51. Action on bond for labor or material furnished; jurisdiction.—If no suit should be brought by the United States within six months from the completion and final settlement of said contract, then the person or persons supplying the contractor with labor and materials shall, upon application therefor, and furnishing affidavit to the department under the direction of which said work has been prosecuted that labor or materials for the prosecution of such work has been supplied by him or them, and payment for which has not been made, be furnished with a certified copy of said contract and bond, upon which he or they shall have a right of action, and shall be, and are hereby, authorized to bring suit in the name of the United States in the circuit court of the United States in the district in which said contract was to be performed and executed, irrespective of the amount in controversy in such suit, and not elsewhere, for his or their use and benefit, against said contractor and his sureties, and to prosecute the same to final judgment and execution.-Ibid.

52. Time limit.-Where suit is instituted by any of such creditors on the bond of the contractor it shall not be commenced until after the complete performance of said contract and final settlement thereof, and shall be commenced within one year after the performance and final settlement of said contract, and not later.-Ibid.

53. Creditors limited to single action.-Where suit is so instituted by a creditor or by creditors, only one action shall be brought, and any creditor may file his claim in such action and be made party thereto within one year from the completion of the work under said contract, and not later.-Ibid.

54. Judgment where bond is inadequate.—If the recovery on the bond shall be inadequate to pay the amounts found due to all of said creditors, judgment shall be given to each creditor pro rata of the amount of the recovery.—Ibid.

55. Payment by suretics on bond.-The surety on said bond may pay into court, for distribution among said claimants and creditors, the full amount of the sureties' liability, to wit, the penalty named in the bond, less any amount which said surety may have had to pay to the United States by reason of the execution of said bond, and upon so doing the surety will be relieved from further liability.—Ibid.

56. Personal notice to creditors; publication of.—In all suits instituted under the provisions of this act such personal notice of the pendency of such suits, informing them of their right to intervene as the court may order, shall be given to all known creditors, and in addition thereto notice of publication in some newspaper of general circulation, published in the State or town where the contract is being performed, for at least three successive weeks, the last publication to be at least three months before the time limited therefor.—Ibid.

CLAIMS AGAINST THE UNITED STATES.

PROSECUTION OF CLAIMS.

57. Subpanas to witnesses.-Any head of a department or bureau in which a claim against the United States is properly pending may apply to any judge or clerk of any court of the United States in any State, District, or Territory to issue a subpoena for a witness, being within the jurisdiction of such court, to appear at a time and place in the subpoena stated before any officer authorized

to take depositions to be used in the courts of the United States, there to give full and true answers to such written interrogatories and cross-interrogatories as may be submitted with the application, or to be orally examined and crossexamined upon the subject of such claim.-Sec. 184, R. S.

58. Witnesses' fees.-Witnesses subpoenaed pursuant to the preceding section shall be allowed the same compensation as is allowed witnesses in the courts of the United States.-Sec. 185, R. S.

59. Compelling testimony.—If any witness, after being duly served with such subpoena, neglects or refuses to appear, or, appearing, refuses to testify, the judge of the district in which the subpoena issued may proceed, upon proper process, to enforce obedience to the subpoena or to punish the disobedience in like manner as any court of the United States may do so in case of process of subpoena ad testificandum issued by such court.-Sec. 186, R. S.

60. Professional assistance; how obtained.--Whenever any head of a department or bureau having made application pursuant to section one hundred and eighty-four, for a subpoena to procure the attendance of a witness to be examined, is of the opinion that the interests of the United States require the attendance of counsel at the examination, or require legal investigation of any claim pending in his department or bureau, he shall give notice thereof to the Attorney General, and of all facts necessary to enable the Attorney General to furnish proper professional service in attending such examination, or making such investigation, and it shall be the duty of the Attorney General to provide for such service.-Sec. 187, R. S.

