Year: 1872




An act to restore the records Of the


United States courts in the northern dis


trict Of Illinois.


Be it enacted by the Senate of House of
Representatives Of the United States of
America in Congress assembled, That in
proceedings to restore the records OF the
circuit and district courts of the northern
district of Illinois, destroyed by fire on the
ninth of October, eighteen hundred and
seventy-One, under the act of March third,
eighteen hundred and seventy-One, entitled
'An act relating TO records of the courts of
the United States" the notice required by
said act may be served upon any nOn-resi-
dent of said district anywhere within the
jurisdiction of the United States, or in any
foreign country, the proof of the service of
such notice. if made in a foreign country,
to be certified by a minister or consul of the
United States in such country, under his
official seal


SEC. ,. That a certified copy Of the official
return of the district attorney, clerk Of the
circuit or district court, or the marshal of
the northern district of Illinois, made in
pursuance of law, and on file in the De-
partmeht of. Justice, relating to any cause
in either Of said courts to which the United
States was party, the record of which was
destroyed in said fire, may be flied in the
court to which it appertains, and shall have
the same force and effect as if it were an
original return made to said court, and in
any case in which the names of the parties,
and the date and amount of the Judgment
or decree shall appear from such returns,
it shall be lawful for the court in which
they are filed to issue the necessary process
to enforce such decree or judgment in the
same manner as if the original record was
before said court


SEC. 3. That it shall be the duty of the
district attorney for the northern district OF
Illinois to take such steps as may be neces-
sary to restore the records and files OF the
circuit and district courts of said district
which were destroyed by fire on the ninth
Of October, eighteen hundred and seventy
one, and in which the United States is in
terested, so far as the judges of said courts,
respectively, shall deem it essential to the
interests of the United States that said
records and files be restored; and the Judges
of said courts, respectively, are authorized
to direct such steps to be taken as, in their
opinion, shall be deemed advisable
to restore the Judgment dOckets and
indices of said cOUrts, and, for that
purpose, may direct the performance,
by the clerks of said courts, and
by the United States attorney for said dis
triCt, of any duty incident thereto, and
said clerks and said district attorney shall
be allowed such compensation and dis
bursements for services rendered under
this section in cases where no compensation
is now provided by law for such seFyices}
as may be allowed by the Attorney Cen
eral, and certified to be just and reason
able by the Judge of the court in which
said services are rendered, and the amount
50 allowed shall be paid out Of the Judiciary
fund: provided, however, that the sum al
lowed the clerks OF said courts shall not
exceed the sum of twelve thousand dollars,
and the entire compensation Of the United
States attorney for such services shall not
exceed the sum of six thousand dollars.


Approved March Is, 1872.