Necessary expenses for clerks, fireproof chests, &c. allowed.Sec. 14. And be it further enacted, That the said officers respectively, whose duty it is made by this act to receive, keep, and disburse the public moneys, as the fiscal agents of the Government, may be allowed any necessary additional expenses for clerks, fireproof chests, or vaults, or other necessary expenses of safekeeping, transferring, and disbursing said moneys: all such expenses of every character to be first expressly authorized by the Secretary of the Treasury, whose directions upon all the above subjects, by way of regulation and otherwise, so far as authorized by law, are to be strictly followed by all the said officers:Proviso. Provided, That the whole number of clerks to be appointed by virtue of this section of this act, shall not exceed ten, and that the aggregate compensations of the whole number shall not exceed eight thousand dollars, nor shall the compensation of any one clerk, so appointed, exceed eight hundred dollars per annum.
The balances remaining with the present depositaries to be withdrawn.Sec. 15. And be it further enacted, That the Secretary of the Treasury shall, with as much promptitude as the convenience of the public business, and the safety of the public funds will permit, withdraw the balances remaining with the present depositaries of the public moneys, and confine the safekeeping, transfer, and disbursement of those moneys to the depositaries established by this act.
Payments of public money to the U. S. and payments for patents―to whom to be made.Sec. 16. And be it further enacted, That all marshals, district attorneys, and others, having public money to pay to the United States, and all patentees, wishing to make payment for patents to be issued, may pay all such moneys to the Treasurer of the United States, at the Treasury, to the Treasurer of either of the Mints, in Philadelphia or New Orleans, to either of the receivers-general of public money, or to such other depositary constituted by this act as shall be designated by the Secretary of the Treasury, in other parts of the United States, to receive such payments, and give receipts or certificates of deposite therefor.
Entries required to be made of public moneys, other than those connected with the Post Office Department.
Felony.Sec. 17. And be it further enacted, That all officers charged by this act with the safekeeping, transfer, and disbursement of the public moneys, other than those connected with the Post Office Department, are hereby required to keep an accurate entry of each sum received, and of the kind of money in which it is received, and of each payment or transfer, and of the kind of currency in which it is made; and that if any one of the said officers, or of those connected with the Post Office Department, shall convert to his own use, in any way whatever, or shall use by way of investment in any kind of property or merchandise, or shall loan, with or without interest, any portion of the public moneys intrusted to him for safekeeping, disbursement, transfer, or for any other purpose, every such act shall be deemed and adjudged to be an embezzlement of so much of the said moneys as shall be thus taken, converted, invested, used, or loaned, which is hereby declared to be a felony, and any officer or agent of the United States, and all persons advising or participating in such act, being convicted thereof before any court of the United States of competent jurisdiction, shall be sentenced to imprisonment for a term of not less than six months nor more than five years, and to a fine equal to the amount of the money embezzled.