61. Evidence to be furnished by the departments in suits pending in the Court of Claims. In all suits brought against the United States in the Court of Claims founded upon any contract, agreement, or transaction with any department, or any bureau, officer, or agent of a department, or where the matter or thing on which the claim is based has been passed upon and decided by any department, bureau, or officer authorized to adjust it, the Attorney General shall transmit to such department, bureau, or officer a printed copy of the petition filed by the claimant, with a request that the department, bureau, or officer shall furnish to the Attorney General all facts, circumstances, and evidence touching the claim in the possession or knowledge of the department, bureau, or officer. Such department, bureau, or officer shall, without delay and within a reasonable time, furnish the Attorney General with a full statement, in writing, of all such facts, information, and proofs. The statement shall contain a reference to or description of all such official documents or papers, if any, as may furnish proof of facts referred to in it, or may be necessary and proper for the defense of the United States against the claim, mentioning the department, office, or place where the same is kept or may be procured. If the claim has been passed upon and decided by the department, bureau, or officer, the statement shall succinctly state the reasons and principles upon which such decision was based. In all cases where such decision was founded upon any act of Congress or upon any section or clause of such act, the same shall be cited specifically; and if any previous interpretation or construction has been given to such act, section, or clause by the department, bureau, or officer the same shall be set forth succinctly in the statement, and a copy of the opinion filed, if any, shall be annexed to it. Where any decision in the case has been based upon any regulation of a department or where such regulation has, in the opinion of the department, bureau, or officer transmitting such statement,

any bearing upon the claim in suit, the same shall be distinctly quoted at length in the statement. But where more than one case, or a class of cases is pending, the defense to which rests upon the same facts, circumstances, and proofs the department, bureau, or officer shall only be required to certify and transmit one statement of the same, and such statement shall be held to apply to all such cases as if made out, certified, and transmitted in each case respectively.— Sec. 188, R. S.

62. Employment of attorneys or counsel.-No head of a department shall employ attorneys or counsel at the expense of the United States, but when in need of counsel or advice shall call upon the Department of Justice, the officers of which shall attend to the same.-Sec. 189, R. S.

63. Persons formerly in the departments not to prosecute claims in them within two years.-It shall not be lawful for any person appointed after the first day of June, eighteen hundred and seventy-two, as an officer, clerk, or employee in any of the departments to act as counsel, attorney, or agent for prosecuting any claim against the United States which was pending in either of said departments while he was such officer, clerk, or employee, nor in any manner nor by any means to aid in the prosecution of any such claim within two years next after he shall have ceased to be such officer, clerk, or employee.— Sec. 190, R. S.

64. Oath of persons prosecuting claims.-Any person prosecuting claims, either as attorney or on his own account, before any of the departments or bureaus of the United States shall be required to take the oath of allegiance and to support the Constitution of the United States, as required of persons in the civil service.--Sec. 3478, R. S.

65. Who may administer the oath.-The oath provided for in the preceding section may be taken before any justice of the peace, notary public, or other person who is legally authorized to administer an oath in the State or district where the same may be administered.-Sec. 3479, R. S.

CLAIMS OF DISLOYALISTS.

66. Which accrued or existed prior to April 13, 1861.-It shall be unlawful for any officer to pay any account, claim, or demand against the United States which accrued or existed prior to the thirteenth day of April, eighteen hundred and sixty-one, in favor of any person who promoted, encouraged, or in any manner sustained the late rebellion, or in favor of any person who during such rebellion was not known to be opposed thereto and distinctly in favor of its suppression; and no pardon heretofore granted or hereafter to be granted shall authorize the payment of such account, claim, or demand until this section is modified or repealed. But this section shall not be construed to prohibit the payment of claims founded upon contracts made by any of the departments where such claims were assigned or contracted to be assigned prior to the first day of April, eighteen hundred and sixty-one, to the creditors of such contractors, loyal citizens of loyal States, in payment of debts incurred prior to the first day of March, eighteen hundred and sixty-one.- Sec. 3480, R. S. (See par. 67.)

67. Loyalty restriction repealed as to claims for service in Army prior to April 13, 1861.--Section thirty-four hundred and eighty of the Revised Statutes of the United States be, and the same is hereby, repealed so far as it affects

payments for services in the Army of the United States prior to April thirteenth, eighteen hundred and sixty-one.-Act of July 6, 1914 (38 Stat., 454).

ASSIGNMENT OF CLAIMS-POWERS OF ATTORNEY.

