Sunny South. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1856-18??, 1857-06-04
LAWS on THE ]. STATES.
BY AUTH RITY .

!
Officers of the Army.
BE At enacted By the Senate and House Of Rep
resentatives Of the United States Of 4America in
Congress assembled, That from and after the com
mencement of the present fical year, the pay of
each commissioned officer Of the army, including
military storckeepers, shall be increased twenty
dollars per month, and that tie communication
price of officers subsistence shall be thirty cents
per ration.
Sec. 2, And 6s il further enocted, That the
Secretary of War be authorized, on the recon-
mendation of the council of administration, to ex-
tend the additional pay herein provided to any
person serving US chaplain, at any post of the
army.
Approved, February o. 1857.
CHAP. LVI.--An Act relating to Foreign Coins
and to the Coinage of Cents at the Mint Of the
United States
Be it enocted 6y the Senate and House Of Rep
resentatiues Of tie United States Of America IN
Congress assembled, That the pieces commonly
known as the quarter eighth, and sixteenth of the
Spanish pillar dollar and of the Mexican dollar,
shall be receivable at the treasury of the United
States, and its several Offices and at the several
post-ofices and and-oniccs at the rates of valua-
ton following,-that is to say, the fourth of a
dollar or piece of two reals at twenty cents the
eighth of dollar or piece Of one real, at ten
cents and the sixteenth of dollar, or half real,
at five cents.
Sec. g 4fnd be il further enacted, That the
said coins, when SO received, shall not again be
paid out, put in circulation but shall be recon-
ed at the mint. And it shall be the duty of the
director of the mint, with the approval of the
Secretary Of the Treasury. to prescribe such reg.
ulatons as may be necessary aud proper. to secure
their transmission to the mint for recoinage, and
the return or distribution of the proceeds thereof
when deemed expedient and to prescribe such
forms of account as may be appropriate and ap-
pFcable to the circumstances Procdea, That the
expenses incident to such transmission or dstrbu
ton, and of recoinage, shall be charged against
the account of silver profit and loss, and the net
profits, if any, shall be paid from time into the
treasury of the United States.
SEC. 8. And be ii Jurther enacted, That all
former acts authorizing the currency of foreign
gold or silver coins and declaring the legal
tender in payment for debts are hereby repealed (;
but it shall be the duty Of the director of the mint
TO cause assays to be made, from time TO time, OF
such foreign coins as may be known to our com
mcrce to determine their average weight, ineneSss
and value, and to embrace in his annual report
statement of the results thereof
SEC. A. And be ii tt,fher enacted, That from
and after the passage of this act, the standard
weight of the cent coined at the mint shall be
seventy-two grains, or three twenteths OF one
ounce troy, with no greater deviation than four
grains in each piece and said cent shall be com
posed of Lightweight per ccntum Of copper and
twelve per centum of nickel, of such shape and
device as may be fixed by the director of the mint
with the appreciation of the Secretary of the
Treasury and the coinage of the half cent shall
cease.
SEC. 5. md be 1t FURTHER endctcd That the
treasurer of the mint under the instruction of the
Secretary of the Treasury, shall from time to time
purchase from the bullion fund of the mint the
materials necessary for the coinage Of such cent
piece, and transfer the same to the proper opera
tive officers of the mint to be manufactured and
returned in coin. And the laws in force relating
to the mint and the coinage of the precious metals
and in regard to the sale and distribution of the
copper coins, SHALL so far as applicable, be extend
ed to the coinage herein provided for Provided,
That the net profits of said coinage ascertained in
like manner as is prescribed in the second section
of this act, shall be transferred to the treasury of
the United States
SEC 6. Aad be it further enacted, That it
shall be lawful to pay out the said cent at the
mint in exchange for any of the gold and silver
coins of the United States, and also in exchange
for the former copper coins issued and it shall
be lawful to transmit parcels Of the said cents
from time to time, to the assistant reasureIs de-
posiaries, and other officers of the United States
under general regulations proposed by the director
of the mint, and approved by the Secretary of the
Treasury, for exchange as aforesaid. And it shall
also be lawful for the space of two Years from the
passage of this act and no longer, to pay out at
the mint the cents aforesaid for the fractional parts
haro oiy,1,n
value of twenty-five, tweve-ailda-half and six
and.a-fourth cents, respectively
SEc. 7. And be ii .tb,ther enacted, That here
after the director of the mint shall make his an
nual report to the Secretary of the Treasury, up
to the thirtieth of June in each year, so that the
same may appear in his anhual report to Congress
on the finances.
Approved, February 81, 1857.
CHAP LVIJ.--An Act to divide the State of Tex
as into two Judicial Districts.
Be it enacted By the Senate and House Of Rep.
resentatires Of the Unitcd States of America IN
Congress assembled, That the State of Texas be
and the same is hereby divided into two judicial
districts, in the following manner to-wt All the
territory of the State of Texas embraced in the
counties of Newton, Jasper, Jefferson, Orange,
Tyler, Polk Liberty, Galveston, Harris, Mont
gomery, Austin, Fort Bend, Brazoria, Colorado
Wharton, Matagorda, Iavacca, Jackson, Calhoun,
Dewitt, Victoria, Goliad, Refugio, San Patricio
Nueces, Cameron Starr, Webb and Hidalgo as
they existed in eighteen hundred and fifty two
shall compose one district, to be called the eastern
district Of Texas and all the remaining part of
the territory of the said State shall compose ano-
ther district, to be called the western district of
Texas.
SIC Q And he II f,yrfb<r ouncto5 That tb.ro