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United States Statutes at Large/Volume 2/9th Congress/2nd Session/Chapter 8

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United States Statutes at Large, Volume 2
United States Congress
2468957United States Statutes at Large, Volume 2 — Public Acts of the Ninth Congress, 2nd Session, VIIIUnited States Congress


Feb. 10, 1807.

Chap. VIII.An Act to provide for surveying the coasts of the United States.

President of the U. States authorized to cause a survey of the coast of the U. States to be made, and an accurate chart to be prepared.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 shall be, and he is hereby authorized and requested, to cause a survey to be taken of the coasts of the United States, in which shall be designated the islands and shoals, with the roads or places of anchorage, within twenty leagues of any part of the shores of the United States; and also the respective courses and distances between the principal capes, or head lands, together with such other matters as he may deem proper for completing an accurate chart of every part of the coasts within the extent aforesaid.

President also authorized to cause examinations to be made with respect to St. George’s bank, &c.Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That it shall be lawful for the President of the United States to cause such examinations and observations to be made, with respect to St. George’s bank, and any other bank or shoal and the soundings and currents beyond the distance aforesaid to the Gulf Stream, as in his opinion may be especially subservient to the commercial interests of the United States.

President authorized to cause proper persons to be employed, and such of the public vessels as may be wanted, &c.Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That the President of the United States shall be, and he is hereby authorized and requested, for any of the purposes aforesaid, to cause proper and intelligent persons to be employed, and also such of the public vessels in actual service, as he may judge expedient, and to give such instructions for regulating their conduct as to him may appear proper, according to the tenor of this act.[1]

Act of April 14, 1818, ch. 56.
Fifty thousand dollars appropriated.
Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That for carrying this act into effect there shall be, and hereby is appropriated, a sum not exceeding fifty thousand dollars, to be paid out of any monies in the treasury, not otherwise appropriated.

Approved, February 10, 1807.


  1. Coast Survey.—By an act for the repeal of part of this act, passed April 14, 1818, chap. 56, no persons but those belonging to the army are to be employed in the coast survey.
    By the 1st section of the act of June 17, 1844, chap. 65, officers of the army and navy shall, as far as practicable, be employed in the coast survey, wherever, and in the manner required by the department having charge thereof.
    By an act passed June 3, 1844, maps and charts of the survey of the coast are to be disposed of at such prices as may be fixed by the Secretary of the Treasury; and copies of the same shall be presented to “foreign governments, departments of our own government, and literary and scientific associations.”