United States Statutes at Large/Volume 1/1st Congress

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The First United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met from March 4, 1789 to March 3, 1791, during the first two years of the first administration of U.S. President George Washington, first at Federal Hall at 26 Wall Street in New York City and later at Congress Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

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214330United States Statutes at Large, Volume 1 — Public Acts of the First CongressUnited States Congress

1st Session

Public Laws

THE

LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES.

ACTS OF THE FIRST CONGRESS

of the

UNITED STATES,

Passed at the first session, which was begun and held at the City of New York on Wednesday, March 4, 1789, and continued to September 29, 1789.

George Washington, President, John Adams, Vice President of the United States, and President of the Senate, Frederick Augustus Muhlenberg, Speaker of the House of Representatives.

	Chapter	Title	Date
1	Chapter I.	An Act to regulate the Time and Manner of administering certain Oaths.	June 1, 1789
2	Chapter II.	An Act for laying a Duty on Goods, Wares, and Merchandises imported into the United States.	July 4, 1789
3	Chapter III.	An Act imposing Duties on Tonnage.	July 20, 1789
4	Chapter IV.	An Act for establishing an Executive Department, to be denominated the Department of Foreign Affairs.	July 27, 1789
5	Chapter V.	An Act to regulate the Collection of the Duties imposed by law on the tonnage of ships or vessels, and on goods, wares and merchandises imported into the United States.	July 31, 1789
6	Chapter VI.	An Act for settling the Accounts between the United States and individual States.	Aug. 5, 1789
7	Chapter VII.	An Act to establish an Executive Department, to be denominated the Department of War.	Aug. 7, 1789
8	Chapter VIII.	An Act to provide for the Government of the Territory North-west of the river Ohio.	Aug. 7, 1789
9	Chapter IX.	An Act for the establishment and support of Lighthouses, Beacons, Buoys, and Public Piers.	Aug. 7, 1789
10	Chapter X.	An Act providing for the Expenses which may attend negotiations or Treaties with the Indian Tribes, and the appointment of Commissioners for managing the same.	Aug. 20, 1789
11	Chapter XI.	An Act for Registering and Clearing Vessels, Regulating the Coasting Trade, and for other purposes.	Sept. 1, 1789
12	Chapter XII.	An Act to establish the Treasury Department.	Sept. 2, 1789
13	Chapter XIII.	An Act for establishing the Salaries of the Executive Officers of Government, with their Assistants and Clerks.	Sept. 11, 1789
14	Chapter XIV.	An Act to provide for the safe-keeping of the Acts, Records and Seal of the United States, and for other purposes.	Sept. 15, 1789
15	Chapter XV.	An Act to suspend part of an Act, intituled “An Act to regulate the collection of the Duties imposed by Law on the Tonnage of Ships or Vessels, and on Goods, Wares, and Merchandises, imported into the United States,” and for other purposes.	Sept. 16, 1789
16	Chapter XVI.	An Act for the temporary establishment of the Post-Office.	Sept. 22, 1789
17	Chapter XVII.	An Act for allowing Compensation to the Members of the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States, and to the Officers of both Houses.	Sept. 22, 1789
18	Chapter XVIII.	An Act for allowing certain Compensation to the Judges of the Supreme and other Courts, and to the Attorney General of the United States.	Sept. 23, 1789
19	Chapter XIX.	An Act for allowing a Compensation to the President and Vice President of the United States.	Sept. 24, 1789
20	Chapter XX.	An Act to establish the Judicial Courts of the United States.	Sept. 24, 1789
21	Chapter XXI.	An Act to regulate Processes in the Courts of the United States.	Sept. 29, 1789
22	Chapter XXII.	An Act to explain and amend an Act, intituled “An Act for registering and clearing Vessels, regulating the Coasting Trade, and for other purposes.”	Sept. 29, 1789
23	Chapter XXIII.	An Act making Appropriation for the Service of the present year.	Sept. 29, 1789
24	Chapter XXIV.	An Act providing for the payment of the Invalid Pensioners of the United States.	Sept. 29, 1789
25	Chapter XXV.	An Act to recognize and adopt to the Constitution of the United States the establishment of the Troops raised under the Resolves of the United States in Congress assembled, and for other purposes therein mentioned.	Sept. 29, 1789
26	Chapter XXVI.	See Private Acts of the First Congress in Volume 6.	Sept. 29, 1789
27	Chapter XXVII.	An Act to alter the time for the next Meeting of Congress.	Sept. 29, 1789

