FORTYEIGHTH CONGRESS. Sess. I. Gus. 221, 222. 1884. 119 ing of those documents; and wherever in title forty-eight or fifty- of the R- S-, TWG A8, Revised Statutes any of the aboved-named documents are required to gg5g&$· S·· T‘*1° be_surrendered or returned to the Register of the Treasury, Such t0- butigs dgvolvquxrement is hereby repealed, and such documents shall be surrendered ing upon Register and re·turued to the Commissioner of Navigation. Said C0mmiSSi0I161‘ 9f T\'°¤¤¤1'5f 1‘¢[¤*· shall have charge of all similar documents now in the keeping of the Fi t° “,?"‘g“({‘£“ Register of the Treasury, and shall perform all the duties hibh6I‘t0 dc- (?0,:1},)$S;i?,€,!;1: 0}} volved upon said Register relating to navigation. Navigation. Sec. That the Commissioner of Navigation shall be charged with the Duties. supervision of the laws relating to the admeasuremeut of vessels, and the assigning of signal letters thereto, and of designating their official number; and on all questions of interpretation growing out of the execution of the laws relating to these subjects, and relating to the collection of tonnage tax, and to the refund of such tax when collected erroneously or illegally, his decision shall be final. Sec. 4. That the Commissioner of Navigation shall annually prepare and publish a list of vessels of the United States belonging to the commercial marine, specifying the official number, signal letters, names, rig, tonnage, home port, and place and date of building of evry vessel, distinguishing in such list sailing-vessels from such as may be propelled by steam or other motive power. He shall also report annually to the T¤ ¤¤¤k<= ¤¤r>¤¤‘¤ Secretary of the Treasury the increase of vessels of the United States, m“:}1,{.t:°“S°°” by building or otherwise, specifying their number, rig, and motive power. m' He shall also investigate the operations of the laws relative to navigation, and annually report to the Secretary of the Treasury such particulars as muy, in his judgment, admit of improvement or may require amendment. Sm:. 5. That the Commissioner of Navigation shall, under the direc- Empowered to tion of the Secretary of the Treasury, be empowered to change the ching ¤=¤¤¤¤ of names of vessels of the United States, under such restrictions as may "°'“° ·°“· have been or shall be prescribed by act of Congress. Sec. 6. That the Commissioner of Navigation shall be appointed by the Appointment of President of the United States, by and with the advice and consent of C¤¤1¤¤i¤¤i¤¤¤¤‘· the Senate, and shall receive a salary of four thousand dollars per an- Salary. num. And the Secretary of the Treasury shall have power to transfer Clerk,etc.;tr:msfrom existing Bureaus or divisions of the Treasury one clerk, to be des- f¤r<>£ }¤]>¤d¤1·¤¤:~* i gnated as deputy commissioner of navigation, to act with the full powers °°““’“°°*°“°‘· of said Commissioner during his temporary absence from his omcial duty for any cause, and such additional clerks as he may consider necessary to the successful operation of the Bureau of Navigation, without impairing the efliciency of the Bureaus or divisions whence such clerks may be transferred Sec. 7. That this act shall be in force and take effect on and alter July tirst, eighteen hundred and eighty-four. Approved, July 5, 1884. CHAP. 222.-An act to relieve certain soldiers from the charge of desertion. July 5, 1884- Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the charge of desertion §<{:<g;¤¤ ¤!¤¤rz¤¤ now standing on the rolls and records in the Office of the Adjutant Gen- °f_ 3Q3a;;: eral of the United States against any soldier who served in the late ’ war in the volunteer service shall be removed in all cases where it shall be made to appear to the satistactiou of the Secretary of War, from such rolls and records, or from other satisfactory testimony, that any ' such soldier served faithfully until the expiration of his term of enlistment, or until the ilrst day of May, anno Domini eighteen hundred and sixty tive, having previously served six months or more, or was prevented from completing his term of service by reason of wounds received or disease contracted in the line of duty, but who, by reason of absence
