any greater inferiority shall appear, it shall be certified to basing the coins. SEC. 19. And be it further enacted, That if any of the gold Penalty on de- or silver coins which shall be struck or coined at the said mint shall be debased or made worse as to the proportion of fine gold or fine silver therein contained, or shall be of less weight or value than the same ought to be pursuant to the directions of this act, through the default or with the connivance of any of the officers or persons who shall be employed at the said mint, for the purpose of profit or gain, or otherwise with a faudulent intent, and if any of the said officers or persons shall embezzle any of the metals which shall at any time be committed to their charge for the pur pose of being coined, or any of the coins which shall be struck or coined at the said mint, every such officer or per- son who shall commit any or either of the said offenses, shall be deemed guilty of felony, and shall suffer death. Money of ac- pressed in dol- lars, &c. R. S., 3563, post, SEC. 20. And be it further enacted, That the money of ac- thousandths, a disme being a tenth part of a dollar, a cent p. 125. the hundredth part of a dollar, a mille the thousandth part of a dollar, and that all accounts in public offices and all pro- ceedings in the courts of the United States shall be kept and CHAP. II.-AN ACT TO AMEND AN ACT ENTITLED "AN ACT ES- Jan. 14, 1793. Vol. 1, p. 299. 1792, ch. 16, ante, cents. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of Act of April 2, four grains of copper; and that so much of the act, entitled March 3, 1795, s. "An Act establishing a mint, and regulating the coins of the 8, post, p 9. United States," as respects the weight of cents and half ruary 21, 1857, s. March 3, 1795. Vol. 1, p. 439. Act of April 2, 1792, ante, p. 1. cer of the mint the melter and refiner. His duty. CHAP. XLVII.-AN ACT SUPPLEMENTARY TO THE ACT ENTITLED "AN SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, Additional offi- and it is hereby enacted and declared, That for the better by the name of conducting of the business of the mint of the United States there shall be an additional officer appointed therein by the name of the melter and refiner, whose duty shall be to take charge of all copper, and silver or gold bullion delivered out by the Treasurer of the mint after it has been assayed, agreeably to the rules and customs of the mint already directed and established, or which may hereafter be directed and established by the accounting officers of the Treasury, and to reduce the same into bars or ingots fit for the rolling mills, and then to deliver them to the coiner or treasurer, as the director shall judge expedient; and to do and perform all other duties belonging to the office of a melter and refiner or which shall be ordered by the director of the mint. To take oath and give security. His compensa tion. President may make temporary SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the melter and refiner of the said mint shall, before he enters upon the execution of his said office, take an oath or affirmation before some judge of the United States, faithfully and diligently to perform the duties thereof. And also shall become bound to the United States of America, with one or more sureties to the satisfaction of the Secretary of the Treasury, in the sum of six thousand dollars, with condition for the faithful and diligent performance of the several duties of his office. SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That there shall be allowed and paid, to the said melter and refiner of the mint as a compensation for his services, the yearly salary of fifteen hundred dollars. SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That the director of the appointment. mint be, and hereby is authorized, with the approbation of the President of the United States, to employ such person as he may judge suitable to discharge the duties of the melter and refiner, until a melter and refiner shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice of the Senate. Treasurer of tain part of bull SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That the treasurer of the the mint to re- mint shall, and he is hereby directed, to retain two cents ion deposited, &c. per ounce from every deposit of silver bullion below the standard of the United States, which hereafter shall be made for the purpose of refining and coining; and four cents per ounce from every deposit of gold bullion made as aforesaid, below the standard of the United States, unless the same shall be so far below the standard as to require the operation of the test, in which case, the treasurer shall retain six cents per ounce, which sum so retained shall be accounted for by the said treasurer with the treasury of the United States, as a compensation for melting and refining the same. of the mint shall receive certain ion. SEC. 6. And be it further enacted, That the treasurer of the Treasurer mint shall not be obliged to receive from any person, for the not be obliged to purpose of refining and coining, any deposit of silver bullion, deposits of bullbelow the standard of the United States, in a smaller quantity than two hundred ounces; nor a like deposit of gold bullion below the said standard, in a smaller quantity than twenty ounces. Officers of the mint may give a preference to bullion of the standard of the United States. SEC. 7. And be it further enacted, That from and after the passing of this act, it shall and may be lawful for the officers of the mint to give a preference to silver or gold bullion, deposited for coinage, which shall be of the standard of the United States, so far as respects the coining of the same, although bullion below the standard, and not yet refined, may have been deposited for coinage, previous thereto, any law to the contrary notwithstanding; Provided, That noth- 15, ante, p. 5. ing herein shall justifiy the officers of the mint, or any one of them, in unnecessarily delaying the refining any silver or gold bullion below the standard, that may be deposited, as aforesaid. 1792, ch. 16, sec reduce the per coin. SEC. 8. And be it further enacted, That the President of President may the United States be, and he is hereby authorized, when- weight of copever he shall think it for the benefit of the United States, to reduce the weight of the copper coin of the United States; Provided, such reduction shall not, in the whole, exceed two pennyweights in each cent, and in a like proportion in a half cent; of which he shall give notice by proclamation,* and communicate the same to the then next Congress. SEC. 9. