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NARA1272

INSTRUCTIONS RELATIVE TO PUBLIC MONEYS AND OFFICIAL CHECKS OF UNITED STATES DISBURSING OFFICERS.

All public money advanced to Disbursing Officers of the United States must be deposited immediately, to their respective credits, with either the United States Treasurer, some Assistant Treasurer, or Designated Depository, other than a National Bank Depository, nearest or most convenient; or, by special direction of the Secretary of the Treasury, with a National Bank Depository, except-
(1.) Each Disbursing Officer of the War Department, specially authorized by the Secretary of War, when stationed on the extreme frontier or at places far remote from such Depositories, may keep, at his own risk, such moneys as may be intrusted him for disbursement.
(2.) Any officer receiving money remitted to him upon specific estimates, will at once disburse the same accordingly, without waiting to place it in a Depository, if the payments are due, and he prefers this method to that of drawing checks.
[A.] Any Disbursing Officer may draw checks in favor of himself or bearer for such amounts as may be necessary [1] to pay sums under twenty dollars; [2] to pay (a) fixed salaries due at a certain period, he may withdraw the necessary amount by checks two days before the salaries are to be paid; (b) to make payments at a distance from a Depository, he may withdraw the necessary amount by check.
[B.] Any Disbursing Officer of the War Department, specially designated by the Secretary of War, may also draw by checks payable to himself or bearer the amount of his regular monthly pay-rolls or vouchers, not to exceed five days before the regular date when payment of such pay-rolls or vouchers is due.
All Disbursing Officers or Agents, except Pension Agents, drawing checks on moneys deposited to their official credit, must state on the face or back of each check the object or purpose to which the avails are to be applied. Such statement may be made in brief form, but must clearly indicate the object of the expenditure, as for instance "pay," "pay-roll," or "payment of troops," adding the fort or station, "purchase of subsistence," or other supplies, "on contract for construction," mentioning the fortification or other public work for which the payment is made, &c.
Pension Agents drawing checks in favor of themselves, or in favor of any person other than a pensioner, must furnish a list, containing the names of the persons to whom payment is to be made from the avails, and the amounts payable to each.
Transfer Checks drawn by one Disbursing Officer in favor of another will be used only to effect a transfer of credit from the drawer to the payee in the Depository where they are payable and to which they should be transmitted by the payee for such purpose.
Excepting checks of Pension Agents in favor of pensioners, and "bounty checks," Public Depositaries are not required to pay checks of Disbursing Officers made payable in the
alternative, to any person or his order. They may, however, pay them when drawn to order if satisfied of the genuineness of the indorsements and sufficient funds remain to the credit of the drawer.
Checks will not be returned to the drawer after their payment, but the Depositary with whom the account is kept shall furnish the officer with a monthly statement of his deposit account.
No allowance will be made to any Disbursing Officer for expenses charged for collecting money on checks.
In case of the death, resignation, or removal of any Disbursing Officer, checks previously drawn by him will be paid from the funds at his credit, unless said checks have been drawn more than four months before the presentation thereof, or reasons exist for suspecting fraud.
Each Disbursing Officer is required, when first opening a disbursing account, to furnish his official signature to the officer on whom the checks are drawn before drawing such checks.
A receipt of this form shall be given for every deposit made by a Disbursing Officer's check, which shall show, besides its serial number and the place and date of issue, the character of the funds, i.e., whether coin or currency; and if the credit is made by a Disbursings Officer's check, transferring funds to another Disbursing Officer, the essential items of the check shall be ennumerated; if by a Treasury draft, like items shall be given, including the warrant number. The title of each officer shall be expressed, and the title of the disbursing account shall also show for what branch of the public service the account is kept, it being essential for the proper transaction of Department's business that moneys advanced to a Disbursing Officer serving in two or more distinct capacities, from different bureaus, be kept separate and distinct from each other, and be so reported to the Department both by the Officer and the Depositary.
These regulations are intended to supersede those of May 27, 1857, November 10, 1866, January 18, 1868, November 23, 1869, July 14, 1871, October 10, 1871. and November 24, 1871.
(See Acts of August 6, 1846; March 3, 1857; June 14,1866.) TREASURY DEPARTMENT, January 2, 1872.
GEO. S. BOUTWELL,
Secretary of the Treasury.