Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 3.djvu/407



. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of the auditors, charged with the examination of the accounts of the War and Navy Departments, to keep all accounts of the receipts and expenditures of the public money in regard to those departments, and of all debts due to the United States on moneys advanced relative to those departments; to receive from the second comptroller the accounts which shall have been finally adjusted, and to preserve such accounts, with their vouchers and certificates, and to record all warrants drawn by the secretaries of those departments, the examination of the accounts of which has been assigned to them by the preceding section. And it shall be the duty of the said auditors to make such reports on the business assigned to them, as the Secretaries of the War and Navy Departments may deem necessary, and require, for the services of those departments.

. And be it further enacted, That the said auditors shall annually, on the first Monday in November, report to the Secretary of the Treasury the application of the money appropriated for the Military and Naval Departments, for the preceding year, which shall be laid before Congress by him, with the annual statement of the public expenditure.

. And be it further enacted, That the Treasurer of the United States shall disburse all such moneys as shall have been previously or ordered for the use of the War and Navy Departments by warrants from the treasury, which disbursements shall be made pursuant to warrants drawn by the Secretary of the War and Navy Departments respectively, countersigned by the second comptroller, and registered by the auditors respectively.

. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of the first comptroller to examine all accounts settled by the first and fifth auditors, and certify the balances arising thereon to the register; to countersign all warrants drawn by the Secretary of the Treasury, which shall be warranted by law; to report to the secretary the official forms to be issued in the different offices for collecting the public revenue, and the manner and form of keeping and stating the accounts of the several persons employed therein; he shall also superintend the preservation of the public accounts, subject to his revision, and provide for the regular payment of all moneys which may be collected.

. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of the second comptroller to examine all accounts settled by the second, third, and fourth auditors, and certify the balances arising thereon to the secretary of the department in which the expenditure has been incurred; to countersign all warrants drawn by the Secretaries of the War and Navy Departments, which shall be warranted by law; to report to the said secretaries the official forms to be issued in the different offices for disbursing the public money in those departments, and the manner and form of keeping, and stating, the accounts of the persons employed therein; and it shall also be his duty to superintend the preservation of the public accounts subject to his revision.

. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of the first comptroller to superintend the recovery of all debts to the United States; to direct suits and legal proceedings, and to take all such measures as may be authorized by the laws, to enforce prompt payment of all debts of the United States.

. And be it further enacted, That the provision contained in the second section of the act, passed the third March, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-seven, entitled “An act to provide more effectually for the settlement of accounts between the United States and receivers of public money,” which directs that in every case where suit has been, or shall be, instituted, a transcript from the books and proceedings of the treasury, certified by the register, shall be admitted as evidence, be extended, in regard to the accounts of the War and Navy