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SECOND CONGRESS.

246
S ta tu te

S ess . I.

Ch. 14, 15,16. 1792.

I.

XIV.—An supplemental to the act for making farther and mare
March 28, 1792. C hap .ual provisionAct r the protection of the frontiers of the United States. effect­
fo

[Obsolete.]
j ; e enacted by the Senate and House o f Representatives o f the
sec^s! °h 44> United States o f America in Congress assembled, That it shall be lawPresident of ful for the President of the United States, by and with the advice and
the U. s. may consent of the Senate, to appoint such number of brigadier generals as
moPremthan0tfour m be conducive to the good of the public service. Provided the
ay whole number appointed or to be appointed, shall hot exceed four.
B. Generals.
A ppr o v ed , March 28, 1792.
-----------Statute I.
April 2, 1792. C hap . X V . __An Act far finishing the Lighthouse on Baldheat} at

■
--------- ------- -

[Obsolete.]
Secretary of
Treasury to fin.
ish the light­
house on Baldhead in North
Carolina.

Statute I.
April 2, 1792.

Cape Fear river in the State of North Carolina.

Ike mouth of

Be it enacted by the Senate and House o f Representatives of the
United States o f America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary
of the Treasury, under the direction of the President of the United
States, be authorized, as soon as may be, to cause to be finished in such
manner as shall appear advisable, the lighthouse heretofore begun under
the authority of the state of North Carolina, on Baldhead at the mouth
of Cape Fear river in the said state: And that a sum, not exceeding
four thousand dollars, be appropriated for the same, out of any monies
heretofore appropriated, which may remain unexpended, after satisfying
the purposes for which they were appropriated, or out of any other
monies, which may be in the treasury, not subject to any prior appro­
priation.
A ppr o v ed , April 2, 1792.
C hap .

XVI.—An Act establishing a Mint, and regulating the Coins of the United
Staies.{a)

S ectio n 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives
o f the United States of America in Congress assembled, and it is hereby
enacted and declared, That a mint for the purpose of a national coinage
be, and the same is established; to be situate and carried on at the seat
of the government of the United States, for the time being: And that
for the well conducting of the business of the said mint, there shall be
the following officers and persons, namely,—a Director, an Assayer, a
Chief Coiner, an Engraver, a Treasurer.
Director to
S e . 2. And
enacted,
the Director of the mint
employ work­ shall cemploy as be it further workmen That servants, as he shall from
many clerks,
and
men, &c.
time to time find necessary, subject to the approbation of the President
of the United States.
S ec . 3. And be it further enacted, That the respective functions and
Mint estab­
lished at the
seat of govern­
ment.

(a) The acta establishing and regulating the mint of the United States, and for regulating coins, have
been: An act establishing a mint and regulating the coins of the United States passed April 2, 1792, chap.
16 j an act regulating foreign coins, and for other purposes, February 9, 1793, chap. 5 ; an act in altera­
tion of the act establishing a mint and regulating the coins of the United States, March 3, 1794, chap.
4; an act supplementary to the act entitled, “ An act to establish a mint and regulating the coins of the
United States,” passed March 3, 1795, chap. 47 $ an act respecting the mint, May 27, 1796, chap. 33 j an
act respecting the mint, April 24, 1800, chap. 34; an act concerning the mint, March 3, 1801, chap. 21;
an act to prolong the continuance of the mint at Philadelphia, January 14, 1818, chap. 4; an act further
to prolong the continuance of the mint at Philadelphia, March 3, 1823, chap. 42 ; an act to continue the
mint at the city of Philadelphia, and for other purposes, May 19, 1828, chap. 67 ; an act concerning the
gold coins of the United States, and for other purposes, June 28, 1834, chap. 95; an act to establish
branches of the mint of the United States, March 3, 1835, chap. 37; an act supplementary to an act
entitled, “ An act establishing a mint, and regulating the coins of the United States,” January 18, 1837,
chap. 3 ; an act to amend an act entitled, “ An act to establish branches of the mint of the United
States,” February 13, 1837, chap. 14; an act amendatory of an act establishing the branch mint at Danlonega, Georgia, and defining the duties of the assayer and coiner, February 27, 1843, chap. 46.

SECOND CONGRESS

S ess . I. C h .

