Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 17.djvu/331

 FORTY—SECOND CONGRESS. Sess. II. Ch. 335. 1872. 291 to provide lock-boxes or drawers for their own use, at their own expense, and d*'¤W<·>*‘$ *`°*’ which lock—boxes or drawers, upon their erection in any post-oflice, shall g?;;h€°,;g;u° become the property of the United States, and be subject to the direction and control of the Post-office Department, and shall pay a rental at least H<=¤¤¤J· equal to that of other boxes in the same office, or, if there be no other boxes in such office, of boxes in other offices of the same class, which rental shall be accounted for as other box—rents. Sec. 45. That any officer, agent, postmaster, clerk, or other person em- Penalty for ployed in any branch of the postal service having temporary custody of any ?"ll'°“llY ”°€l°°t‘ _ _ . . mg to deposit money taken fi om dead-letters ; any money derived from the sale of waste any mmm. which paper or other public property of the Post—otHce Department; or any money is part of the derived from any other source which by law is part of the postal revenues, pmal rcveuuesl who shall wilfully neglect to deposit the same in the treasury of the United States, or in some other depository authorized to receive the same, shall be deemed guilty of embezzlement, and be subject to a fine not exceeding double the sum so retained, or to imprisonment not exceeding three years, or both, at the discretion of the court. And any person intrusted by law for neglecting, with the sale of postage—starnps or stamped envelopes, who shall refuse or §‘°·r *° “°°°““‘ or postageneglect to account for the same, or who shall pledge or hypothecate or stamps and Buunlawfully dispose of them, for any purpose whatever, shall be deemed velvpss, 01Q¤¤· guilty of embezzlement, and shall be subject to the same penalty and §;gig‘lKgfp°“` punishment as are provided in this section for the embezzlement of i money. Sec. 46. That the money required for the postal service in each year Appropriations shall be appropriated by law out of the revenues of the service. fw Postal Service- Sso. 47. That payments of money out of the treasury on account of payments 0,, the postal service shall be in pursuance of appropriations made by law, by ¤<>¤<>}l¤* of D<¤¤¤*—l warrants of the Postmaster-General, registered and countersigned by the §;"Q;'Qel}°w m auditor for the Post—oflice Department, and expressing on their face the i appropriation to which they should be charged. Sec. 48. That all payments on account of the postal service shall be and to what made to persons to whom the same shall be certified to be due by the persons; auditor; but advances of I1€C€SSa1‘y Sums to defray €Xp€I1S€S may be made necessary adby the Postmaster-General to agents employed to investigate mail depre-  q23v3X` dations, examine post routes and offices, and on other like services, to be g,,_,{.,_’ charged to them by the auditor, and to be accounted for in tho settlement of their accounts. Sec. 49. That the Postmaster—General may transfer debts due to the Transfer to department from postmasters and others to such contractors as have given §s§;;“£}§g€s;§,°Qc bonds, with security, to refund any money that may come into their hands from p,ym,_,,,,,S_ over and above the amount found due them on the settlement of their accounts; but such transfers shall only be in satisfaction of legal demands for which appropriations have been made. Sec. 50. That in all cases where money has been paid out of the funds Suits to be of the Post-office Department under the pretence that service has been ;’;3;§l;O‘;’6r°‘ performed therefor, when, in fact, such service has not been performed, or paid by weigh,. as additional allowance for increased service actually rendered. when the partment, by additional allowance exceeds the sum which, according to law, might right- Eiigggifggudl fully have been allowed therefor, and in all other cases where money of the department has been paid to any person in consequence of fraudulent representations, or by the mistake, collusion, or misconduct of any officer or other employee in the postal service, the Postmaster-General shall cause suit to be brought to recover such wrong or fraudulent payment or excess, with interest thereon. Sec. 51. That when the Postmaster-General is satisfied that money or lgropertyptolproperty stolen from the mad, or the. proceeds thereof, has been received ;;‘a;‘;;_‘ ggvprw at the department, he may, upon satisfactory evidence as to the owner, to Owurgyjt &c_ deliver the same to him. Sec. 52. That the auditor for the Post—office Department shall state and qw-my, ac-