Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 39 Part 1.djvu/937

 SIXTX -FOURTH CONGRESS. Sess. II. Cns. 61,62. 1917. 917 roved January twenty-sixth, nineteen .hund;·ed and gf §§1‘3l>gI;i1al;ie apphcable to and extended over the lands heretbeyiliaideileéd Approved, February 14, 1917. CHAP- 62·——An Act For the relief of mail contnctqra Fllgiufirylllhilgui Be it enacted by the Senate and House o Re eaematives e · [Publ"' N°` au'] Smeg ry America in Congress assembledq That the Secrejtg gnltgg ¤¤i¤{€l=iir·itg1¤ir°¤=¢iim in Treasury be, and he is hereby, authorized and directed to pay the migirgdxiiitiriii ii: amounts due to mail contractors for mail service performed for the ’°'"°°1°°°‘°‘m· United States in the States of V` `a, North Carolina South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama ip i, Arkansas Louisiana Texas from July first, eighteen hundired and sixty, to May thirty-first, eighteen hundred and sixty-one, and in the States of Kentucky, Missouri, and Tennessee from July first, eighteen hundred and sixty, to June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and sixty-two and an appropriation of $196,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary is hereby made, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appi·o- pnated, for the payment of said amounts: Promkled, That amounts mm which have been paid by the United States and amounts which were paid by the Confederate States Government, or the State of Arkansas as shown by records filed in the office of the Auditor for the Post Office Department, shall not be again paid, nor shall any claim be paid rmti the claimant or some one on his behalf shall by affidavit or otherwise show to the satisfaction of the Secretary of the Treas that the amount claimed rmder this Act was not paid by the Corn`;-`dl grate States Government and remains justly due from the United tates. Sno, 2. That where any contractor named in section one of this .,r S_'° °°‘“°' Act is deceased payment shall be made to the executor or administrator of the estate upon filing with the Auditor for the Post Office Department proper evidence of his appointment and ualification. Where, however, the amount due the estate of the deceiiient. is $300 .mT,3¤,”°'”’ " °"‘°“°° or less, and no demand is presented by a duly appointed and qualified administrator of the estate, payment may be made to the dccedent’s widow or widower or legal heirs in the following order of precedence; °'°" °' *"°°°°°"°" First, to the widow or widower. Second, if there be no widow or widower, then to the children or their issue, per stirpes. _ ‘ Third, if there be no widow or widower or descendants, then to the father. Fourth, if there be no widow or widower, children or their issue, or father, then to the mother. _ _ Fifth, if there be no widow or w1dower, children or their issue father or mother, then to the brothers and sisters and children of deceased brothers and sisters, per stirpes. _ Sixth, if there be no widow or widower, children or their issue, father or mother, brothers or sisters or their descendants, then to the and arents. Segwientlij if there be no widow or widower, children or their issue, father or mother, brothers or sisters or their descendants, or grandparents, then to the uncles and_ aunts and their descendants in gawd parts. In following the foregoing) order of precedence there sh be www no distinction between the whole lood and the half blood: Prmyided, Funuulaxpunsi That this Act shall not be so construed as to prevent payment from the amount due the decedent ’s estate of funera expenses or a refundment of said expenses to the_pe1‘S0n or persons who actually paid the same when a claim therefor is presented before payment is made by