16. 1792.

duties of the officers above mentioned shall be as follow: The Director
of the mint shall have the chief management of the business thereof,
and shall superintend all other officers and persons who shall be em­
ployed therein. The Assayer shall receive and give receipts for all
metals which may lawfully be brought to the mint to be coined; shall
assay all such of them as may require it, and shall deliver them to the
Chief Coiner to be coined. The Chief Coiner shall cause to be coined
all metals which shall be received by him for that purpose, according to
such regulations as shall be prescribed by this or any future law. The
Engraver shall sink and prepare the necessary dies for such coinage,
with the proper devices and inscriptions, but it shall be lawful for the
functions and duties of Chief Coiner and Engraver to be performed by
one person. The Treasurer shall receive from the Chief Coiner all the
coins which shall have been struck, and shall pay or deliver them to
the persons respectively to whom the same ought to be paid or delivered :
he shall moreover receive and safely keep all monies which shall be for
the use, maintenance and support of the mint, and shall disburse the
same upon warrants signed by the Director.
S e c . 4. And be it further enacted, That every officer and clerk of
the said mint shall, before he enters upon the execution of his office,
take an oath or affirmation before some judge of the United States
faithfully and diligently to perform ths duties thereof.
S e c . 5. And be it further enacted, That the said assayer, chief coiner
and treasurer, previously to entering upon the execution of their respec­
tive offices, shall each become bound to the United States of America,
with one or more sureties to the satisfaction of the Secretary of the
Treasury, in the sum of ten thousand dollars, with condition for the
faithful and diligent performance of the duties of his office.
S ec . 6. And be it further enacted, That there shall be allowed and
paid as compensations for their respective services—To the said direc­
tor, a yearly salary of two thousand dollars, to the said assayer, a yearly
salary of one thousand five hundred dollars, to the said chief coiner, a
yearly salary of one thousand five hundred dollars, to the said engraver, a
yearly salary of one thousand two hundred dollars, to the said treasurer,
a yearly salary of one thousand two hundred dollars, to each clerk who
may be employed, a yearly salary not exceeding five hundred dollars, and
to the several subordinate workmen and servants, such wages and allow­
ances as are customary and reasonable, according to their respective
stations and occupations.(a)
S e c . 7. And be it further enacted, That the accounts of the officers
and persons employed in and about the said mint and for services per­
formed in relation thereto, and ail other accounts concerning the business
and administration thereof, shall be adjusted and settled in the treasury
department of the United States, and a quarter yearly account of the
receipts and disbursements of the said mint shall be rendered at the said
treasury for settlement according to such forms and regulations as shall
have been prescribed by that department; and that once in each year
a report of the transactions of the said mint, accompanied by an abstract
of the settlements which shall have been from time to time made, duly
certified by the comptroller of the treasury, shall be laid before Congress
for their information.
S ec . 8. And be it further enacted, That in addition to the authority
vested in the President of the United States by a resolution of the last
session, touching the engaging of artists and the procuring of apparatus

247

Duty of the
officers.
Assayer.
Act of March
3, 1794, ch. 4,
sec. 2.
Chief Coiner.
Engraver.
Treasurer.

To take oath.
And give bond.
Act of March
3, 1794, ch. 4,
sec. 2.
Salaries.

Accounts how
and where to be
settled.

President of
U. S. to cause
buildings to be
provided.

(a) The acts relating to the salaries of the officers of the mint now in force, are: An act to continue
the mint in the city of Philadelphia, May 19,1828, chap. 67, sec. 6 ; an act supplementary to the act en­
titled, “ An act establishing a mint, and regulating the coins of the United States,” January 18, 1R37,
chap. 3, sec. 7 ; an act to establish branches of the mint of the United States, Feb. 13, 1837, chap.
14, sec. 2.

348

expense how to
be defrayed.
Species of the
coins to be
struck.
Half Eagles.
Quarter Eagles*
Dollars or
Units.
Half Dollars.
1&

Quarter Dols.

Dismes.
Half Dismes.
Cents.

Half Cents.
Act of May 8,
1792.
Of what de­
vices.

SECOND CONGRESS.

S ess . I. C h .

16. 1792.

