Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 2.djvu/146

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chargeable by law on a deed, instrument or writing, on which the stamp duty chargeable by law shall not have been paid, together with the further sum of ten dollars, and shall obtain the endorsement and receipt of such collector, upon such deed, instrument or writing therefor, agreeably to the provisions of an act, intituledAct of April 23, 1800, ch. 31.An act to establish a general stamp office,” passed on the twenty-third day of April, in the year one thousand eight hundred, it shall be lawful for such person or persons to produce such deed, instrument or writing, to the supervisor of the revenue within whose district such person or persons shall reside; which supervisor thereupon shall certify under his hand and seal, and upon some part of the said deed, instrument or writing, that the same, so endorsed, has been produced to him, and that the said endorsement is, in his belief, genuine; after which said endorsement and certificate, and not otherwise, such deed, instrument or writing, shall be to all intents and purposes as valid and available as if the same had been or were stamped, counterstamped, or marked as by law required; any thing in any act to the contrary notwithstanding.

Act of April 23, 1800.
Repeal of part of the former act.
Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That so much of the act, intituled “An act to establish a general stamp office,” as requires certain duties to be performed by the surveyors of the revenue, shall be, and the same is hereby repealed.

Approved, March 3, 1801.

Statute ⅠⅠ.



March 3, 1801.
[Obsolete.]

Chap. XX.An Act providing for a Naval peace establishment, and for other purposes.[1]

The President may cause to be sold certain of the public vessels.Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the President of the United States be, and he hereby is authorized, whenever the situation of public affairs shall in his opinion render it expedient, to cause to be sold, they being first divested of their guns and military stores, which are to be carefully preserved, all or any of the ships and vessels belonging to the navy, except the frigates United States, Constitution, President, Chesapeake, Philadelphia, Constellation, Congress, New York, Boston, Essex, Adams, John Adams, and General Greene; and also to lay up all the frigates thus to be retained, except such as are directed by this act to be kept in constant service in time of peace.

Six of the frigates to be retained in constant service.
Residue of the frigates laid up.
Sec. 2. And be it [further] enacted, That six of the frigates to be retained shall be kept in constant service in time of peace, and shall be officered and manned as the President of the United States may direct, not to exceed, however, two thirds of the present complement of seamen, and ordinary seamen; the residue of the frigates to be retained shall be laid up in convenient ports, and there shall be permanently attached to each frigate so laid up, one sailing-master, one boatswain, one gunner, one carpenter, and one cook, one sergeant or corporal of marines, and eight marines; and to the large frigates twelve, and to the small frigates ten seamen; the sailing-master shall have the general care and superintendence of the ship; and shall generally execute such duties of a purser as may be necessary.

Component parts of a ration after the reduction of the Navy.Sec. 3. And be it [further] enacted, That from and after the day when the reduction of the navy shall take place as aforesaid, the navy ration shall consist of as follows: on Sunday, fourteen ounces of bread, one and a quarter pound of beef, half a pound of flour, one quarter of a pound of suet, one half pint of distilled spirits; Monday, fourteen ounces of bread, one pound of pork, half pint of pease, one half pint of distilled spirits; Tuesday, fourteen ounces of bread, one pound of beef, two ounces of cheese, one half pint of distilled spirits; Wednes-