Public Resolutions

Resolution	Date
Resolution 1.	Aug. 26, 1789
Resolution 2.	Sept. 23, 1789
Resolution 3.	Sept. 23, 1789
Resolution regarding Constitutional Amendments.	no date stated
Resolution regarding John White.	Sept. 29, 1789

For Resolution No. 4, see Private Acts of the First Congress in Volume 6.

2nd Session

Public Laws

ACTS OF THE FIRST CONGRESS

of the

UNITED STATES,

Passed at the second session, which was begun and held at the City of New York on Monday, the fourth day of January, 1790, and ended on the twelfth day of August, 1790.

George Washington, President, John Adams, Vice President of the United States, and President of the Senate, Frederick Augustus Muhlenberg, Speaker of the House of Representatives.

	Chapter	Title	Date
1	Chapter I.	An Act for giving effect to the several acts therein mentioned, in respect to the state of North Carolina, and for other purposes.	Feb. 8, 1790
2	Chapter II.	An Act providing for the enumeration of the Inhabitants of the United States.	March 1, 1790
3	Chapter III.	An Act to establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization.	March 26, 1790
4	Chapter IV.	An Act making appropriations for the support of government for the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety.	March 26, 1790
5	Chapter V.	An Act to prevent the exportation of goods and not duly inspected according to the laws of the several States.	April 2, 1790
6	Chapter VI.	An Act to accept a cession of the claims of the state of North Carolina to a certain district of Western Territory.	April 2, 1790
7	Chapter VII.	An Act to promote the progress of useful Arts.	April 10, 1790
8	Chapter VIII.	An Act further to suspend part of an act intituled “An act to regulate the collection of the duties imposed by law on tonnage of ships or vessels, and on goods, wares and merchandises imported into the United States.”	April 15, 1790
9	Chapter IX.	An Act for the punishment of certain Crimes against the United States.	April 30, 1790
10	Chapter X.	An Act for regulating the Military Establishment of the United States.	April 30, 1790
11	Chapter XI.	An Act to prescribe the mode in which the public Acts, Records, and judicial Proceedings in each State, shall be authenticated so as to take effect in every other State.	May 26, 1790
12	Chapter XII.	An Act to provide for mitigating or remitting the forfeitures and penalties accruing under the revenue laws, in certain cases therein mentioned.	May 26, 1790
13	Chapter XIII.	An Act to continue in force an act passed at the last session of Congress, entitled “An act to regulate processes in the Courts of the United States.”	May 26, 1790
14	Chapter XIV.	An Act for the Government of the Territory of the United States, south of the river Ohio.	May 26, 1790
15	Chapter XV.	An Act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts, and books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned.	May 31, 1790
16	Chapter XVI.	See Private Acts of the First Congress in Volume 6.	June 4, 1790
17	Chapter XVII.	An Act for giving effect to an Act entituled “An Act to establish the Judicial Courts of the United States,” within the State of North Carolina.	June 4, 1790
18	Chapter XVIII.	An Act supplemental to the Act for establishing the Salaries of the Executive Officers of Government, with their assistants and Clerks.	June 4, 1790
19	Chapter XIX.	An Act for giving effect to the several Acts therein mentioned, in respect to the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.	June 14, 1790
20	Chapter XX.	See Private Acts of the First Congress in Volume 6.	June 14, 1790
21	Chapter XXI.	An act for giving effect to an act intituled “An act to establish the Judicial Courts of the United States,” within the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.	June 23, 1790
22	Chapter XXII.	An Act providing the means of intercourse between the United States and foreign nations.	July 1, 1790