for the said mint, the President be authorized, and he is hereby autho­
rized to cause to be provided and put in proper condition such build­
ings, and in such manner as shall appear to him requisite for the pur­
pose of carrying on the business of the said mint; and that as well the
expenses which shall have been incurred pursuant to the said resolution
as those which may be incurred in providing and preparing the said
buildings, and all other expenses which may hereafter accrue for the
maintenance and support of the said mint, and in carrying on the busi­
ness thereof, over and above the sums which may lje received by reason
of the rate per centum for coinage herein after mentioned, shall be
defrayed from the treasury of the United States, out of any monies which
from time to time shall be therein, not otherwise appropriated.
S ec. 9. And be it further enacted, That there shall be from time to
time struck and coined at the said mint, coins of gold, silver, and cop­
per, of the following denominations, values and descriptions, viz. E a g le s
— each to be of the value of ten dollars or units, and to contain two
hundred and forty-seven grains and four eighths of a grain of pure, or
two hundred and seventy grains of standard gold. H a l f E a g le s —each to
be of the value of five dollars, and to contain one hundred and twentythree grains and six eighths of a grain of pure, or one hundred and thirtyfive grains of standard gold. Q u a r t e r E a g le s —each to be of the
value of two dollars and a half dollar, and to contain sixty-one grains
and seven eighths of a grain of pure, or sixty-seven grains and four
eighths of a grain of standard gold. D o l l a r s or U n its —each to be of
the value of a Spanish milled dollar as the same is now current, and to
contain three hundred and seventy-one grains and four sixteenth parts
of a grain of pure, or four hundred and sixteen grains of standard silver.
H a l f D o l l a r s —each to be of half the value of the dollar or unit, and
to contain one hundred and eighty-five grains and ten sixteenth parts of
a grain of pure, or two hundred and eight grains of standard silver.
Q u a r t e r D o l l a r s —each to be of one fourth the value of the dollar or
unit, and to contain ninety-two grains and thirteen sixteenth parts of a
grain of pure, or one hundred and four grains of standard silver. D ism es
—each to be of the value of one tenth of a dollar or unit, and to contain
thirty-seven grains and two sixteenth parts of a grain of pure, or fortyone grains and three fifth parts of a grain of standard silver. H a l f
D ism es —each to be of the value of one twentieth of a dollar, and to con­
tain eighteen grains and nine sixteenth parts of a grain of pure, or twenty
grains and four fifth parts of a grain of standard silver. C e n ts —each
to be of the value of the one hundredth part of a dollar, and to contain
eleven penny-weights of copper. H a l f C e n ts —each to be of the value
of half a cent, and to contain five penny-weights and half a penny-weight
of copper, (a)
S ec . 10. A nd be it further enacted, That, upon the said coins respect­
ively, there shall be the following devices and legends, namely: Upon
one side of each of the said coins there shall be an impression emblematic
of liberty, with an inscription of the word Liberty, and the year of the
coinage; and upon the reverse of each of the gold and silver coins there
shall be the figure or representation of an eagle, with this inscription,
“ U n it e d S t a t e s of A m e r ic a ” and upon the reverse of each of the
copper coins, there shall be an inscription which shall express the deno­
mination of the piece, namely, cent or half cent, as the case may require.
S e c . 11. And be it further enacted, That the proportional value of
gold to silver in all coins which shall by law be current as money within

(a) The acts regulating the gold and silver coins of the United States, are : An act establishing a mint
and regulating the coins of the United States, April 2, 1792, chap. 16, sec. 9; an act concerning the gold
coins of the United States, and for other purposes, June 28, 1834, chap. 9; an act supplementary to the
act entitled, “ An act to establish a mint, and regulating the coins of the United States January 18 1837.
chap. 3, sec. S, 9, 10.
1 ’ '

SECOND CONGRESS.

S ess . I.

Ch. 16. 1792.

