Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 2.djvu/192

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Secretary of War to receive claims to lands, and for duplicates of warrants, suggested to have been lost.
To report the same to Congress, with his opinion.
Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of the Secretary of War to receive claims to lands for military services, and claims for duplicates of warrants issued from his office, or from the land office of Virginia, or of plats and certificates of surveys founded on such warrants, suggested to have been lost or destroyed, until the first day of January next, and no longer; and immediately thereafter, to report the same to Congress, designating the numbers of claims of each description, with his opinion thereon.

Approved, April 26, 1802.

Statute Ⅰ.



April 29, 1802.

Chap. XXXI.An Act to amend the Judicial System of the United States.[1]

Supreme court to be holden at Washington, by any four justices.
Sessions to commence on the first Monday of February annually.
Business to be continued over if a quorum does not attend.
One of the justices may make rules, &c.
Part of act of September 24, 1789, ch. 20, providing for a session of the Supreme Court in August, repealed.
Associate justice living in the fourth circuit, to attend at the city of Washington.
When.
For what purpose.
1839, ch. 35.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That from and after the passing of this act, the Supreme Court of the United States shall be holden by the justices thereof, or any four of them, at the city of Washington, and shall have one session in each and every year, to commence on the first Monday of February annually, and that if four of the said justices shall not attend within ten days after the time hereby appointed for the commencement of the said session, the business of the said court shall be continued over till the next stated session thereof.[2] Provided always, that any one or more of the said justices attending as aforesaid shall have power to make all necessary orders touching any suit, action, writ of error, process, pleadings or proceedings, returned to the said court or depending therein, preparatory to the hearing, trial or decision of such action, suit, appeal, writ of error, process, pleadings or proceedings. And so much of the act, intituled “An act to establish the judicial courts of the United States,” passed the twenty-fourth day of September, seventeen hundred and eighty-nine, as provides for the holding a session of the supreme court of the United States on the first Monday of August, annually, is hereby repealed.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of the associate justice resident in the fourth circuit formed by this act, to attend at the city of Washington on the first Monday of August next, and on the first Monday of August each and every year thereafter, who shall have power to make all necessary orders touching any suit, action, appeal, writ of error, process, pleadings or proceedings, returned to the said court or depending therein, preparatory to the hearing, trial or decision of such action, suit, appeal, writ of error, process, pleadings or proceedings:[3] and that all writs and process may be returnable to the said court on the said first Monday in August, in the same manner as to the session of the said court, herein before directed to be holden on the first Monday in February, and may also bear teste on the said first Monday in August, as though a session of the said court was holden on that day, and it shall be the duty of the clerk of the supreme court to attend the said justice on the said first Monday of August,To be attended also by the clerk. in each and every year, who shall make due entry of all such matters and things as shall or may be ordered as aforesaid by the said justice, and at each and every such August session, all actions, pleas, and other proceedings relative to any cause, civil or criminal, shall be continued over to the ensuing February session.


  1. See notes to the act to establish the judicial courts of the United States, September 24, 1789, chap. 20, page 73. An act in addition to an act to amend the judicial system of the United States, March 3, 1803, chap. 40.
  2. Act of March 3, 1837, chap. 32; an act supplementary to an act to amend the judicial system of the United States.
    By the act of May 4, 1826, chap. 37, the sessions of the supreme court were directed to commence on the first Monday in January annually: and by the act of June 17, 1844, the sessions are to commence on the first Monday of December annually.
  3. By the 7th section of the act of February 28, 1839, chap. 38, the provision which required the attendance of a justice of the supreme court at Washington on the first Monday in August, was repealed.