Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 24.djvu/48

FORTY-NINTH CONGRESS. Sess. I. C11. 50. 1886. 13 the Librarian of Congress, who shall be authorized and directed to make contracts for the construction thereof, after proper advertisements and the reception of bids ; and the sum of five hundred thousand dollars is Appropriation. hereby appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to commence the construction of said building; and the moneys appropriated for said building shall be disbursed by the Secretary of the Interior. Sec. 2. That in order to procure a suitable site for a building for the Purohase ofsite. Library of Congress so much of the land situated east of the Capitol grounds above described shall be purchased by said commission, or taken for public use as hereinafter provided, and not less than the whole of that portion bounded on the north by B street north, on the east by Second street east, on the south by East Capitol street, and on the west by First street east; or if that portion should not be so purchased or taken for public use. then the whole of that portion bounded on the north by East Capitol street, on the east by Second street east, on the south by B street south, and on the west by First street east; and a sum of money sufficient to pay for said land, in the mode hereinafter provided, is hereby appropriated therefor out of any moneys in the APP¤>I>¤i=¤*i<>¤- Treasury not otherwise appropriated. Sec. 3. That said commission shall be authorized to purchase said Purchase to be land, or any part thereof, as soon as practicable, at such prices as may m¤~d°_ as ¤°°¤ ¤¤ be lixed by agreement between said commission and the respective Pm°°°“m°‘ owners: Provided, however, That said commission shall not pay in the Promos. aggregate for the site aforesaid, including the whole of said land as Limitations as described lying north of East Capitol street, or the whole as described tv Pricelying south of East Capitol street, more than ive hundred and fifty thousand dollars; and if they are not able to purchase the whole of either portion of said land, they may purchase any parcels thereof, for sums not exceeding, in their best judgment, that proportion of five hundred and fifty thousand dollars which the value of the parcel or parcels purchased bears to the value of the whole land; and the pay- ment therefor shall be made to the respective owners, on the requisitions of the Secretary of the Interior, upon the release and conveyance of said land to the United States by good and sufficient deeds executed in due form of law: And provided further, That no money hereby appro- Title. priated shall be expended for the purchase of said land, or any part thereof, or for the erection thereon of said library building, until the written opinion of the Attorney-General shall be had in favor of the validity of the title to said land. Sec. 4. That if said commission shall be unable to purchase the Condemnation. whole of said land lying north of East Capitol street, or the whole of - said land lying south of East Capitol street, by agreement with the re- · spective owners, within thirty days after the passage of this act, within the limitations prescribed by this act, they shall,' at the expiration of such period of thirty days, make application to the supreme court of the District of Columbia, at a general or special term, by petition containing a particular description of the property required, with the name of the owner or owners thereof and his, her, or their residence, as far as the same can be ascertained, which court is hereby authorized and required, upon such application, without delay, to ascertain and assess the damages occasioned by the taking of said land to each owner thereof, or to any person having a legal claim to said damages, in the manner provided with reference to the taking of land for highways in the R. s. D. C., pp. District of Columbia. _ 29, 30- Suc. 5. That the fee simple of all premises so appropriated for public Fee simple to be use of which an appraisement shall have been made under the order and B6 3* gwé; the direction of said court shall, upon payment to the owner or owners, “‘ ‘ respectively, or to such person as shall be authorized to receive the same for any such owners, of the appraised value, or in case the said owner or owners refuse or neglect for fifteen days after the apprarsement of the cash value of said lands improvements by said court