249

the United States, shall be as fifteen to one, according to quantity in Proportional
weight, of pure gold or pure silver; that is to say, every fifteen pounds value of gold to
weight of pure silver shall be of equal value in all payments, with one silver.
pound weight of pure gold, and so in proportion as to any greater or
less quantities of the respective metals.(a)
S ec . 12. And be it further enacted, That the standard for all gold
Standard for
coins of the United States shall be eleven parts fine to one part alloy; gold coins, and
alloy how to be
and accordingly that eleven parts in twelve of the entire weight of each
of the said coins shall consist of pure gold, and the remaining one regulated.
twelfth part of alloy ; and the said alloy shall be composed of silver and
copper, in such proportions not exceeding one half silver as shall be
found convenient; to be regulated by the director of the mint, for the
time being, with the approbation of the President of the United States,
until further provision shall be made by law. And to the end that the
necessary information may be had in order to the making of such further
provision, it shall be the duty of the director of the mint, at the expiration Director to
of a year after commencing the operations of the said mint, to report to report the prac­
mint
Congress the practice thereof during the said year, touching the com­ tice of thethe
position of ^he alloy of the said gold coins, the reasons for such prac­ touching gold
alloy of
tice, and the experiments and observations which shall have been made
concerning the effects of different proportions of silver and copper in the
said alloy.(6)
S e c . 13. And be it further enacted, That the standard for all silver
Standard for
silver coins—
coins of the United States, shall be one thousand four hundred and alloy how to be
eighty-five parts fine to one hundred and seventy-nine parts alloy; and regulated.
accordingly that one thousand four hundred and eighty-five parts in one
thousand six hundred and sixty-four parts of the entire weight of each
of the said coins shall consist of pure silver, and the remaining one
hundred and seventy-nine parts of alloy; which alloy shall be wholly of
Alloy.
copper.(e)
S ec . 14. And be it further enacted, That it shall be lawful for any Persona may
person or persons to bring to the said mint gold and silver bullion, in bring gold and
order to their being coined; and that the bullion so brought shall be silver bullion,
coined
there assayed and coined as speedily as maybe after the receipt thereof, to be expense;
free of
and that free of expense to the person or persons by whom the same shall
have been brought. And as soon as the said bullion shall have been
coined, the person or persons by whom the same shall have been de­
livered, shall upon demand receive in lieu thereof coins of the same Act of April
species of bullion which shall have been so delivered, weight for weight, 24,1800, ch. 34.
of the pure gold or pure silver therein contained : Provided neverthe­ how the director
less, That it shall be at the mutual option of the party or parties bring­ may exchange
ing such bullion, and of the director of the said mint, to make an coins therefor,
immediate exchange of coins for standard bullion, with a deduction of deducting half
per cent.
one half per cent, from the weight of the pure gold, or pure silver con­
tained in the said bullion, as an indemnification to the mint for the time
which will necessarily be required for coining the said bullion, and for
the advance which shall have been so made in coins. And it shall be Duty of Sec­
the duty of the Secretary of the Treasury to furnish the said mint from retary of Treas­
time to time whenever the state of the treasury will admit thereof, with ury herein.
such sums as may be necessary for effecting the said exchanges, to be
replaced as speedily as may be out of the coins which shall have been
made of the bullion for which the monies so furnished shall have been The half per
exchanged; and the said deduction of one half per cent, shall constitute cent, to consti­
a fund towards defraying the expenses of the said mint.
tute a fund, &c.
S ec . 15. And be it farther enacted, That the bullion which shall be Order of de­
brought as aforesaid to the mint to be coined, shall be coined, and the livering coins to
equivalent thereof in coins rendered, if demanded, in the order in which persons bring­
ing bullion, and
(a) See note to section 9.
V ol . I.— 32

(6) See note to section 9.

(e) See note to section 9.

250

SECOND CONGRESS.

S ess . I. C h .

16. 1792.

the said bullion shall have been brought or delivered, giving priority
according to priority of delivery only, and without preference to any
person or persons; and if any preference shall be given contrary to the
direction aforesaid, the officer by whom such undue preference shall be
given, shall in each case forfeit and pay one thousand dollars; to be
recovered with costs of suit. And to the end that it may be known if
such preference shall at any time be given, the assayer or officer to whom
the said bullion shall be delivered to be coined, shall give to the person
or persons bringing the same, a memorandum in writing under his hand,
denoting the weight, fineness and value thereof, together with the day
and order of its delivery into the mint.
S e c . 16. And be it further enacted. That all the gold and silver coins
Coins made a
lawful tender, which shall have been struck at, and issued from the said mint, shall be
a lawful tender in all payments whatsoever, those of full weight accord­
ing to the respective values herein before declared, and those of less
than full weight at values proportional to their respective weights.
S ec . 17. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of the
and to be made
conformable to respective officers of the said mint, carefully and faithfully to use their
the standard best endeavours that all the gold and silver coins which shall be struck
weights, &c.
at the said mint shall be, as nearly as may be, conformable to the several
standards and weights aforesaid, and that the copper whereof the cents
and half cents aforesaid may be composed, shall be of good quality.
S e c . 18. And the better to secure a due conformity of the said gold
The Treasurer
to reserve not and silver coins to their respective standards, Be it further enacted,
less than three That from every separate mass of standard gold or silver, which shall
pieces or each
be made into coins at the said mint, there shall be taken, set apart by
coin to be
assayed;
the treasurer and reserved in his custody a certain number of pieces,
not less than three, and that once in every year the pieces so set apart
when and by and reserved, shall be assayed under the inspection of the Chief Justice
whom, &c.
of the United States, the Secretary and Comptroller of the Treasury,
the Secretary for the department of State, and the Attorney General of
the United States, (who are hereby required to attend for that purpose
at the said mint, on the last Monday in July in each year,) or under the
inspection of any three of them, in such manner as they or a majority
of them shall direct, and in the presence of the director, assayer and
chief coiner of the said mint; and if it shall be found that the gold and
silver so assayed, shall not be inferior to their respective standards here­
in before declared more than one part in one hundred and forty-four
parts, the officer or officers of the said mint whom it may concern shall
be held excusable; but if any greater inferiority shall appear, it shall be
certified to the President of the United States, and the said officer or
officers shall be deemed disqualified to hold their respective offices.
S e c . 19. And be it further enacted, That if any of the gold or silver
Penalty on
debasing the coins which shall be struck or coined at the said mint shall be debased
coins.
or made worse as to the proportion of fine gold or fine silver therein
contained, or shall be of less weight or value than the same ought to be
pursuant to the directions of this act, through the default or with the
connivance of any of the officers or persons who shall be employed at
the said mint, for the purpose of profit or gain, or otherwise with a
fraudulent intent, and if any of the said officers or persons shall embezzle
any of the metals which shall at any time be committed to their charge
for the purpose of being coined, or any of the coins which shall be struck
or coined at the said mint, every such officer or person who shall com­
mit any or either of the said offences, shall be deemed guilty of felony,
and shall suffer death.
Money of ac­
S ec. 20. And be it further enacted, That the money of account of
count to be ex­ the United States shali be expressed in dollars or units, dismes or tenths,
pressed in dol­
cents or hundredths, and milles or thousandths, a disme being the tenth
lars, &c.
part of a dollar, a cent the hundredth part of a dollar, a mille the thou­