23	Chapter XXIII.	See Private Acts of the First Congress in Volume 6.	July 1, 1790
24	Chapter XXIV.	See Private Acts of the First Congress in Volume 6.	July 1, 1790
25	Chapter XXV.	An Act giving effect to an act intituled “An act providing for the enumeration of the Inhabitants of the United States,” in respect to the state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.	July 5, 1790
26	Chapter XXVI.	An Act to authorize the purchase of a tract of land for the use of the United States.	July 5, 1790
27	Chapter XXVII.	An Act further to provide for the Payment of the Invalid Pensioners of the United States.	July 16, 1790
28	Chapter XXVIII.	An Act for establishing the temporary and permanent seat of the Government of the United States.	July 16, 1790
29	Chapter XXIX.	An Act for the government and regulation of Seamen in the merchants service.	July 20, 1790
30	Chapter XXX.	An Act imposing duties on tonnage of ships or vessels.	July 20, 1790
31	Chapter XXXI.	An Act to provide for holding a Treaty or Treaties to establish Peace with certain Indian tribes.	July 22, 1790
32	Chapter XXXII.	An Act to amend the act for the establishment and support of Lighthouses, beacons, buoys, and public piers.	July 22, 1790
33	Chapter XXXIII.	An Act to regulate trade and intercourse with the Indian tribes.	July 22, 1790
34	Chapter XXXIV.	An Act making provision for the [payment of the] Debt of the United States.	Aug. 4, 1790
35	Chapter XXXV.	An Act to provide more effectually for the collection of the duties imposed by law on goods, wares and merchandise imported into the United States, and on the tonnage of ships or vessels.	Aug. 4, 1790
36	Chapter XXXVI.	An Act to continue in force for a limited time, an act intituled “An act for the temporary establishment of the Post-Office.”	Aug. 4, 1790
37	Chapter XXXVII.	See Private Acts of the First Congress in Volume 6.	Aug. 4, 1790
38	Chapter XXXVIII.	An Act to provide more effectually for the settlement of the Accounts between the United States and the individual States.	Aug. 5, 1790
39	Chapter XXXIX.	An Act making further provision for the payment of the debts of the United States.	Aug. 10, 1790
40	Chapter XL.	An Act to enable the Officers and Soldiers of the Virginia Line on continental Establishment, to obtain Titles to certain Lands lying northwest of the River Ohio, between the Little Miami and the Sciota.	Aug. 10, 1790
41	Chapter XLI.	An Act authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to finish the Lighthouse on Portland Head, in the District of Maine.	Aug. 10, 1790
42	Chapter XLII.	An Act to alter the Times for holding the Circuit Courts of the United States in the Districts of South Carolina and Georgia, and providing that the District Court of Pennsylvania shall in future be held at the city of Philadelphia only.	Aug. 11, 1790
43	Chapter XLIII.	An Act declaring the assent of Congress to certain acts of the states of Maryland, Georgia, and Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.	Aug. 11, 1790
44	Chapter XLIV.	See Private Acts of the First Congress in Volume 6.	Aug. 11, 1790
45	Chapter XLV.	See Private Acts of the First Congress in Volume 6.	Aug. 11, 1790
46	Chapter XLVI.	An Act making certain appropriations therein mentioned.	Aug. 12, 1790
47	Chapter XLVII.	An Act making provision for the Reduction of the Public Debt.	Aug. 12, 1790

Public Resolutions

Resolution	Date
Resolution 1.	June 7, 1790
Resolution 2.	June 14, 1790
Resolution 3.	Aug. 2, 1790
Resolution 4.	Aug. 2, 1790
Resolution 5.	Aug. 12, 1790

3rd Session

Public Laws

ACTS OF THE FIRST CONGRESS

of the

UNITED STATES,

Passed at the third session, which was begun and held at the City of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, on Monday, the sixth day of December, 1790, and ended on the third day of March, 1791.

George Washington, President, John Adams, Vice President of the United States, and President of the Senate, Frederick Augustus Muhlenberg, Speaker of the House of Representatives.

