns, body polite or corporate, that made, emf
v ted, issued, uttered, si~ned drew, or endorse
", the same, neglect ar refuse to redeem the san
~ in gold or silver, such party so neglecting
~ refusing shall forfeit and pay the sum of twent
. dollars for each and every such bank not
promissory note, or instrument in writing
:. presented, and payment thereof neglected orr
fused, as aforesaid, to the use of the person
id persons, body politicor corporate, holding al
IN, presenting the same as aforesaid.
of Sec. a. And be it further enacted, TIL
each and every forfeiture, under the fOregoil
to provisions Of this act, shall be recorded in
o. action of debt, before any justice Of the pea
IN in the district of Columbia, in the name of al
lr- rerson who shall sue therefore, and iursdi
la. ton is hereby expressly given to each and
very Justice of the peace in the district of G
'or lumbia to try and adjudicatc each end eve
nd such cnse.
mrs Sec 5. And be it further enacted, That
OF contracts, whether written or verbal hereaf
'O' made, TO pay or deliver money or any valual
thing, or thing purporting to be valuaI
thing, the consideration whereof may be, eitl
wholly or in part, any paper currcnce or Giro
pa loting medium under five dollars, or other
in per or currency prohibited by this act, shall
deemed and held to be illegal and void; and
Po person or persons suing on such contract sf
l., have no remedy in any court of law or eQui
,nv and, in any suit brought on such contract,
,ich shall be competent for the defendant, under
IN general issue, or any appropriate special pl