CONGRESS, U. S. 





be constitutionally inflicted, in a different form, for the 

 same offence. 



With great respect I am constrained to sav I think 

 this feature of the act is unconstitutional. It would 

 not be difficult to modify it. 



I may remark that the provision of the Constitution, 

 put in language borrowed from Great Britain, applies 

 only in this country, as I understand, to real or landed 

 estate. 



Again, this act, inrem, forfeits property for the in- 

 gredients of treason without a conviction of the sup- 

 posed criminal, or a personal hearing given him in any 

 proceeding. That we may not touch property lying 

 within our reach, because we cannot give personal 

 notice to an owner who_ is absent endeavoring to de- 

 stroy the Government, is certainly satisfactory. Still, 

 the owner may not be thus engaged ; and T think a 

 reasonable time should be provided for such parties to 

 appear and have personal hearings. Similar provisions 

 are not uncommon in connection with proceedings in 

 rem. 



For the reasons stated, I return the bill to the House 

 in which it originated. 



Some of the acts of a general nature passed 

 at this session of Congress, provided for the 

 following purposes : 



The number of members of the House of 

 Kepresentatives was fixed at two hundred and 

 forty-one. Eight additional members were as- 

 signed, one each to Pennsylvania, Ohio, Ken- 

 tucky, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Vermont, and 

 Rhode Island. 



The following additional article of war was 

 adopted for the government of the army and 

 navy: 



ARTICLE. All officers or persons in the military or 

 naval service of the United States are prohibited from 

 employing any of the forces under their respective 

 commands for "the purpose of returning fugitives from 

 service or labor, who may have escaped from any 

 persons to whom such service or labor is claimed to 

 De due, and any officer who shall be found guilty by 

 a court martial of violating this article shall be dis- 

 missed from the service. 



The act for the abolition of slavery in the 

 District of Columbia emancipated all persons 

 of African descent held to service in the Dis- 

 Btrict immediately upon its passage ; loyal own- 

 ers of slaves only were allowed ninety days to 

 prepare and present to commissioners appoint- 

 ed for that purpose the names, ages, and person- 

 al description of their slaves, who were to be 

 valued by the commissioners. No single slave 

 could be estimated to be worth more than three 

 hundred dollars. The amount of these claims 

 was to be paid to each owner after the final 

 report of the commissioners at the end of nine 

 months. One million of dollars was appro- 

 priated to carry the act into effect. The sum 

 of one hundred thousand dollars was appro- 

 priated to colonize any of the liberated slaves, 

 who might desire to go to Hayti, Liberia, or any 

 country beyond the limits of the United States, 

 as the President might select. 



A department of agriculture was established, 

 the design and duties of which are to acquire 

 and to diffuse among the people of the United 

 States useful information on subjects connected 

 with agriculture in the most general and com- 

 prehensive sense of that word, and to procure, 



propagate, and distribute among the people 

 new and valuable seeds and plants. 



A commissioner, with a salary of three thou- 

 sand dollars, and a chief clerk, with a salary of 

 two thousand dollars, are the officers of the de- 

 partment. 



An act to secure homesteads to actual settlers 

 on the public domain, provides that any loyal 

 citizen of twenty-one years of age or upward, 

 or one who has filed his intention to become a 

 citizen, may enter one quarter section or a less 

 quantity of unappropriated public land upon 

 which such persons may have filed a preemp- 

 tion claim, or is subject to preemption. The 

 applicant must file an affidavit that the said 

 entry is made for actual settlement and culti- 

 vation, and not for the use or benefit of any 

 other person. Xo certificate is given or patent 

 issued until the land has been occupied and cul- 

 tivated for five years by the applicant. Xo 

 land thus acquired can become liable for the 

 satisfaction of any debt contracted previous to 

 the issue of the patent. No individual can ac- 

 quire title to more than one quarter section 

 under the act. 



An act was passed to provide for the con- 

 struction of a railroad and telegraph line from 

 the Missouri river to the Pacific Ocean. 



The following sections of an act to punish 

 and prevent the practice of polygamy in the 

 Territories of the United States, &c., were en- 

 acted : 



The first section punishes with a fine of five 

 hundred dollars and imprisonment not exceed- 

 ing five years, any person convicted of bigamy 

 in any Territory of the United States. 



SEC. 2. And It it further enacted, That the following 

 ordinance of the provisional government of the State 

 of Deseret, so called, namely : " An ordinance incor- 



orating the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day 

 aints," passed February eight, in the year eighteen 

 hundred and fifty-one, and adopted, retnacted, and 

 made valid by the Governor and Legislative Assembly 

 of the Territory of Utah by an act passed January 

 nineteen, in the year eighteen hundred and fifty-five, 

 entitled "An act "in relation to the compilation and re- 

 vision of the laws and resolutions in force in Utah 

 Territory, their publication, and distribution," and all 

 other acts and parts of acts heretofore passed by the 

 said Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Utah, 

 which establish, support, maintain, shield, or counte- 

 nance polygamy, be, and the same hereby are, disap- 

 proved and annulled : Provided, That this act shall 

 be so limited and construed as not to affect or inter- 

 fere with the right of property legally acquired under 

 the ordinance heretofore mentioned, nor with the 

 right " to worship God according to the dictates of 

 conscience," but only to annul all acts and laws which 

 establish, maintain, protect, or countenance the prac- 

 tice of polygamy, evasively called spiritual marriage, 

 however disguised by legal or ecclesiastical solemni- 

 ties, sacraments, ceremonies, consecrations, or other 

 contrivances. 



SEC. 3. And be U further enacted, That it shall not 

 be lawful for any corporation or association for reli- 

 gious or charitable purposes to acquire or hold real 

 estate in any Territory of the United States during the 

 existence of the territorial government of a greater 

 value than fifty thousand dollars ; and all real estate 

 acquired or held by any such corporation or associa- 

 tion contrary to the'provisions of this act shall be for- 

 feited and escheat to the United States; Provided, 