68. Execution of, in presence of witnesses, etc.-All transfers and assignments made of any claim upon the United States, or of any part or share thereof, or interest therein, whether absolute or conditional, and whatever may be the consideration therefor, and all powers of attorney, orders, or other authorities for receiving payment of any such claim, or of any part or share thereof, shall be absolutely null and void, unless they are freely made and executed in the presence of at least two attesting witnesses, after the allowance of such a claim, the ascertainment of the amount due, and the issuing of a warrant for the payment thereof. Such transfers, assignments, and powers of attorney must recite the warrant for payment, and must be acknowledged by the person making them, before an officer having authority to take acknowledg ments of deeds, and shall be certified by the office; and it must appear by the certificate that the officer, at the time of the acknowledgment, read and fully explained the transfer, assignment, or warrant of attorney, to the person acknowledging the same.-Sec. 3477, R. S.

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.

69. Officers of, to perform all legal services required for other departments. The officers of the Department of Justice, under the direction of the Attorney General, shall give all opinions and render all services requiring the skill of persons learned in the law necessary to enable the President and heads of departments, and the heads of bureaus and other officers in the departments, to discharge their respective duties; and shall, on behalf of the United States. procure the proper evidence for, and conduct, prosecute, or defend all suits and proceedings in the Supreme Court and in the Court of Claims, in which the United States, or any officer thereof, as such officer, is a party or may be interested; and no fees shall be allowed or paid to any other attorney or counselor at law for any service herein required of the officers of the Department of Justice, except in the cases provided by section three hundred and sixtythree. Sec. 361, R. S.

70. Attendance of counsel.-Whenever the head of a department or bureau gives the Attorney General due notice that the interests of the United States require the service of counsel upon the examination of witnesses touching any claim, or upon the legal investigation of any claim, pending in such department or bureau, the Attorney General shall provide for such service.-Sec. 364, R. S.

EXAMINATION OF CLAIMS.

71. Where there has not been an administrative examination.-In the case of claims presented to an auditor which have not had an administrative examination, the auditor shall cause them to be examined by two of his subordinates independently of each other.-Sec. 14, act of July 31, 1894 (28 Stat., 210).

DECISIONS BY AUDITORS.

72. Original constructions to be referred to comptroller for approval, modification, or disapproval.-All decisions by auditors making an original construction or modifying an existing construction of statutes shall be forthwith re

16

ported to the Comptroller of the Treasury, and items in any account affected
by such decisions shall be suspended and payment thereof withheld until the
Comptroller of the Treasury shall approve, disapprove, or modify such deci-
All decisions made by the Comp-
sions, and certify his actions to the auditor.
troller of the Treasury under this act shall be forthwith transmitted to the
auditor or auditors whose duties are affected thereby.-Sec. 8, ibid., p. 207.

SETTLEMENT OF CLAIMS.

73. Public accounts to be settled in the Department of the Treasury.—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 creditors, shall be settled and adjusted in the Department of the Treasury.Sec. 236, R. S.

74. Where appropriations have lapsed.-It shall be the duty of the several accounting officers of the Treasury to continue to receive, examine, and consider the justice and validity of all claims under appropriations the balances of which have been exhausted or carried to the surplus fund under the provisions of said section that may be brought before them within a period of five years. And the Secretary of the Treasury shall report the amount due each claimant, at the commencement of each session, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, who shall lay the same before Congress for consideration: Provided, That nothing in this act shall be construed to authorize the reexamination and payment of any claim, or account which has been once examined and rejected, unless reopened in accordance with existing law.-Scc. 4, act of June 14, 1878 (20 Stat., 130).

75. Accounting officers to settle claims of officers and men in military service for private property lost or destroyed.-That the proper accounting officers of the Treasury be, and they are hereby, authorized and directed to examine into, ascertain, and determine the value of the private property belonging to officers and enlisted men in the military service of the United States which has been, or may hereafter be, lost or destroyed in the military service, under the following circumstances.-Act of Mar. 3, 1885 (23 Stat., 350).

76. When loss or destruction was without fault or negligence.-First. When such loss or destruction was without fault or negligence on the part of the claimant.-Ibid.

77. When shipped by order on unseaworthy vessels.-Second. Where the private property so lost or destroyed was shipped on board an unseaworthy vessel by order of any officer authorized to give such order or direct such shipment.-Ibid.

Where

78. When lost in saving property of the United States.-Third. it appears that the loss or destruction of the private property of the claimant was in consequence of his having given his attention to the saving of the property belonging to the United States which was in danger at the same time and under similar circumstances.-Ibid.

79. Permanent appropriation in an indefinite amount.-And the amount of such loss so ascertained and determined shall be paid out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, and shall be in full for all such loss or damage.-Ibid.