Chapter XVII. *concerning the Circuit Courts of the United States.*March 3, 1797
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Chap. XVII.— An Act *concerning the Circuit Courts of the United States.*March 3, 1797. Section 1. *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,*Times of holding the circuit courts. That from and after the expiration of the present session of Congress, the times andAct of April 29, 1802, ch. 23. places of holding the several circuit courts of the United States, in the present and each succeeding year, shall be as follows, to wit:
In the state of New York, at the city of New York, on the first daysNew York. of April and September. In Connecticut, at New Haven, on the thirteenth day of April, and atConnecticut. Hartford on the seventeenth day of September. In Vermont, at Windsor, on the first day of May, and at Rutland, onVermont. the third day of October. In New Hampshire, at Portsmouth, on the nineteenth day of May,New Hampshire. and at Exeter, on the second day of November. In Massachusetts, at Boston, on the first day of June, and twentiethMassachusetts. day of October.
In Rhode Island, at Newport, on the fifteenth day of June, and atRhode Island. Providence on the fifteenth day of November. In New Jersey, at Trenton, on the first days of April and October.New Jersey. In Pennsylvania, at Philadelphia, on the eleventh days of April andPennsylvania. October. In Delaware, at New Castle, on the twenty-seventh day of June, andDelaware. at Dover, on the twenty-seventh day of October. In Maryland, at Annapolis, on the seventh day of May, and at Baltimore,Maryland. on the seventh day of November.
In Virginia, at Richmond, on the twenty-second days of MayVirginia. and November. FOURTH CONGRESS. Sess. II. Ch. 27. 1797. 518 Georgia.In Georgia, at Savannah, on the twentieth day of April, and at Augusta, on the eighth day of November. South Carolina.In South Carolina, at Charleston, on the sixth day of May, and the twenty-fifth day of October. North Carolina.In North Carolina, at Raleigh, on the first day of June, and on the thirtieth day of November: *Provided,* that if any of these days shall happen on a Sunday, the court shall be held on the day following.
Sec. 2.Certain acts repealed. *And be it further enacted,* That the fifth section of an “act for alteringAct of April 13, 1792, ch. 21. the times of holding the circuit courts, in certain districts of the United States, and for other purposes,” and the third, fourth, fifth Ante, p. 395.and sixth sections of “An act making certain alterations in the act for District courts to be held at Newbern.establishing the judicial, and altering the time and place of holding certain courts,” be, and the same are hereby repealed; and that the stated district courts of North Carolina, shall, in future, be held at the town of Newbern.
Sec. 3. *And be it further enacted,* That all such process of the several district courts, within the said district, as before the passing of this act shall have issued, and all recognizances made, returnable to any of the said several district courts; and all suits and other proceedings, that were continued, and are depending therein, shall now be returned and held continued to the district court of the said state, to be holden at Newbern, on the first Monday in April next; and shall therein be tried, and otherwise proceeded on, according to law; and the dockets and records of the said several district courts, shall be hereafter kept at Newbern, aforesaid.
And, to the end, that suitors, witnesses, and all others concerned, may have notice of the alteration hereby made, the marshal of the said district of North Carolina is hereby required to make the same known, by proclamation, on or before the twenty-third day of the present month. Sec. 4.Process how returnable. *And be it further enacted,* That all proceedings, and process depending, in, or issuing out of any of the said courts, which are or may be made returnable to any other times and places appointed for holding the same, than those above specified, shall be deemed legally returnable on the days and at the places above specified, and not otherwise.
And all suits and other proceedings in any of the said courts, which stand continued to any other times and places than those above specified, shall be deemed continued to the times and places prescribed by this act, and no other. Sec. 5.District judge may issue a venire. *Provided, and be it further enacted,* That if in consequence of any alterations made by this act, it shall appear expedient to the district judge of any of the districts where such alterations are made as aforesaid, that a new venire should issue for the summoning of jurors to attend the circuit court of such district, which is to be first held after the present session of Congress, it shall be lawful for him to direct the clerk of the said circuit court to issue a venire accordingly, for the summoning of such number of jurors as the said district judge shall think fit, and from such parts of the district as shall appear to him most suitable to the convenience of the people thereof, giving reasonable notice of the time and place of attendance.