	Chapter	Title	Date
1	Chapter I.	An Act supplementary to the act intitled “An act making further provision for the payment of the debts of the United States.”	Dec. 27, 1790
2	Chapter II.	An Act to provide for the unlading of ships or vessels, in cases of obstruction by Ice.	Jan. 7, 1791
3	Chapter III.	An Act to continue an act intituled “An act declaring the assent of Congress to certain acts of the States of Maryland, Georgia, and Rhode Island and Providence Plantations,” so far as the same respects the States of Georgia and Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.	Jan. 10, 1791
4	Chapter IV.	An Act declaring the consent of Congress, that a new State be formed within the jurisdiction of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and admitted into this Union, by the name of the State of Kentucky.	Feb. 4, 1791
5	Chapter V.	An Act declaring the consent of Congress to a certain act of the state of Maryland.	Feb. 9, 1791
6	Chapter VI.	An Act making appropriations for the support of Government during the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety-one, and for other purposes.	Feb. 11, 1791
7	Chapter VII.	An Act for the admission of the State of Vermont into this Union.	Feb. 18, 1791
8	Chapter VIII.	An Act to continue in force, for a limited time, an act passed at the first Session of Congress, intituled “An act to regulate processes in the Courts of the United States.”	Feb. 18, 1791
9	Chapter IX.	An Act regulating the number of Representatives to be chosen by the States of Kentucky and Vermont.	Feb. 25, 1791
10	Chapter X.	An Act to incorporate the subscribers to the Bank of the United States.	Feb. 25, 1791
11	Chapter XI.	An Act supplementary to the act intituled “An act to incorporate the subscribers to the Bank of the United States.”	March 2, 1791
12	Chapter XII.	An Act giving effect to the laws of the United States within the state of Vermont.	March 2, 1791
13	Chapter XIII.	An Act to explain and amend an act intituled “An act making further provision for the payment of the debts of the United States.”	March 2, 1791
14	Chapter XIV.	An Act fixing the time for the next annual meeting of Congress.	March 2, 1791
15	Chapter XV.	An Act repealing, after the last day of June next, the duties heretofore laid upon Distilled Spirits imported from abroad, and laying others in their stead; and also upon Spirits distilled within the United States, and for appropriating the same.	March 3, 1791
16	Chapter XVI.	An Act making an appropriation for the purpose therein mentioned.	March 3, 1791
17	Chapter XVII.	An Act to amend “An act for establishing the temporary and permanent seat of the Government of the United States.”	March 3, 1791
18	Chapter XVIII.	An Act supplemental to the act “establishing the Treasury Department,” and for a farther compensation to certain officers.	March 3, 1791
19	Chapter XIX.	An Act relative to the Rix-Dollar of Denmark.	March 3, 1791
20	Chapter XX.	An Act in addition to an act intituled “An act for establishing the salaries of the Executive officers of Government, with their assistants and clerks.”	March 3, 1791
21	Chapter XXI.	An Act for making compensation to the Commissioners of Loans, for extraordinary expenses.	March 3, 1791
22	Chapter XXII.	An Act providing compensations for the officers of the Judicial Courts of the United States, and for Jurors and Witnesses, and for other purposes.	March 3, 1791
23	Chapter XXIII.	An Act to continue in force for a limited time, an act intituled “An act for the temporary establishment of the Post-Office.”	March 3, 1791
24	Chapter XXIV.	An Act to continue in force the act therein mentioned, and to make further provision for the payment of Pensions to Invalids, and for the support of lighthouses, buoys, and public piers.	March 3, 1791
25	Chapter XXV.	An Act supplementary to the act making provision for the reduction of the Public Debt.	March 3, 1791
26	Chapter XXVI.	An Act making farther provision for the collection of the duties by law imposed on Teas, and to prolong the term for the payment of the Duties on Wines.	March 3, 1791
27	Chapter XXVII.	An Act for granting lands to the Inhabitants and settlers at Vincennes and the Illinois country, in the territory northwest of the Ohio, and for confirming them in their possessions.	March 3, 1791
28	Chapter XXVIII.	An Act for raising and adding another Regiment to the Military Establishment of the United States, and for making farther provision for the protection of the frontiers.	March 3, 1791

Public Resolutions

Resolution	Date
Resolution 1.	Feb. 18, 1791
Resolution 2.	March 2, 1791
Resolution 3.	March 3, 1791
Resolution 4.	March 3, 1791
Resolution 5.	March 3, 1791