Papers Of Abraham Lincoln

THIRTIETH CONGRESS—FIRST SESSION.
H. R. 163.
(Report No. 163.)
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
February 3, 1848.
Read twice, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House to-morrow.
Mr. Wilmot, from the Committee of Claims, reported the following bill:
A BILL
For the relief of Lyon and Howard..

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12 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives of the United States of America in Congress
assembled, That the Solicitor of the Treasury is hereby
authorized and directed to ascertain by legal evidence the
original value of the steam dredging machine that was
built at Whitehall, New York, by Messrs. Lyon and How-
ard, and delivered to the United States in June, eighteen
hundred and thirty-seven; and if the value of said ma-
chine was greater than the amount paid to said Lyon and
Howard by the government, then, and in that case the Sec-
retary of the Treasury is hereby directed to pay to said
Lyon and Howard such sums of money as, when added

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7 to the sum of ten thousand dollars already paid, shall to-
gether equal such value.
Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That the Solici-
tor of the Treasury is, in like manner, authorized and di-
rected to ascertain the balance which would be due Messrs.
Lyon and Howard over and above the sums already paid
for the construction and delivery to the United States
government, in the summer of eighteen hundred and thir-
thirty-six, of four steam dredging machines, to be employ-
ed in the excavation of the Hudson river, according to the
contract made and entered into between the said Lyon and
Howard and the government of the United States, and re-
cited in the bond of said Lyon and Howard and Francis
Seger and Matthias J. Bovee, dated the eighth of Decem-
ber, eighteen hundred and thirty-six, now on the files of
the War Department; and the Secretary of the Treasury
is hereby directed to pay the balance thus found to be
equitably due the said Lyon and Howard.
tor of the Treasury is hereby, in like manner, authorized
and directed to ascertain the balance which would be due
said Lyon and Howard under their contract with the Uni-
ted States, dated fifteenth of October, eighteen hundred and
thirty-six, for the construction of a dredging machine, and
the Secretary of the Treasury is hereby directed to pay

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10 to said Lyon and Howard the balance thus ascertained to
be equitably due.
tor of the Treasury, in settling the aforesaid claims, is
hereby authorized, if in his opinion the ends of justice will
be promoted thereby, to unite with said Lyon and Howard
in taking testimony by commission or de bene esse, agree-
ably to the laws of the State of New York; and, in case
of the death of material witnesses, he is hereby authorized
to receive in evidence such depositions or certificates as
have been made by the agents of the United States govern-
ment, or procured at their instance.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Repre- sentatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Solicitor of the Treasury is hereby authorized and directed to ascertain by legal evidence the original value of the steam dredging machine that was built at Whitehall, New York, by Messrs. Lyon and How- ard, and delivered to the United States in June, eighteen hundred and thirty-seven; and if the value of said ma- chine was greater than the amount paid to said Lyon and Howard by the government, then, and in that case the Sec- retary of the Treasury is hereby directed to pay to said Lyon and Howard such sums of money as, when added
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13 14 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 1 2 3 4 5 6 7	to the sum of ten thousand dollars already paid, shall to- gether equal such value. Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That the Solici- tor of the Treasury is, in like manner, authorized and di- rected to ascertain the balance which would be due Messrs. Lyon and Howard over and above the sums already paid for the construction and delivery to the United States government, in the summer of eighteen hundred and thir- thirty-six, of four steam dredging machines, to be employ- ed in the excavation of the Hudson river, according to the contract made and entered into between the said Lyon and Howard and the government of the United States, and re- cited in the bond of said Lyon and Howard and Francis Seger and Matthias J. Bovee, dated the eighth of Decem- ber, eighteen hundred and thirty-six, now on the files of the War Department; and the Secretary of the Treasury is hereby directed to pay the balance thus found to be equitably due the said Lyon and Howard. Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That the Solici- tor of the Treasury is hereby, in like manner, authorized and directed to ascertain the balance which would be due said Lyon and Howard under their contract with the Uni- ted States, dated fifteenth of October, eighteen hundred and thirty-six, for the construction of a dredging machine, and the Secretary of the Treasury is hereby directed to pay
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8 9 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10	to said Lyon and Howard the balance thus ascertained to be equitably due. Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That the Solici- tor of the Treasury, in settling the aforesaid claims, is hereby authorized, if in his opinion the ends of justice will be promoted thereby, to unite with said Lyon and Howard in taking testimony by commission or de bene esse, agree- ably to the laws of the State of New York; and, in case of the death of material witnesses, he is hereby authorized to receive in evidence such depositions or certificates as have been made by the agents of the United States govern- ment, or procured at their instance.