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of the treasurer of the United States, from time to time, as often as he shall receive copper cents and half cents from the treasurer of the mint, to send them to the bank or branch banks of the United States, in each of the states where such bank is established; and where there is no bank established, then to the collector of the principal town in such state (in the proportion of the number of inhabitants of such state) to be by such bank or collector, paid out to the citizens of the state for cash, in sums not less than ten dollars value; and that the same be done at the risk and expense of the United States, under such regulations as shall be prescribed by the department of the treasury. Approved, March 3, 1795. *Weight changed by proclamation of the President, January 26, 1796. Mode of dis tribution of cents and half cents. June 28, 1834. weight of coins. 3. 18, 1837, s. 8, post, p. 13. CHAP. XCV.-AN ACT CONCERNING THE GOLD COINS OF THE UNITED Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of Standard and the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That the See act of Apri gold coins of the United States shall contain the following 2,1792, 8.9, ante, quantities of metal that is to say; each eagle shall contain Act of January two hundred and thirty two grains of pure gold, and two hundred and fifty-eight grains of standard gold; each half eagle one hundred and sixteen grains of pure gold, and one hundred and twenty nine grains of standard gold; each quarter eagle shall contain fifty-eight grains of pure gold, and sixty-four and a half grains of standard gold; every such eagle shall be of the value of ten dollars; every such half eagle shall be of the value of five dollars; and every such quarter eagle shall be of the value of two dollars and fifty cents; and the said gold coins shall be receivable in all payments when of full weight according to their respective values; and when of less than full weight, at less values, proportioned to their respective actual weights. Gold and silver deposited for paid for within five days. SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That all standard gold coinage to be or silver deposited for coinage after the thirty first of July next, shall be paid for in coin under the direction of the Secretary of the Treasury, within five days from the making of such deposit, deducting from the amount of said deposit of gold and silver one half of one per centum; Provided, That no deduction shall be made unless said advance be required by such depositor within forty days. Proviso. Rate at which gold coin shall be receivable. Gold coins to be set apart for assay. 2, 1792, s. 18. ante, p. 6. SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That all gold coins of the United States, minted anterior to the thirty first day of July next, shall be receivable in all payments at the rate of ninety four and eight-tenths of a cent per pennyweight. SEC. 4; And be it further enacted, That the better to secure a conformity of the said gold coins to their respective standards as aforesaid, from every separate mass of standard gold which shall be made into coins at the said mint, there shall be taken, set apart by the treasurer and reserved in his custody, a certain number of pieces, not less than three, See act of April and that once in every year the pieces so set apart and reserved shall be assayed under the inspection of the officers, and at the time, and in the manner now provided by law, and, if it shall be found that the gold so assayed, shall not be inferior to the said standard, hereinbefore declared, more than one part in three hundred and eighty four in fineness, and one part in five hundred in weight, the officer or officers of the said mint, whom it may concern, shall be held excusable; but if any great inferiority shall appear, it shall be certified to the President of the United States, and if he shall so decide, the said officer or officers, shall be thereafter disqualified to hold their respective offices; Provided, That if, making any delivery of coin at the mint in payment of a deposit, the weight thereof shall be found defective, the officer concerned shall be responsible to the owner for the full weight, if claimed at the time of delivery. SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That this act shall be Act to be in force after July in force from and after the thirty first day of July, in the 31, 1834. year one thousand eight-hundred and thirty-four. Approved, June 28, 1834. CHAP. III.-AN ACT SUPPLEMENTARY TO THE ACT ENTITLED "AN Jan. 18, 1837. Vol. 5, p. 136. Officers. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of Act of April 2, 1792, ante, p. 1. the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the officers of the mint of the United States shall be a director, a treasurer, an assayer, a melter and refiner, a chief coiner and an engraver, to be appointed by the President of the United States, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the respective du. Duties of. ties of the officers of the mint shall be as follows: First. The director shall have the control and manage- Director. ment of the mint, the superintendence of the officers and persons employed therein and the general regulation and supervision of the business of the several branches. And in the month of January of every year he shall make report to the President of the United States of the operations of the mint and its branches for the year preceding. And also to the Secretary of the Treasury, from time to time, as said Secretary shall require, setting forth all the operations of the mint subsequent to the last report made upon the subject. Second. The treasurer shall receive, and safely keep all Treasurer. moneys which shall be for the use and support of the mint; shall keep all the current accounts of the mint, and pay all moneys.due by the mint, on warrants from the director. He shall receive all bullion brought to the mint for coinage; shall be the keeper of all bullion and coin in the mint, except while the same is legally placed in the hands of other officers, and shall on warrants from the director, deliver all coins struck at the mint to the persons to whom they shall |