Nebraska advertiser., 1862-08-23


AN ACT to prevent and punish fraud on the
part OF officers intrusted with making Of
contracts for The Government.
Be It reeolUed 5y the Senate and House Of
Representatives. of he United states of Ameri-
ca IN Congress- Assembled, That it shall be
the duty Of the Secretary Of War, of the Sec
rotary Of the Navy, and Of the Secretary Of
the Interior, Immediately after the passage of
this act, to cause and require every contract
made by them, severally, on behalf of the
+ Government, or by their officers under them
appointed to make such contracts, to be re-
duced to writing, and signed by the contract
ing parties with their names az the end there
of, a copy Of which shall be fled by the Off
Ger making and signing the said contract in
The Returns Office Of the Department Of
the Interior hereinafter established for that
purpase) as soon after the contract is made as
possible, and within thirty days. together with
all bids, offers, aud proposals to him made by
persons to obtain the same, as also a cop 81
any advertisement be may have published in
viting bids, offers, or proposals for the same
all she said copies and papers in relation to
each contract to be attached together BY a
ribbon, and seal, and numbered Ia regular or
der numerically, according 10 the number Of
papers comprising the whole return.
Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That
il shall be the further duty Of said officer, be-
fore making his return, according to the first
section of this act, to afix to the same his aft
davit in the following form, sworn to before
some magistrate having authority to admins
ter oaths 81 do solemnly swear (or affirm
that the copy of the contract hereto annexed
is an exact.cOpy of a contract made by me
personally with --; that / made the
same fairly without any advantage to myself,
or allowing any such benefit or advantage cor
ruptly to the said --, or any other per-
son and that the papers accompanying in
clude all those relating to the said contract, as
required by the statue in such case made and
provided" And any officer convicted of
falsely and cOrruptly swearing to such afida-
Wit, shall be subject to all the pains ard pen
alties now by law inflicted for wilful and cor
rupt perjury.
SEC. 8. And be it further enacted, That
any officer making contracts, as aforesaid, and
falling or negIecting to make returns of the
same, according to the provisions of this act,
unless from unavoidable accident and not
within his control, shall be deemed, in every
case of such faiinre Or neglect, to be guilty Of
a misdemeanor, and, On conviction thereof,
shall be punished by a fine Of not less than one
hundred dollars, nor more than five hundred
dollars, and be imprisoned for not more than
six months, at the discretion of the court try
ing the same.
Sec. 4. Aud be it further enacted, That
it shall be the duty of the Secretary of the In
terror, Immediately after the passage of this
act, to provide a fit and proper apartment in
his Department, to be called the Returns
Office" within which to file the returns re.
quired by this act to be filed, and to appoint
clerk to attend to the same, who shall be en-
titled to an annual salary Of twelve hundred
dollars. and whose duty it shall be to file all
returns made TO said Office, SO that the same
may be of easy access, flint all returns made
by the same officer in the same place, and
numbering them as they are made in nnmer-
cal order. He shall also provide and keep az
index book, with the names OF the contrasting
parties, and the number Of each and every
contract opposite to the said names; and he
shall submit the said index book aud returns
to any person desiring to inspect the samsi
and he shall also furnish copies of saA fe'afB
to any person paying for said copies le sd
clerk, at the rate of FIVE cents Tor every eng
hundred words, to which said copies csr1h-
Gates shall be appended in every ca by tie
clerk making the same, a~ttesting ser cor
r~ectpess, and that each copy so certified
full and complete copy of said return which
return, so certified under the seal Of De-
partment, shall be evidence in all ~PTosecuti0ns
under this act.
Sec. 5. And be it further enacted That
it shall be the duty of the Seeretsry 81 War,
of the Secretary Of the Navy, and 81 tls See
rotary Of the Interior, immediatsly after the
passage Of this act to furnish each aafsvery
s~everally appoir1sd by then with au-
thority to make contracts on behalf Of the
Government, with q printed Letter Of inssrac-
tons, setting forth the duties Of such officer
this act, and also to furnish therswii1
printed IN blank, of conirtcs 10 BE-
made, and tie sdidavit Of returns lTad to
be affixed thereto, so that all the insssansnt
may be as nearly uniform as
Approved June 2, 1862.
n 80