TWENTY-EIGHTH CONGRESS. Sess.I. Ch.52,53. 1844.

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Chap. LII._ An Act to establish a navy yard and depot at or adjacent to the city

of Memphis, on the Mississippi river, in the Slate of Tennessee . («)

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of theUnited States of America in Congress assembled, That the Presidentof the United States be, and he is hereby, authorized to select and pur-chase a site for a navy yard and depot at the city of Memphis , in theState of Tennessee , and to erect such buildings and make such im-provements thereon as may be necessary for the construction and repair,and for the accommodation and supply, of vessels of war of the UnitedStates ; and that the President be authorized and empowered to pur-chase any water rights which may be required to propel the machineryappertaining to said navy yard, or which may be useful in the operationsof said navy yard; and that he be further empowered to receive anydonations of lands, water rights, or rights of way, which the authoritiesof the city of Memphis , or any other body corporate, or any person orpersons, may deem proper to make or grant to the Government of theUnited States ; and that the sum of one hundred thousand dollars beappropriated to the objects aforesaid, out of any money in the Treasurynot otherwise appropriated.

Approved, June 15, 1844.

Chap. LIII. — An Act for the relief of the widows and orphans of the officers, sea-men and marines of the United States schooner Grampus, and for other pur-poses.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of theUnited States of America in Congress assembled, That for the purposeof fixing the time at which shall commence the pensions, under theexisting laws, of the widows of the officers, seamen, and marines, whowere lost in the United States schooner Grampus, as well as the time towhich the pay of said officers, seamen, and marines, shall be allowed,the twentieth day of March, one thousand eight hundred and forty-three,shall be deemed and taken to be the day on which the said schoonerGrampus foundered at sea : and that, for the like purposes, the first dayof May, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-nine, shall be deemedand taken to be the day on which the United States schooner Sea Gullwas lost in like manner.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That if any of the said officers,seamen, or marines, shall have left no widow, or having left a widowshe shall have died before the passage of this act, and there shall beliving at the date of the passage of this act, a child or children of saidofficers, seamen, or marines, under sixteen years of age, such child orchildren shall be entitled to the same pension to which the widow, hadtnere been one as aforesaid, would have been entitled, for the like pe-riod of five years; but in case of the death or intermarriage of the widowbefore the expiration of the said term of five years, the said pension forthe remainder of the said term, shall go to the child or children of thesaid deceased officer, seamen, or marine: Provided, That such pensionshall cease upon the death of such child or children.

Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That the proper accounting officersof the Treasury Department be, and hereby are, authorized and directedto settle the accounts of James S. Thacher, late purser in the navy, whowas lost in said schooner Grampus, with all his accounts, and vouchersfor expenditures and payments made by him, and with all the money,

Statute I.June 15,1844.

President toselect and pur-chase a site,erect buildings,&c.

Appropriation.

Statute I.June 15, 1844.

For fixing timeof pensions,&c.

March 20,1848, to be con-sidered the daythe Grampusfoundered; andMay 1, 1839, asthe day on■which the SeaGull was lost.

If there is no■widow, but chil-dren under 16,they are to havethe pension.

n case of deathor marriage ofwidow, pensionto go to chil-dren.

Proviso.

J.S.Thacher’saccounts to besettled, &c.

(a) An act authorizing an examination and survey of the harbor of Memphis, in Tennessee ; March 3,1843, chap. 93.

A resolution to suspend a part of the third section of the joint resolution of 11th Sept. 1841. relating toarmories; Feb. 13, 1845,

Vol. V.—84

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