United States Statutes at Large/Volume 5/25th Congress/3rd Session/Resolution 1
No. 1. Resolution authorizing an examination and payment of the claims of the workmen upon the public buildings.
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,The commissioners appointed to superintend the construction of the new Treasury building, shall examine the claims of the workmen to indemnity, &c. That the commissioners appointed by the President of the United States to superintend the prosecution of the work in the construction of the new Treasury building, be, and they are hereby, authorized to examine the claims of the workmen to indemnity for the loss of their time during the suspension of the work upon said building, by order of the President of the United States, pending the question before Congress upon the bill reported by the Committee on Public Buildings, providing “for the removal of the walls of the Treasury building, and for the erection of a fire-proof building for the Post Office Department;” and that the said commissioners allow to such of said workmen, respectively, as were suspended from labor, during the pendency of said bill, with the encouragement and under an authorized assurance that, upon the decision thereof, their labor would again be required by the government, and who, intermediately, had an opportunity of obtaining employment in the city of Washington, such reasonable indemnity for loss of wages for labor, during the suspension of the work, as, under the circumstances of their respective cases, justice and equity may require, not exceeding, however, in any case, the average rate of the earnings of such workmen in the employment of the Government for a like preceding period of time.
Commissioner of public buildings to pay such sums, &c.Sec. 2. And be it further resolved, That the Commissioner of Public Buildings be, and he hereby is, authorized to pay to the workmen respectively such sums of money as the commissioners aforesaid shall allow and certify pursuant to the foregoing resolution, out of any money in his hands appropriated by law to the construction of the new Treasury building.
Approved, January 18, 1839.