to be performed, or to injure him in his person or property on account of his lawful discharge of the duties of his office, or while engaged in the lawful discharge thereof, or to injure his property so as to molest, interrupt, hinder, or impede him in the discharge of his official duties, each of such persons shall be fined not more than five thousand dollars, or imprisoned not more than six years, or both. [35 Stat. L. 1092.]

See R. S. sec. 5518, 6 Fed. Stat. Annot. 613.

SEC. 22. [Unlawful presence of troops at elections.] Every officer of the Army or Navy, or other person in the civil, military, or naval service of the United States, who orders, brings, keeps, or has under his authority or control any troops or armed men at any place where a general or special election is held in any State, unless such force be necessary to repel armed enemies of the United States, shall be fined not more than five thousand dollars and imprisoned not more than five years. [35 Stat. L. 1092.]

See R. S. sec. 5528, 2 Fed. Stat. Annot. 865.

SEC. 23. [Intimidation of voters by officers, etc., of army or navy.] Every officer or other person in the military or naval service of the United States who, by force, threat, intimidation, order, advice, or otherwise, prevents, or attempts to prevent, any qualified voter of any State from freely exercising the right of suffrage at any general or special election in such State shall be fined not more than five thousand dollars and imprisoned not more than five years. [35 Stat. L. 1092.]

See R. S. sec. 5529, 2 Fed. Stat. Annot. 865.

SEC 24. [Officers of army or navy prescribing qualifications of voters.] Every officer of the army or navy who prescribes or fixes, or attempts to prescribe or fix, whether by proclamation, order, or otherwise, the qualifications of voters at any election in any State shall be punished as provided in the preceding section. [35 Stat. L. 1092.]

See R. S. sec. 5530, 2 Fed. Stat, Annot. 865.

SEC. 25. [Officers, etc., of army or navy interfering with officers of election, etc.] Every officer or other person in the military or naval service of the United States who, by force, threat, intimidation, order, or otherwise, compels, or attempts to compel, any officer holding an election in any State to receive a vote from a person not legally qualified to vote, or who imposes, or attempts to impose, any regulations for conducting any general or special election in a State different from those prescribed by law, or who interferes in any manner with any officer of an election in the discharge of his duty, shall be punished as provided in section twenty-three. [35 Stat. L. 1092.]

See R. S. sec. 5531, 2 Fed. Stat. Annot. 865.

SEC. 26. [Persons disqualified from holding office; when soldiers, etc., may vote.] Every person convicted of any offense defined in the four preceding sections shall, in addition to the punishment therein prescribed, be disqualified from holding any office of honor, profit, or trust under the United States; but nothing therein shall be construed to prevent any officer, soldier, sailor, or marine from exercising the right of suffrage in any election district to which he may belong, if otherwise qualified according to the laws of the State in which he offers to vote. [35 Stat. L. 1093.]

See R. S. sec. 5532, 2 Fed. Stat. Annot. 865.

CHAPTER FOUR.

OFFENSES AGAINST THE OPERATIONS OF THE GOVERNMENT.

SEC. 27. [Forgery of letters patent.] Whoever shall falsely make, forge, counterfeit, or alter any letters patent granted or purporting to have been granted by the President of the United States; or whoever shall pass, utter, or publish, or attempt to pass, utter, or publish as genuine, any such forged, counterfeited, or falsely altered letters patent, knowing the same to be forged, counterfeited, or falsely altered, shall be fined not more than five thousand dollars and imprisoned not more than ten years. [35 Stat. L. 1093.]

See R. S. sec. 5416, 2 Fed. Stat. Annot. 300.

SEC. 28. [Forging bids, public records, etc.] Whoever shall falsely make, alter, forge, or counterfeit, or cause or procure to be falsely made, altered, forged, or counterfeited, or willingly aid, or assist in the false making, altering, forging, or counterfeiting, any bond, bid, proposal, contract, guarantee, security,

official bond, public record, affidavit, or other writing for the purpose of defrauding the United States; or shall utter or publish as true, or cause to be uttered or published as true, or have in his possession with the intent to utter or publish as true, any such false, forged, altered, or counterfeited bond, bid, proposal, contract, guarantee, security, official bond, public record, affidavit, or other writing, for the purpose of defrauding the United States, knowing the same to be false, forged, altered, or counterfeited; or shall transmit to, or present at, or cause or procure to be transmitted to, or presented at, the office of any officer of the United States, any such false, forged, altered, or counterfeited bond, bid, proposal, contract, guarantee, security, official bond, public record, affidavit, or other writing, knowing the same to be false, forged, altered, or counterfeited, for the purpose of defrauding the United States, shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars, or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both. [35 Stat. L. 1094.]

