LAWS

OF THE

REPUBLIC OF TEXAS.

AN ACT

Supplementary to an act, entitled an act to divide the County of Red River, and to create and establish the Counties of Bowie and Lamar.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Republic of Texas in Congress assembled, That the ninth section of the above recited act, to which this is a supplement, be so amended as to make it the duty of the 'Clerk of the County and Probate Courts of said Red River County, to transmit all the papers, of every description, to the Counties of Bowie and Lamar, which belong to said Counties according to the division as recited in the above act; any thing in the law to the contrary notwithstanding; and that this act take effect from and after its passage.

Approved, 26th Dec., 1842.

AN ACT

To designate the Southern boundary of Lamar County, and for other purposes.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Republic of Texas in Congress assembled, That the main stream, or principal south fork of the Sulphur Fork of Red River be, and is hereby declared to be the South boundary of said County.

SEC. 2. Be it further enacted, That George Wilson, Jesse

Shelton, Joel Wafer, Joseph Bowerman and Doctor John Davis, be, and they are hereby appointed, or a majority of them, to ascertain the geographical centre of said County, and proceed to denominate some two or more points, within three miles of the said centre so ascertained, having due respect to donations, that may be offered for a town site for the use of said County. The Commissioners shall then proceed to issue writs of election to the different precincts, directed to some Justice of the Peace in the same, to open and hold an election on a day named by said Commissioners, by giving ten days notice of the same, for the points in nomination; and the said Justice shall make return of said election, on the third day thereafter; and the place having the highest number of constitutional votes, shall be declared the County Seat of Lamar; and said site shall be named by said Commissioners.

SEC. 3. Be it further enacted, That said Commissioners shall proceed to lay out a town, sell lots, contract for public buildings and do all things necessary for the promotion of the interest of the County, for which service they shall be allowed three dollars per day, out of the proceeds of the sales of the County town lots.

SEC. 4. Be it further enacted, That all the records of the Courts held at said town, when the same shall be located in accordance with the provisions of this act, shall be legal and valid, any law to the contrary notwithstanding.

Approved, 26th Dec., 1842.

AN ACT

Transferring an unexpended appropriation for the contingent expenses and the pay of the seventh Congress.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Republic of Texas in Congress assembled, That four thousand eight hundred dollars of the unexpended appropriation for the protection of the trontier, placed at the disposition of the Executive by act of Congress, passed February the third, one thousand eight hundred and forty-two, be, and the same is hereby transferred and appropriated in the following manner, to wit: five hundred dollars to meet the contingent expenses of the two Houses of the seventh Congress,

and the other four thousand three hundred dollars to be pro rata distributed between the Senators and Representatives and the officers of the two Houses of the seventh Congress.

SEc. 2. Be it further enacted, That this act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.

Approved, 26th Dec., 1842.

JOINT RESOLUTION

Supplementary to a joint resolution granting further time for the payment of Government Dues, and the return of Field Notes, approved November twenty seventh, one thousand eight hundred and forty-one

SECTION 1. Be it resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Republic of Texas in Congress assembled, That the provisions of a joint resolution, approved November twenty-seventh, one thousand eight hundred and forty-one, granting further time for the payment of government dues and the return of field notes, be, and the same is hereby extended and declared in force until the first day of January, one thousand eight hundred and forty-six.

Sec. 2. Be it further enacted, That this joint resolution take effect from and after its passage.

Passed, 27th Dec., 1842.

AN ACT

To provide for collecting and conveying Indian Prisoners to the Waco village.

Whereas the Honorable Congress has recently been assured, that the different tribes of Indians have in their possession no less than eleven Texian prisoners, and that they will be brought to the Waco village on the ninth day of.February next, with the intention on the part of the Indians, to exchange them for their own people held by us as prisoners; and whereas we firmly believe that unless all the Indian prisoners, which are now

in our possession, are restored to their different tribes on the day set apart to meet them at the Waco village, that they will neither ratify the treaty of peace which has been commenced with them, nor deliver over to us our Texian brethren; the releasement of whom from Indian captivity is a matter of vital interest to their relatives as well as every feeling heart: Therefore,

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Republic of Texas in Congress assembled, That the President is hereby authorized and required to employ such person or persons, as may be necessary to collect all the Indian prisoners now in the possession of Texian citizens, or in the possession of the Lipan or Tancahua tribes of Indians; and to convey the said Indian prisoners to the Waco village, by the time set apart to conclude a treaty of peace with the different tribes of Indians on our Northern and North-Western borders.

SEC. 2. Be it further enacted, That any person or persons who shall refuse to deliver to such person or persons, as may be employed by the President, any Indian prisoner or prisoners, which he, she, or they may have in possession, shall, for each and every offence, be fined in a sum not less than five hundred, nor more than one thousand dollars, at the discretion of the court, to be recovered by motion against the offending party in the District Court, (three days previous notice being given,) or on conviction on indictment.

SEC. 3. Be it further enacted, That if any person shall refuse to deliver up such Indian prisoner or prisoners, it shall be lawful for the prisoner, or any other person for him, to apply to any District Judge, Chief Justice of the County, or Justice of the Peace, for a writ of Habeas Corpus; and if found to be an Indian prisoner, he shall be discharged from the service of the person who may detain him, or her, and placed in the custody of the person or persons, whom the President may appoint to carry out the provisions of the previous sections.

SEC. 4. Be it further enacted, That the person or persons, so employed by the President, shall, each, receive four dollars per diem, so long as he or they may reasonably be employed in collecting and conducting the Indian prisoners to the treaty ground.

SEC. 5. Be it further enacted, That the President is hereby authorized to purchase comfortable clothing, and blankets for the Indian prisoners, before they are delivered over to the different tribes; and that the sum of two thousand dollars be, and the same is hereby appropriated for that purpose, as well as for the

purpose of paying the expenses of conveying the prisoners to the Waco village; and that this act take effect from and after its passage.

Approved, 28th Dec., 1842.

AN ACT

To authorize John McMullen to order the election of County officers in the County of Bexar, and for other purposes.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rep resentatives of the Republic of Texas in Congress assembled, That during the absence of the Chief Justice of said County of Bexar, John McMullen, one of the associate Justices, be, and he is hereby authorized to do and perform all matters and things touching the duties of said Chief Justice, until the said County shall be organized.

SEC. 2. Be it further enacted, That this act shall take effect from its passage.

Approved, 29th Dec., 1842.

AN ACT

To amend an act, entitled an act to reduce into one and amend the several acts concerning executions, approved January twenty-seventh, one thousand eight hundred and forty-two.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Republic of Texas in Congress assembled, That the twenty-first section of the above recited act be so amended as to read, that the provisions of the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth sections of this act shall apply only to debts and other legal liabilities contracted and incurred prior to the first day of May, one thousand eight hundred and fortytwo, instead of March, as mentioned in said section of the above recited act.

SEC. 2. Be it further enacted, That this act shall take effect from and after its passage.

Approved, 3d Jan., 1843.