Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 17.djvu/615

 F ORTXZSECOND CONGRESS. Sess. III. Ch. 234. 1873. 575 Sec. 29. That the President shall appoint in the Department of the pgputy com- Iuoerior, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, zz competent ;‘;f:’:“’ &€\Yf“‘ person, who shall be called the deputy commissioner of pensions, with an ment; dlgiu, mmual salary of twenty-Eve hundred dollars, who shall be charged with ¤¤l¤ry· such duties in the pension bureau as may be prescribed by the Secretary of the Interior or may be required by law; and in case of the death, resignation, absence, or sickness of the commissioner, his duties shall dcvolvo upon the deputy commissioner until a successor shall be appointed, or such absence or sickness shall cease. Sm;. 30. That the commissioner of pensions is hereby authorized and Commissioner empowered be detail, from time to time, clerks in his chica to investigate may decqn clerks suspected attempts at fraud on the government of the United States, ;f;s";‘:;Q€’f through and by virtue of the provisions of this or any other act of Con- wmppm at r,-and grass providing for pensions, and to aid in prosecuting any person so i¤ P¢¤§i<>¤¤, md ofcnding, with such additional compensation as is customary in cases of zgoifm pr°S°°°“` spcpial service ; and that any person so detailed shall hayc the power to Opths and amadminister oaths aud bake aihdavits in the course of any such investigation. d‘“"”· Sec. 31. That no agent or attorney or other person instrumental in Agentm &,, prosecuting any claim for pension or bounty-land shall demand or receive prqsecuting any other compensation for his services in prosecuting a claim for pension :}:;‘;‘;;°tfo{’1;';;, or bounty-land than such as the commissioner of pensions shall direct to Iaud, to wmvé be paid to him, not; exceeding twenty-fivs dollars; and any agent or 0¤lY what ¤0¤1- attorney 01* any other person instrumental in prosecuting any claim for p°?,:m°g} fm. dk pension or b0unt,y·1a.nd, who shall directly or indirectly contract for, mctly gyiudimu demand, or receive or retain any greater compensation for his services or Ig jg? instrumentality in prosecuting 2. claim for pension or bounty-land than is gunna; P hereinbefora provided, or who shall wrongfully withhold Hom a pensioner ¢>Y w¤‘$>¤gf¤Uy or claimant the whole or any part of the pension or claim allowed and due g;j§g§*;*;§T¤;$;; such pensioner or claimant, or the 1a.ud—warx·a.ut issued to any such claim- thereof, or any ant, shall be deemed guilty of a high misdemeanor, aud, upon conviction l*md·"’“'*'°'“¥ thereof, shall, for every such offense, be timed not exceeding {Iva hundred dollars, or imprisoned at hard labor not exceeding two years, or both, at upon guzqdiun the discretion of the court. And if any guardian having the charge and  °"’;:§;”§fz custody of the pension of his ward shall embezzle the same in violation of h;,'§,g,~d_ his trust, or fraudulently convert the same to his own use, he shall be punished by fine not exceeding two thousand dollars or imprisonment at hard labor for a. tcpm 110t exceeding five years, or both, at the discretion of the court. Sec. 32. That any pledge, mortgage, sale, assignment, or transfer of any Pledge, sgle, right, claim, or interest in any pension which has been, or may hereafter ;;°¤g ;£*" be, granted, shall be void and of 110 effect; and any person acting astébc VOKL attorney to receive and receipt for money for and in behalf of any person Attorneys to entitled to a pension shall,bcfore receiving said money, take and subscribe 2};*3 Qzféllz E; an oath, to be filed with the pension-agent, and by him to be transmitted, no g,§mm in with the vouchers now required by law, to the pr0pax·a.cc0unting·0Hiccr of ¤¤¤¤¤>’. &¤· the treasury, that he has no interest in said money by any pledge, mortgage, sale, assignment, or transfer, and that he does not know or believe  that the mma has been so disposed of to any person ; and any person wlm mE5';“b;{£’g th shall falsely take the said ouch shall be guilty of pcxjury, and, on convxc- 0,,;;,; tion, shall be liable to the pains and penalties of perjury. Sec. 33. That any person who shall knowingly or willfully in any wise for wgmuyly procure the making or presentation of any false or fraudulent affidavit. §¢?_éj;¤;¤lg<;;¤gh concerning any claim for pension or payment thereof, or P€l`lZB.1IJ1H£; to any dam ;espég¤ng other matter within the jurisdiction of the commissioner of pensions, or nnyqlaim for shall knowingly or willfully present or cause to be prespnted at any pen· P°§;‘?‘é;‘;gm sioumgency any power of attorney, or other paper requwed as a voucher ,mym,€, FS H i11~dra.wing a. pension, which paper shall bear a date subsequent to that on scucher with ¤ . . . - ata subsequent Whmh xt was actually signed or executed, such person so gfl"<?nding shall be m its mlm dam deemed guilty of 2. high misdemeanor, and shall, on conviction thFr00fQ be punished by a Hue not exceeding five l1un<1rcd dollars, or by IXDPPISODIHBIIC