Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 9.djvu/213

Cl`WENTY-NINTH CONGRESS. Sess. II. Ch. 62. 1847. 187 Can. LXH.—-Jin .6lct providing for the Building and Equipment of four March 3, 1847. naval Stcamships. -—-—-—-——· Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Fourtirsteclau United States of America in Congress assembled, That the President g2??:;? '·°uib° of the United States be, and he is hereby, authorized to cause to be Pegg, eq P built and equipped four tirst-class sea-going steamships, to be attached to the navy of the United States, and that one million of dollars be, and is hereby, appropriated for that purpose, to be paid out of any Appropriation. money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated. Sec. 2. And be it fiarther enacted, That from and immediately Secretary or after the passage of this act, it shall be the duty of the Secretary of §1;'Yn:° S:f:°g; the Navy to accept, on the part of the government of the United digging 5; States, the proposals of E. K. Collins and his associates, of the city C°_· l`°¢ *¤¤§y°¤’· of New York, submitted to the Postmaster-General, and dated Wash- ington, March sixth, eighteen hundred and forty-six, for the transpor- and Liverpool. tation of the United States mail between New York and Liverpool, and to contract with the said E. K. Collins and his associates for the faithful fulfilment of the stipulations therein contained, and in accordance with the provisions of this act. Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That the steamships to be em- $¤¤¤m=hip¤— ployed by the said E. K. Collins and his associates in the transporta- ggxcgd l§c_°°"' tion of the United State mail between New York and Liverpool shall ’ be constructed under the inspection of a naval constructor in the employ of the Navy Department, and shall be so constructed as to render them convertible, at the least possible cost, into war steamers of the first class; and that each of said steamers shall receive on board Each steamship four passed midshipmen of the United States navy, who shall serve as {.°°°l'° °g watch officers, and be suitably accommodated without charge to the miahigggugd government; and the said steamers shall also receive on board and Bmail agent. accommodate, without charge to the government, one agent, to be appointed by the Postmaster-General, who shall have charge of the mails to be transported in said steamships. Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That from and immediately alter S¢¤*‘°l·¤¤' °Y the passage of this act, it shall be the duty of the Secretary of the ggyz Navy to contract, on the part of the government of the United States, for transportation with A. G. Sloo, of Cincinnati, for the transportation of the United §c:‘°‘§,:’::"';:§ States mail from New York to New Orleans, twice a month and back, N, 0,],,,,,, gw_ touching at Charleston, (if practicable,) Savannah, and Havana; and from Havana to Ch es and back, twice a month. The said mail to From Havana be transported in asldast five steamships of not less than fifteen hun- *°`%l;l°€':;· _ dred tons burden, and propelled by engines of not less than one thou- q,,,, it- :33 sand horse power each, to be constructed under the superintendence Ships ¤h¤11 bc and direction of a naval constructor in the employ of the Navy De- f,;",§f,f',f,‘3,:,un,;,“,;' partment, and to be so constructed as to render them convertible, at I the least possible expense, into war steamers of the first class; and that the said steamships shall be commanded by omcers of the United States navy not below the grade of lieutenant, who shall be selected by the contractor, with the approval and consent of the Secretary of the Navy, and who shall be suitably accommodated without charge to the government. Each of said steamers shall receive on board four Each or ma passed midshipmen of the United States navy, who shall serve as lic'? watch officers, and be suitably accommodated without charge to the {qu; ,,,,:1,,,; QQ_ government; and each of the said steamers shall also receiveon board •¤ip¤¤¢n wl n and accommodate, without charge to the government, one agent, to m"l“g°"" be appointed by the Postmaster-General, who shall have charge of the mails to be transported in said steamers: Provided, The Secretaryof Promo. the Navy may, at his discretiongpermit a steamer of not less than six hundred tons burden, and engines in proportion, to be employed in