United States Statutes at Large/Volume 3/15th Congress/1st Session/Chapter 115
Chap. CXV.—An Act authorizing the disposal of certain lots of public ground in the city of New Orleans and town of Mobile.
The President may abandon the use of the navy, arsenal, military hospital and barracks in New Orleans, and of Fort Charlotte, at Mobile, and cause the ground whereon they stand to be laid off into lots, &c.
A plat thereof to the Secretary of the Treasury, &c.
The lots to be offered at public sale, &c.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 have power, and he is hereby authorized, whenever in his opinion it shall be consistent with the public interest, to abandon the use of the navy arsenal, military hospital, and barracks in the city of New Orleans, and of Fort Charlotte, at the town of Mobile; to cause the lots of ground whereon the said arsenal, hospital, and barracks in New Orleans, and Fort Charlotte, at Mobile, not stand, to be surveyed and laid off into lots, with suitable streets and avenues, conforming as near as may be, to the original plan of the city and town aforesaid; and when the surveys are completed, one plat thereof shall be returned to the Secretary of the Treasury, and another to such officer or agent as the President shall have authorized to dispose of the said lots; and the said lots of ground shall be offered at public sale at the city of New Orleans and town of Mobile respectively, on such day or days as the President shall, by his proclamation, designate for that purpose, in the same manner, and on the same conditions and terms of credit, as is provided by law for the sale of public lands of the United States, and patents shall be granted therefor, as for other public lands sold by the United States.
The President may cause Fort St. Charles to be demolished, and navy yard to be discontinued.
A public square.Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That the President of the United States is hereby authorized, as soon as in his opinion the public interest will permit, to cause the fort of St. Charles to be demolished, and the navy yard in said city to be discontinued; and the lot of ground on which the said fort is erected shall be appropriated to the use of a public square, and may be improved for that purpose by order of the corporation of the said city.
Approved, April 20, 1818.