2. When it appears to the satisfaction of the secretary of war that certificates of faithful services, in cases of discharge from military service, have been omitted by neglect, misconstruction, or casualty, the omission is not to prevent the issuing of warrants and patents. Upon proof of the loss of a discharge and eertificate, the secretary of war is to furnish papers, &c. Proviso: if the measure be justified by the time of enlistment, &e. That when any soldier of the regular army, having obtained a military land warrant, shall have lost, or shall hereafter lose, the same, or the said warrant shall have been, or may be, by accident destroyed, every such soldier shall, upon proof thereof, to the satisfaction of the secretary of war, be entitled to a patent, in like manner as if the said warrant was produced. SEC. 2. That in all cases of discharges from the military service of the United States, of any soldier of the regular army, when it shall appear to the satisfaction of the secretary of war that a certificate of faithful services has been omitted by the neglect of the discharging officer, by misconstruction of the laws, or by any other neglect or casualty, such omission shall not prevent the issuing of the warrant and patent as in other And when it shall have been proved, as aforesaid, that any soldier of the regular army has lost his discharge and certificate of faithful service, the secretary of war shall cause such papers to be furnished such soldier of the regular army as will entitle him to his land warrant and patent: Provided, Such measure be justified by the time of his enlistment, the period of service, and the report of some officer of the corps to which he was attached. [Approved, April 27, 1816.] CHAPTER 135-Approved, April 29, 1816.-Vol. 3, p. 320. An Act concerning the annual rum appropriated for arming and equipping the militia,3 1. The sum of $200,000 for providing arms, &c., for the militia, to be paid out of any moneys in the treasury not otherwise appropriated. 2. The sum appropriated to be applied according to the act of 23 April, 1×0s, without being carried to the surj¦ as fun 1. Nothing in the act of 3 March, 1809, to authorize a transfer of any portion of the sum to any other branch of expenditure That the annual sum of two hundred thousand dollars, as 1 See act 23 April, Isas with the n to her n appropriated for the purpose of providing arms and military equipments for the militia, either by purchase or manufacture, according to the act of the twenty-third of April, one thousand eight hundred and eight, entitled "An act making provision for arming and equipping the whole body of the militia of the United States," shall be paid, for each year, respectively, out of any moneys in the treasury not otherwise appropriated. SEC. 2. That the sum appropriated to be paid as aforesaid shall be applied for the purpose, and according to the intention, specified in said act, without being liable, at any time, to be carried to the account of the surplus fund. And nothing in the act of the third of March, one thousand eight hundred and nine,' entitled "An act further to amend the several acts for the establishment and regulation of the treasury, war, and navy departments," shall be construed to authorize the transferring of the sum annually appropriated as aforesaid, or any portion thereof, to any other branch of expenditure." [Approved, April 29, 1816.] [By Chap. 140, 29 April, 1816, vol. 3, p. 322, an additional accountant of the War Department was authorized to be appointed.] CHAPTER 142.-Approved, April 29, 1816.-Vol. 3, p. 323. An Act to increase the compensation of the superintendents of the manufactories of arms at Springfield and Harper's Ferry. That, in addition to the pay and rations, as at present fixed, of the superintendents of the manufactories of arms at Springfield and Harper's Ferry, they shall receive $30 per month, and one ration per day. RESOLUTION 7.-Approved, April 29, 1816.-Vol. 3, p. 342. Resolution authorizing the President of the United States to employ a skilful assistant in the corps of engineers,3 That the President of the United States be, and he is hereby, authorized 1 Chap. 28. * See note to act 3 March, 1817, chap. 96. 3 Abolished. See act 3 March, 1817, chap. 45, see. 1. 4 These manufactories are again in charge of ordnance officers. to employ, in addition to the corps of engineers as now established, a skil ful assistant, whose compensation shall be such as the President of the United States shall think proper, not exceeding the allowance to the chief officer of that corps. [Approved, April 29, 1816.] CHAPTER 45.-Approved March 3, 1817.—Vol. 3, p. An Act to provide for the prompt settlement of public accounts. 366. 2. All accounts to be settled in the treasury department, after 3 March, 1817. 3. Four auditors and one comptroller additional, in the treasury department. 4. Duty of the second auditor. Duty of the third auditor. Proviso: as to the accounts of the additional accountant. 5. Further duties of the auditors. 6. Auditors to report to the secretary of the treasury. 8. Duty of the first comptroller. 9. Duty of the second comptroller. 10. First comptroller to superintend the recovery of all debts, &c. 11. The provision contained in the second section of the act of 3 March, 1797, extended in regard to the accounts of the war and navy departments, &c. 12. Auditors empowered to administer oaths, &c. 13. Secretary of the treasury to cause all accounts of the expenditure of public money to be settled within the year, except, &c. First e mptroller to lay before Congress, annually, a list of officers failing to make settlement, &c. 14. The comptroller to distinguish between balances, &c. Comptroller not required to include balances where debtors have been reported insolvent three successive years. 15. Salary of the second comptroller and auditors, $3000 per annum 16. Letters, &c., to and from the second comptroller and auditors. That from and after the 3d day of March the offices of accountant' and additional accountant' of the department of war, the office of accountant of the navy, and the office of superintendent-general of military supplies, be, and they are hereby, abolished. SEC. 2. That, from and after the said third day of March next, all claims and demands whatever, by the United States or against them, and all accounts whatever in which the United States are concerned either as debtors or as creditors, shall be settled and adjusted in the treasury department. SEC. 3. That, from and after the third day of March next, in addition to the officers in the treasury department, already established by law, there shall be the following officers, namely: four auditors and one comptroller This act prescribes the duties, and in destes the powers, of those charged with the settlement of pubie accounts, and may, theref re, be useful to a portion of the of cern of the army, whose defies relate to the list ursement of the public money 2 batuk she i by net of 5 May, 1842 hap Apported by chas 140 * M 1516 hrtaburbed by act of a Marea 1-1 appropriate equipments according to eight hundre arming and United State any moneys i SEC. 2. Th. shall be applie specified in carried to the act of the tl. nine,' entitled establishment departments,' of the sum a thereof, to any [Approved, SEC. 8. 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. SEC. 9. 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 secre tary 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. Sre. 10. 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 to the United States. Sie 11 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 suits have 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 departments, to the auditors respectively charged with the examination of those accounts, 1 Same by 7 May, 1×22, chap 90, sec. 3. 7 Chap. 20, ante. |