penalty on giv­
ing undue pre­
ference, &c.
Act of March
3, 1795, ch. 86.

SECOND CONGRESS.

S ess .

I. Ch. 17, 18. 1792.

251

sandth part of a dollar, and that all accounts in the public offices and
all proceedings in the courts of the United States shall be kept and had
in conformity to this regulation.
A ppr o v ed , April 2, 1792.

I.
C hap. XVII.—Jin Act supplementary to the act fo r the establishment and support April 12,1792.
o f lighthouses, beacons, buoys, and public piers.
S e c tio n 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House o f Representor Expenses of
tives o f the United States of America in Congress assembled, That all beacons, &c. to
be borne till
expenses which shall accrue from the first day of July next, inclusively, July 1793.
S ta tu te

for the necessary support, maintenance, and repairs of all lighthouses,
beacons, buoys, the stakeage of channels, on the sea-coast, and public
piers, shall continue to be defrayed by the United States, until the first
day of July, in the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety-three,
notwithstanding such lighthouses, beacons, or public piers, with the
lands and tenements thereunto belonging, and the jurisdiction of the
same, shall not in the mean time be ceded to, or vested in the United
States, by the state or states respectively, in which the same may be,
and that the said time be further allowed, to the states respectively to
make such cession.
S ec . 2. And be it further enacted, That the secretary of the treasury
be authorized to cause to be provided, erected, and placed, a floating
beacon, and as many buoys, as may be necessary for the security of
navigation, at and near the entrance of the harbor of Charleston, in the
state of South Carolina. And also to have affixed three floating beacons
in the bay of Chesapeak; one at the north end of Willoughby’s
Spit, another at the tail of the Horse Shoe; and the third on the
shoalest place of the middle ground.
A ppr o v ed , April 12, 1792.

1793, ch. 27.

Floating beacons to be
placed at
Charleston har­
bor and Choaapeak bay.

I.
April 12, 1792.
S ta tu te

C hap . XVIII.- —Jln Met to erect a Lighthouse on Montok P oint in the state nf New
York.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives o f the
United States o f America in Congress assembled, That as soon as the
jurisdiction of such land on Montok Point in the state of New York
as the President of the United States shall deem sufficient and most
proper for the convenience and accommodation of a lighthouse shall
have been ceded to the United States it shall be the duty of the secre­
tary of the treasury, to provide by contract which shall be approved by
the President of the United States, for building a lighthouse thereon,
and for furnishing the same with all necessary supplies, and also to agree
for the salaries or wages of the person or persons who may be appointed
by the President for the superintendence and care of the same; and
the President is hereby authorized to make the said appointments. That
the number and disposition of the lights in the said lighthouse shall be
such as may tend to distinguish it from others, and as far as is practi­
cable, prevent mistakes.
A p p r o v e d , April 12, 1792.

Lighthouse on
certain condi­
tions to be
built on Mon­
tok Point in
State of N. Y.

The following act of Congress, although strictly a private act, has application to so large a body of
lands in the state of Ohio, as to justify its insertion in the form of a note.
An act fo r ascertaining the Bounds of a Tract of I.and purchased by John Cleves Synanes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress
assembled. That the President of the United States be and he hereby is authorized at the request or John
Cleves Symmea, or bis agent or agents, to alter the contract made between the late board ot treasury
and the said John Cleves Symmcs, for the sale of a tract of land of one m illio n of acres, m such manner
that the said tract may extend from the mouth of the Great Miami, to the mouth of the Little Miami, and