United States Statutes at Large/Volume 4/18th Congress/2nd Session/Chapter 52
Chap. LII.—An Act confirming the act of the legislature of Virginia, entitled “An act incorporating the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Company,” and “An act of the state of Maryland, confirming the same.”
The act of the legislature of Virginia incorporating the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Company, ratified, &c. to a certain extent.Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the act of the legislature of the state of Virginia, entitled “An act incorporating the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Company,” be and the same is hereby ratified and confirmed, so far as may be necessary for the purpose of enabling any company that may hereafter be formed by the authority of said act of incorporation, to carry into effect the provisions thereof, in the District of Columbia, within the exclusive jurisdiction of the United States, and no further.
Should the state of Virginia or Maryland desire, at any time, to avail itself of the right secured to it by the twenty-first section of the act aforesaid, the President is to depute three skilful commissioners of the United States’ corps of engineers to examine the route of said canal.Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That, should the state of Virginia or Maryland desire, at any time, to avail itself of the right secured to it, by the twenty-first section of the act aforesaid, to take and continue a canal, from any point of the Chesapeake and Ohio canal, to any other point within the territory of the District of Columbia, or through the same, on application of the President of the United States, by the executive of the state, the President is authorized and empowered to depute three skilful commissioners of the United States’ corps of engineers, to survey and examine so much of the route of such canal, as may effect, in any manner, the navigation of the Chesapeake and Ohio canal. The said commissioners, or a majority of them, shall ascertain, as far as practicable, whether the canal proposed to be constructed by the state aforesaid, will injure or impede the navigation of the Chesapeake and Ohio canal, and report to the President of the United States the facts and reasons on which they may ground their judgment thereupon; which report shall be submitted to the Congress of the United States, at their session next ensuing the date thereof for their decision thereon; and if Congress shall be of opinion that the said canal may be cut in the manner proposed, as aforesaid, without impeding or injuring the navigation of the Chesapeake and Ohio canal, the same shall be conclusive thereon.
Approved, March 3, 1825.