See R. S. sec. 5418, 2 Fed. Stat. Annot. 300; R. S. sec. 5479, 2 Fed. Stat. Annot. 313. The Revised Statutes sections largely duplicate

each other and have therefore been merged into one section.

SEC. 29. [Forging deeds, powers of attorney, etc.] Whoever shall falsely make, alter, forge, or counterfeit, or cause or procure to be falsely made, altered, forged, or counterfeited, or willingly aid or assist in the false making, altering, forging, or counterfeiting, any deed, power of attorney, order, certificate, receipt, contract, or other writing, for the purpose of obtaining or receiving, or of enabling any other person, either directly or indirectly, to obtain or receive from the United States, or any of their officers or agents, any sum of money; or whoever shall utter or publish as true, or cause to be uttered or published as true, any such false, forged, altered, or counterfeited deed, power of attorney, order, certificate, receipt, contract, or other writing, with intent to defraud the United States, knowing the same to be false, altered, forged, or counterfeited; or whoever shall transmit to, or present at, or cause or procure to be transmitted to, or presented at, any office or officer of the Government of the United States, any deed, power of attorney, order, certificate, receipt, contract, or other writing, in support of, or in relation to, any account or claim, with intent to defraud the United States, knowing the same to be false, altered, forged, or counterfeited, shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars and imprisoned not more than ten years. [35 Stat. L. 1094.]

See R. S. sec. 5421, 2 Fed. Stat. Annot. 303. The amendments consist in adding the word contract and in stating in simple language the punishment.

SEC. 30. [Having forged papers in possession.] Whoever, knowingly and with intent to defraud the United States, shall have in his possession any false, altered, forged, or counterfeited deed, power of attorney, order, certificate, receipt, contract, or other writing, for the purpose of enabling another to obtain from the United States, or from any officer or agent thereof, any sum of money, shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars, or imprisoned not more than five years, or both. [35 Stat. L. 1094.]

See R. S. sec. 5422, 2 Fed. Stat. Annot. 305. This Revised Statutes section leaves the punishment in the discretion of the court, without

fixing a maximum. The maximum is here fixed and the word "contract" added.

SEC. 31. [False acknowledgments.] Whoever, being an officer authorized to administer oaths or to take and certify acknowledgments, shall knowingly make any false acknowledgment, certificate, or statement concerning the appearance before him or the taking of an oath or affirmation by any person with

respect to any proposal, contract, bond, undertaking, or other matter, submitted to, made with, or taken on behalf of, the United States, and concerning which an oath or affirmation is required by law or regulation made in pursuance of law, or with respect to the financial standing of any principal, surety, or other party to any such proposal, contract, bond, undertaking, or other instrument, shall be fined not more than two thousand dollars, or imprisoned not more than two years, or both. [35 Stat. L. 1094.]

This section is new. As originally drafted, it was designed to reach officers making false acknowledgments in contracts, etc., with the Post Office Department, that department haying strongly recommended such a section in order to put a stop to abuses which frequently

occurred with respect to mail and other contracts. The Committee on Revision of Laws, approving the recommendation, broadened the section so as to punish false acknowledgments with respect to any contract made with or on behalf of the government.

SEC. 32. [Falsely pretending to be United States officer.] Whoever, with intent to defraud either the United States or any person, shall falsely assume or pretend to be an officer or employee acting under the authority of the United States, or any Department, or any officer of the Government thereof, and shall take upon himself to act as such, or shall in such pretended character demand or obtain from any person or from the United States, or any Department, or any officer of the Government thereof, any money, paper, document, or other valuable thing, shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars, or imprisoned not more than three years, or both. [35 Stat. L. 1095.]

See the Act of April 18, 1884, ch. 26, sec. 1, 3 Fed. Stat. Annot. 92.

SEC. 33. [False personation of holder of public stock.] Whoever shall falsely personate any true and lawful holder of any share or sum in the public stocks or debt of the United States, or any person entitled to any annuity, dividend, pension, prize money, wages, or other debt due from the United States, and, under color of such false personation, shall transfer or endeavor to transfer such public stock or any part thereof, or shall receive or endeavor to receive the money of such true and lawful holder thereof, or the money of any person really entitled to receive such annuity, dividend, pension, prize money, wages, or other debt, shall be fined not more than five thousand dollars and imprisoned not more than ten years. [35 Stat. L. 1095.]

