TWENTY-FIRST CONGRESS. Sess. II. Ch. 36. 1831.
447
decide upon the amount and validity of all such claims as may be pre-sented to them, and are provided for by the convention referred to, ac-cording to the merits of the several cases, and to justice, equity, and thelaw of nations, and according to the provisions of said convention.
Sec. 2. And be it further, enacted, That all records, documents, or otherpapers, which now are in, or hereafter, during the continuance of thiscommission, may come into the possession of the Department of State ,in relation to such claims, shall be delivered to the commission aforesaid.
Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That the said commissioners, or amajority of them, with their secretary, whose appointment is hereinafterprovided for, shall convene in this city on the first Monday of Aprilnext, and shall proceed to execute the duties of their commission; andthe Secretary of State shall be, and he is hereby, authorized and re-quired forthwith, after the passing of this act, to give notice of the saidintended meeting, to be published in one or more public gazettes in thecity of Washington, and in such other public papers, published elsewherein the United States , as he may designate.
Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That the said commissioners shallproceed immediately after their meeting in the city of Washington, withall convenient despatch, to arrange and docket the several claims, and toconsider the evidence which shall have been, or which may be offered bythe respective claimants, allowing such further time for the productionof such further evidence as may be required, and as they shall think rea-sonable and just; and they shall thereupon proceed to determine the saidclaims, and to award distribution of the sums to be received by theUnited States from the King of Denmark under the stipulations of theconvention aforesaid, among the several claimants according to their re-spective rights.
Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, That the said commissioners shallbe, and they are hereby, authorized and empowered to make all needfulrules and regulations, not contravening the laws of the land, the provi-sions of this act, or the provisions of the said convention, for carryingtheir said commission into full and complete effect.
Sec. 6. And be it further enacted, That the President of the UnitedStates be, and he is hereby, authorized, by and with the advice and con-sent of the Senate , to appoint a secretary to the said commission.
Sec. 7. And be it further enacted, That th.e said commissioners andsecretary shall severally take an oath for the faithful performance of theduties of their respective offices.
Sec. 8. And be it further enacted, That the compensation of the re-spective officers for whose appointment provision is made by this actshall not exceed the following sums: to each of the said commissionersat the rate of three thousand dollars per annum, and to the secretary ofthe board at the rate of two thousand dollars per annum; and the Presidentof the United States shall be, and he is hereby, authorized to make suchprovision for the contingent expenses of the said commission as shallappear to him reasonable and proper; and the said salaries and expensesshall be paid out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated.
Sec. 9. And be it further enacted, That all moneys to be received fromthe Danish government under the convention aforesaid, shall be paidinto the treasury of the United States , and shall constitute a fund forsatisfying the awards of the commission provided for by this act.
Sec. 10. And be it further enacted, That all communications to orfrom the secretary of the board of commissioners on the business ofthe commission, shall pass by mail free of postage.
Sec. 11. And be it further enacted, That as soon as the said commis-sion shall be executed and completed, the records, documents, and allother papers in the possession of the commission or its officers, shall bedeposited in the office of the Secretary of State.
Approved, February 25, 1831.
Documents.
Day of firstmeeting.
Notice thereof.
Claims to beexamined, &c.
Time for pro-ducing evi-dence.
Powers tomake rules.
Secretary.
Oath.
Compensation.
Contingent ex-penses.