at bottom. Wing walls and puddle. Lock. throughout; and if on excavating the scite for the said canal at the proper depth, it does not prove to be a bottom of solid rock, then the same shall be securely paved at botTo be paved tom with heavy flat stone well laid for thewhole or such part as may not be a bottom of natural rock. And the said canal shall be further secured by wing walls and puddle on the river side to prevent the water from undermining the causeway walls. There shall also be erected in said canal for the protection of said causeway, during the times of high Guard gates. freshes, two substantial guard gates, as high as the parapet wall of said causeway, one at least twenty feet above said causeway, and the other at a suitable distance below said causeway, which gates shall be connected by walls with said parapet wall, and of equal height, so as to form a complete lock, to be firmly secured at bottom, and with the usual apparatus for opening and shutting the same, to facilitate the passage of boats; and it shall be the duty of the said common council of Alexandria to provide, that always during the times of high freshes aforesaid, a careful person shall attend said gates to keep them shut, at which times they shall never be opened except for the passage of boats, and Always to be forever to keep the said lock and the said canal, in all its walls, wings, pavements, gates, and other parts in complete repair; and if the said causeway should at any time be injured in consequence of the said common council having failed to take the precautionary measures aforesaid, and to keep every part of the work done by them in good Alexandria repair, the said common council shall be liable, &c. liable to the corporation of Georgetown for Freshes. kept in re pair. Common council of be assessed. all damages said corporation may sustain by Damages to such injury, to be assessed by a jury in an action on the case, to be brought by said corporation against said common council, and it shall also be the duty of the said common council of Alexandria to erect over said canal where it shall cross the turnpike road which leads from said causeway to Alexandria, a substantial stone bridge, at least Stone bridge twenty feet wide, and to keep the same always in repair. if to be erected Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That any other of the said canals shall be cut across any public highway, that a good and Good bridges sufficient bridge shall in such place be made over highover the canal at least twenty feet wide, and ways cut by kept in constant repair by the said common council of Alexandria Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, That the the canal. aforesaid canal around the west end of the Limitation of causeway aforesaid, shall be commenced time. within two years, and shall be completed in the manner herein before provided, within five years from this time, otherwise the au thority herein given to cut said canal shall cease and determine. Common council to Sec. 6. And be it further enacted, That in case of the death, removal, or refusal to act, of any agent, the common council of Alexan supply vacan dria shall appoint another, and shall, from cies of time to time, supply vacancies that may occur, and that in all cases a majority of the agents shall be sufficient to act agents. Sec.7. And be it further enacted, That it shall Boats not to not be lawful for any boat or boats to the said canal around the western end of the of the cause pass pass the western end the canal is completed. way before said causeway, until the commissioners, or a majority of them hereinafter named, shall have certified under their hands, that according to the best of their skill and judgments, the said canal is located and cut, and the walls, wings, lock, and gates are erected and the pavement laid, and the whole work executed and completed, in every respect conformably to the directions, true intent and meaning of this act, and until the certificate signed as aforesaid shall be returned and filed in the office of the court of the county of Alexandria. missioners to inspect the work. Sec. 8. And be it further enacled, That so soon as the common council of Alexandria shall notify the President of the United President to States, that the said canal round the western appoint com- end of the causeway aforesaid is completed, and ready for the view and inspection of the commissioners, then it shall and may be law. ful for the President of the United States, and he is hereby required to appoint without delay three disinterested and skilful persons as commissioners, to go upon, view and inspect the canal and premises last aforesaid, and thereupon, if in their judgments, and not otherwise, the said canal be in all re spects executed and completed as herein directed, to certify the same and cause their certificate to be returned and filed in manner Commission- aforesaid. And that the said commissioners by the com- for so doing shall be entitled to a reasonable mon council. compensation, to be paid by the common council of Alexandria. Owners of land not to be injured, &c. Sec. 9. And be it further enacted, That the earth or other materials taken from the bed of the said canal, shall not be deposited to the injury of the owners of the lands through which the said canal may pass. H. CLAY, Speaker of the House of Representatives. WM H. CRAWFORD, June 17, 1812. JAMES MADISON. CHAPTER CII. AN ACT declaring War between the United Kingdam of Great Britain and Ireland and the dependencies thereof, and the United States of America and their territories. BE it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That war war declarbe and the same is hereby declared to exist ed. between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the dependencies thereof, and the United States of America and their territories; and that the President of President authe United States is hereby authorised thorised to to use the whole land and naval force of the United States to carry the same into effect, and to issue to private armed vessels of the United States commissions or letters of marque and general reprisal, in such form as he shall think proper, and under the seal of the United States, against the vessels, goods, and effects of the government of the wage it. said United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the subjects thereof. H. CLAY, Speaker of the House of Representatives. President of the Senate, pro tempore. June 18, 1812. APPROVED, JAMES MADISON. Officers of to pay CHAPTER CIII. AN ACT for the relief of Clement B. Penrose. BE it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the proper officers of the Treasury be, and they are hereby authorised and required, to allow and pay unto Clement B. Penrose, one of the commissioners for ascertaining the rights of persons claiming lands in the territory of Louisiana, the sum of five hundred dollars. as a full compensation for having brought to the seat of government the report of the said commissioners. H CLAY, Speaker of the House of Representatives. WM. H CRAWFORD, President of the Senate, pro tempore. June 20, 1812. APPROVED, JAMES MADISON, |