Sec. 6.Time of holding district courts in Kentucky. *And be it further enacted,* That from and after the first day of September next, the present terms for holding the district court, in the Kentucky district, shall cease, and thereafter the said court shall be holden on the second Monday in March, the third Monday in June, and the third Monday in November, annually. Approved, March 3, 1797. RESOLUTIONS Resolution 1797-03-02 1 Stat. 519 I Charles C. Little and James Brown text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
Digitization Vendor 2025-11-03 4 2 public FOURTH CONGRESS. Sess. II. Resolutions. 1797. 519 I. Resolved, *by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled*,March 2, 1797.President to call on certain states respecting an amendment to the Constitution. That the President be requested to adopt some speedy and effectual means of obtaining information from the states of Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and South Carolina, whether they have ratified the amendment proposed by Congress to the Constitution concerning the suability of states; if they have, to obtain the proper evidences thereof.
Approved, March 2, 1797. Resolution 1797-03-03 1 Stat. 519 II Charles C. Little and James Brown text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain. Digitization Vendor 2025-11-03 4 2 public II. Resolved, *by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled*,March 3, 1797.Mode of distributing laws of United States. That the five hundred copies of the laws of the United States, directed to be printed by the act, intituled “An act for the more general promulgation of the laws of the United States,” and which were, by the said act, reserved for the future disposition of Congress, shall be distributed by the Secretary of State, in the manner following:
One set shall be delivered to George Washington, now President of the United States; to the President of the United States; to the Vice President of the United States, and to each of the members of the Senate and House of Representatives; six sets shall be delivered to the Secretary of the Senate, and twelve sets to the clerk of the House of Representatives; one set shall be delivered to each of the Judges of the Supreme Court; to each of the Judges of the District Courts; and to each of the Marshals and Attornies of each district; one set shall be delivered to the Secretary of State; to the Secretary of the Treasury; to the Secretary of War; to the Attorney General; to the Director of the Mint; to the Comptroller of the Treasury; to the Commissioner of the Revenue; to the Register; to the Auditor; to the Accountant of the War Department, and to the Postmaster General, and the Purveyor of Public Supplies; one set shall be delivered to the Governor and to the Secretary of the Territory northwest of the Ohio, and to each of the Judges thereof; one set shall be delivered to each Collector, Naval Officer and Surveyor, and to each Supervisor and Inspector of the Revenue, in the United States.
Sec. 1. *And be it further resolved,* That in case of the death, resignation, or dismission from office, of either of the officers before mentioned, excepting the President and Vice President of the United States, the members of the Senate and House of Representatives, and the Judges of the Supreme and District Courts, the said copies of the laws of the United States, delivered to them as aforesaid, shall belong to their respective successors in the said offices. Approved, March 3, 1797. 5 5 1 1797 ACTS OF THE FIFTH CONGRESS of the UNITED STATES, *Passed at the first session, which was begun and held at the City of Philadelphia, in the state of Pennsylvania, on Monday, the fifteenth day of May,* 1797, *and ended on the eighth of July,* 1797.
John Adams, President; Thomas Jefferson, Vice President of the United States, and President of the Senate; William Bradford, President of the Senate pro tempore, from July 6th; Jonathan Dayton, Speaker of the House of Representatives. STATUTE I. Chapter I: to prevent citizens of the United States from Privateering against nations in amity with, or against citizens of the United States. 1 Stat. 520 1797-06-14 Chapter I Charles C. Little and James Brown text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
Digitization Vendor 2025-11-03 5 1 public Chapter I.— An Act *to prevent citizens of the United States from Privateering against nations in amity with, or against citizens of the United States.*June 14, 1797.Repealed by Act of April 20, 1818, ch. 83, sec. 12. Section 1. *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,*Citizens fitting out ships, or concerned therein, how punished and fined. That if any citizen or citizens of the United States shall, without the limits of the same, fit out and arm, or attempt to fit out and arm, or procure to be fitted out and armed, or shall knowingly aid or be concerned in the furnishing, fitting out or arming any private ship or vessel of war, with 1794, ch. 50.intent that such ship or vessel shall be employed to cruise or commit hostilities, upon the subjects, citizens or property of any prince or state with whom the United States are at peace, or upon the citizens of the United States, or their property, or shall take the command of, or enter on board of any such ship or vessel for the intent aforesaid, or shall purchase an interest in any vessel so fitted out and armed, with a view to share in the profits thereof, such person or persons so offending shall, on conviction thereof, be adjudged guilty of a high misdemeanor, and shall be punished by a fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars, and imprisonment not exceeding ten years:
And the trial for such offence, if committed without the limits of the United States, shall be in the district where the offender shall be apprehended or first brought. Sec. 2.Construction of this act. *And be it further enacted,* That nothing in the foregoing act shall be construed to prevent the prosecution or punishment of treason, or any piracy defined by a treaty or other law of the United States. Approved, June 14, 1797.
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Chapter XVII
*concerning the Circuit Courts of the United States.*March 3, 1797
Stat.1 Stat. 519
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