See R. S. sec. 5435, 3 Fed. Stat. Annot. 92.

SEC. 34. [False demand on fraudulent power of attorney.] Whoever shall knowingly or fraudulently demand or endeavor to obtain any share or sum in the public stocks of the United States, or to have any part thereof transferred, assigned, sold, or conveyed, or to have any annuity, dividend, pension, prize money, wages, or other debt due from the United States, or any part thereof, received, or paid by virtue of any false, forged, or counterfeited power of attorney, authority, or instrument, shall be fined not more than five thousand dollars and imprisoned not more than ten years. [35 Stat. L. 1095.]

See R. S. sec. 5436, 2 Fed. Stat. Annot. 309.

SEC. 35. [Making or presenting false claims.] Whoever shall make or cause to be made, or present or cause to be presented, for payment or approval, to or by any person or officer in the civil, military, or naval service of the United States, any claim upon or against the Government of the United States, or any department or officer thereof, knowing such claim to be false, fictitious, or fraudulent; or whoever, for the purpose of obtaining or aiding to obtain the payment or approval of such claim, shall make or use, or cause to be made or

used, any false bill, receipt, voucher, roll, account, claim, certificate, affidavit, or deposition, knowing the same to contain any fraudulent or fictitious statement or entry; or whoever shall enter into any agreement, combination, or conspiracy to defraud the Government of the United States, or any department or officer thereof, by obtaining or aiding to obtain the payment or allowance of any false or fraudulent claim; or whoever, having charge, possession, custody, or control of any money or other public property used or to to [sic] be used in the military or naval service, with intent to defraud the United States or willfully to conceal such money or other property, shall deliver or cause to be delivered, to any other person having authority to receive the same, any amount of such money or other property less than that for which he received a certificate or took a receipt; or whoever, being authorized to make or deliver any certificate, voucher, receipt, or other paper certifying the receipt of arms, ammunition, provisions, clothing, or other property so used or to be used, shall make or deliver the same to any other person without a full knowledge of the truth of the facts stated therein, and with intent to defraud the United States, shall be fined not more than five thousand dollars, or imprisoned not more than five years, or both. And whoever shall knowingly purchase or receive in pledge for any obligation or indebtedness from any soldier, officer, sailor, or other person called into or employed in the military or naval service, any arms, equipruents, ammunition, clothes, military stores, or other public property, whether furnished to the soldier, sailor, officer, or person, under a clothing allowance or otherwise, such soldier, sailor, officer, or other person not having the lawful right to pledge or sell the same, shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars, and imprisoned not more than two years. [35 Stat. L. 1095.]

See R. S. sec. 5438, 2 Fed. Stat. Annot. 31. That section was amended by the Act of May 30, 1908, ch. 235, 35 Stat. L. 555, but the

amending act is one of those repealed by section 341 of this act.

SEC. 36. [Embezzling arms, stores, etc.] Whoever shall steal, embezzle, or knowingly apply to his own use, or unlawfully sell, convey, or dispose of, any ordnance, arms, ammunition, clothing, subsistence, stores, money, or other property of the United States, furnished or to be used for the military or naval service, shall be punished as prescribed in the preceding section. [35 Stat. L. 1096.]

See R. S. sec. 5439, 4 Fed. Stat. Annot. 790.

SEC. 37. [Conspiracy to commit offense against the United States; all parties liable for acts of one.] If two or more persons conspire either to commit any offense against the United States, or to defraud the United States in any manner or for any purpose, and one or more of such parties do any act to effect the object of the conspiracy, each of the parties to such conspiracy shall be fined not more than ten thousand dollars, or imprisoned not more than two years, or both. [35 Stat. L. 1096.]

See R. S. sec. 5440, 2 Fed. Stat. Annot. 247.

SEC. 38. [Delaying or defrauding captor or claimant, etc., of prize property.] Whoever shall willfully do, or aid or advise in the doing, of any act relating to the bringing in, custody, preservation, sale, or other disposition of any property captured as prize, or relating to any documents or papers connected with the property, or to any deposition or other document or paper connected with the proceedings, with intent to defraud, delay, or injure the United States or any captor or claimant of such property, shall be fined not more than