ThirtiethCongress,
SecondSession,
BE IT ENACTED
By the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress Assembled.

That the proper accounting officers of the Treasury be, and they are hereby, authorized and directed to audit and allow the claim of Lewis H. Bates and William Lacon, or either of them, for losses and damage sustained by them by the proceedings of the custom-house officers at New York, in exacting from them, upon certain importations of iron into that port, made between the first ^day^ of June, eighteen hundred and twenty-nine, and the first day of January, eighteen hundred and thirty-two, higher duties than were required by law, and in seizing and libelling some of said goods upon refusal of said Bates and Lacon to enter the same as subject to such higher duty, and for certain costs of court paid by them and not reimbursed; the sum so allowed to be paid out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated. Provided, however. That no other or greater sum is to be allowed them under this act than will reimburse to them certain costs and expenses actually, paid by, and not repaid to them, in the various suits touching said importations, and certain sums paid by them for the storage of the said goods while Kept out of their possession, and will indemnify them for the damage they sustained by the detention of the money exacted of them by the collector, over and above

---

---

the duty required by law; allowing for such detention damage not exceeding the rate of six per centum per annum, from the time it was paid by them until it was refunded.