172 FIFTY-SIXTH CONGRESS. Sess. L Cris. 387, 388. 1900. MM 9» 1900- CHAP. 387.-An Act Authorizing the Secretary of War to make regulations gov-
- "'""`;“ erning the running of loose logs, steamboats, and rafts on certain rivers and treanis.
Be tt enacted by the Senate and House ofR?esentatv}ves 0 f the United lggggaggg from States of America in Ocngressassembted, hat the prohibition congrohibitilon against tamed in section fifteen of the river and harbor Act, approved March hf";Q‘,Q‘,§m§“,f;‘vig§,‘}f,f§’ third, eighteen hundred and ninety-nine, against Heating loose timber by`f¤f¤§)¤b¤¤§b2 and logs, or sack rafts, so called, of timber and logs IH streams or °° ’p'channe s actually navigated by steamboats, shall not apply to any navi- • gable river or waterway of the United States or any part thereof whereon the floating of loose timber and logs and sack ra ts Of timber 1; and logs is the principal method of navigation. But such method of navigation on such river or waterway or part thereof shall be subject to the rules and dregulations prescribed by the Secretary of War as hereinafter rovi e . mgigfigrgggigggrfgg Sec. 2. That the Secretary of War shall have power, and he is n¤m¤g1€gs,mrs,e¢c. hereby authorized and directed, within the shortest practicable time after the passage hereof, to prescribe rules and re ulations, which he may at any time modify, to govern and regulate the floating of loose timber and logs, and sack rafts, (so called) of timber and logs and other methods of navigation on the streams and waterways, or any thereof, of- the character, as to navigation, in section one hereof described. The said rules and regulations shall be so framed as to equitably adjust conflicting interests between the different methods or —r>¤bli¤¤*¤i¤¤· forms of navigation; and the said rules and regulations shall be published at least once in such newspaper or newspapers of general circulation as in the opinion of the Secretary of War shall be best adapted to ive notice of said rules and regulations to persons affected thereby and locally interested therein. And all modifications of said rules and -*0***- regulations shall be similarly published. And such rules and regulations when so prescribed and published as to any such stream or wate1·- "P"“““Y· way shall have the force of law, and any violation thereof shall be a misdemeanor, and every person convicted of such violation shall be punished by a fine of not exceeding two thousand five hundred dollars ‘nor less than five hundred dollars, or b imprisonment (in case of a natural person) for not less than thirty days nor more than one year, or by both such fine and imprisonment, in the discretion of the court: ggggim Provided, That the proper action to enforce the provisions of this ` section may be commenced before any commissioner, judge, or court ` of the United States, and such commissioner, jud e or court shall proceed in respect thereto as authorized by law in die case of crimes or - misdemeanors committed against the United States. Am°¤dm*>¤*- Sec. 3. That the right to alter, amend, or repeal this Act at any time is hereby reserved. ag’e<§¤g&¤g ¤¢¤<>¤¤¤¤· SEc._ 4. That this Act shall not, nor shall any rules or regulations ` prescribed thereunder, in any manner affect any civil action or actions eretofore commenced and now pending to recover damages claimed to have been sustained by reason of the violation of any of the terms. of said section fifteen, as originally enacted, or in violation of any other law. Approved, May 9,- 1900. May 10,1900. CHAP. 388.——An Act To authorize the construction of a bridge across the Back ’;’—"‘ Bay, at Biloxi, Mississippi. v_ · _ _ Be tt enacted by the Senateand House ¢g’Re esentattves of the United b,?§§,x{;,,c1`;‘{l§’,;g, ’§€,Y States Of América in Congress assemble , Tlgt the mayor and board, ' of aldermen of the town of Biloxi, in the State of Mississi pi, be and hereby are, authorized to construct and maintain a bridge and
