The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1873-03-13
IL A. w =
UNITED STATES
PASSED AT TIE

| PASSED AT THE
THIRD SESSION OF TIE FORTY
SECOND CONGRESS.
| GENERAL NATURE-No. ~.
AN ACT revising and amending the laws relative
to the nints assay-ogices, and coinage
| Of the United States.
| Be- ensetea by the Senate and Honss Of Repre-
seutativss of the United State, of America IN Con
gress assembled That the mintof the United Statei
| is hereby established as bersau Of the Treasu
ry Department, embracing in its organization ano
under its control all minis for the manufacture o.
coin, and sill assay Offices for the stamping Of
| bars, which are new, or which may be hereafter
authorized by Law. The chief officer of tie salo
bureau shall be denominated the Director of the
Mint, and shall be under the general direction Of
| the Secretary Of the Treasury. He shall be ap-
| pointed by the President, by and with the advice
and consent of the Senate, and shall hold his Of
fee FOR the term Of five years, unless sooner re-
moved by the President, upon reasons to be com
municated by him to the Senate.
| SEC. g That the Director Of the Mint shall
| have the general supervision of all minis and
assay Offices and shall make an annual report to
the Secretary of the Treasury Of their eperera
! tons, at the close Of each fiscal year, and from
time to time such additional reports setting fort
the operations and condition OF such institutions,
as the Secretary of the Treasury shall require,
and shall ley before him the annual estimates for
their support. And the Secretary of the Treas
ury shall appoint the number of clerks, CLASH
fed according to law necessary to discharge the
duties of said bureau.
SEC. g. That the officers Of each mint shall be a
| superintendent an assayer, meter and rcfner,
and q coiner, and, for the mint at Philadelphia.
an engraver, all to be appointed by the President
Of the United States, by and with the advice and
consent of the Senate.
SEC. 4. That the superintendent Of each mint
shall have the control thereof, the superinten
t.ence of the officers and persons employed there
in, and the supervision OF she business thereof,
subject to the approval of the Director of the
Mint, to whom he shall make reports at such
times and according to such forms the Direc-
tor of the Mint may prescribe, which shall eX-
hibit in DETAIL and under appropriate heads, the
deposits of bullion, the amount of gold, sill
yer, and minor coinage, and the amount Of un
parted, standard, and refined bars issued, and
such other statistics and information may be
required The superintendent Of each mint shall
| also receive and safely keep, until legally with
drawn, all moneys or bullion which shall be for
the use or the expenses Of the mint. He shall
receive all bullion brought to the mint for assay
or coinage; shall be the keeper of all bullion or
coin in the mint, except while the is legally
in the hands Of other oHcers; and shall deliver all
| coins struck at the mint to the persons to whom
| they shall be legally payable. From the report
Of the assayer and the weight Of the bullion, he
| shall compute the value Of each deposit, and aso
the amount of the charges deductions, if any,
| Of sill which he shall give detailed memoranda
| am, to the deposition; and he shall also give at
| thu same time, under his hand, certificate Of
the net amount of the deposit to be paid in coins
or hars Of the species of bullion as that de-
! tl>o ~ !, oto optiT OH
% verified by the ssssyer, who shall counterslgn
tha same; ana il all cases Of transfer OF coin or
puiiun he shall give and receive vouchers, sta
| ting the amount aud character Of such coin or
bullion lie shall keep anil render, quarter
yearly to the Director of the Mint for the pur-
/ pose OF adjustment, according to such forms ss
may be prescribed by the Secretary OF the Treas
! ury, regular and faithful accounts of his trans
actions with the other officers Of the mint and
the depositors; and shall also render to him &
monthly statement Of the ordinary expenses OF
the mint or assay Office under his charge. lie
shall also appoint all assists nts, clerks, Zone OF
whom shall be designated ''chisf Clerk and
workman employed under his superintend-
ence; bu. person shall be appointed to EN-
Payment in the Offices of the assayer, meter anu
!, rcfner concr or engrayer, except on the recon-
ineuaation aud nomination in writing of those
officers. ressectiSelY; snl ho shall forthwith re-
mort to the Director Of :he Mint the names ef nil
persons appointed by him, the duties to be psf
formed the rate of compensation, the appropfi-
| alton from which compensation is to be made, and
the grounds OF the appointment; and If the Di-
rector Of the Mint shall disapprove the same, the
| appointment shall be vacated.
| Sac s. That the assayer shall assay all meta 8
and bullion, whenever such assays are required
in the operations Of the miut: he shall also mai 6
| assays of coin or samples Of bullion whenever
required by the superintendent.
| SEC g. That the meter and refiner shall exc
| cute all the operations which are necessary in
| order to form ingots Of standard silver gold,
and alloys for minor coinage, suitable tor the
coiner, from the metals legally delivered to him
| for that purpose; aud shall also execute all the
operations which are necessary in order to form
| bars conformable in all respects to the law from
| the gold and silver bullion delivered to him for
that purpose. He shall keep q careful record OF
! all transactions with the su perintenaent noting
| the weight and character of the bullion, and
| shall be responsible for ali bullion delivered tc
him until the same is returned to the superinten
| dent and the proper vouchers obtained.
SEC 7. That the coiner shall execute all the
operations which are necessary in order to form
coins, conformabls in all respects to the law from
| the ndard gold and silver ingots, and alloys
for minor coinage, legally delivered to him fol
that purpose aad shall be responsible for al
bullion delivered to him, until the same is retura
ed TO the superintendent and the proper vouchers
| obtained.
! SEC. s. That the engraver shall prepare from
| the original dies already authorized all the work
ing dies required for use in the coinage Of the
several mints, and, when new coins or device.
are authorized, shall, if required by the Director
| of the Mint, prepare the devices, models molds
and matrices, or original dies for the same; ku
the Director of the Mint shall nevertheless hav,
power, with the approval Of the Secretary of ths
Treasury, to engage temporarily for this purpose
the services OF one or more artists distinguished
in their respective departments of art. who shall
be paid for such service from the contingent ap
preparation for the mint at Philadelpiiia.
| SEC. g. That whenever any oficsr OF a mint o.
assay Office shall be temporarily absent on &C
count of sickness any othsr cause, it sh Ill b.
! lawful for the superintendent, with the consent
said officer, to appoint some person attached tx
the mint act in the place of such Off GER during
his abseitcs; but all such appointments shall b,
forthwith reported to the Director of the Mint fo
his approval; and in all cases whatsoever tn.
principal shall be responsible for the acts of hi
representative. In case of the temporary absenc
of the superintendent, the chief clerk shall act !,
Of the Director Of tbs Mint, the Secretary of tn
Treasury may designate some one to act in hi
place.
sEc. 10. That every officer assistant, an,
clerk of the mint shall, before he enters upoa tn
execution OF his Office take an oath or affirmation
before some Judge OF the United States, or judy,
OF the superior court, or of some court of recort
OF any Slate, faithfully and diligently to perform