THIRTYFOURTH CONGRESS. Sess. I. Ch. 127. 1856. 61 States of the United`Statas, who shall not be lawfully authorized s0 to do, shall grant, issue, or verify any passport, or other instrument in the nature of a passport, to or for any citizen of the United States, or to or for any person claiming to be or designated as such in suclrpassport or verification, or if any consular officer who shall be authorized to grant, issue, or verify passports, shall knowingly and wilful1y grant, issue, or verify any such passport to or for any person not a citizen of the United States, the gerson so 0H`endi¤g shall be deemed and taken to be guilty of 2. misdemeanor, and on conviction thereof shall be imprisoned not exceeding one year, or Eued in a. sum not to exceed Eve hundred dollars, or both, and may be charged, proceeded against, trim}, convicted, and dealt with therefor in the district where he may be arrested or in custody; and it shall be the duty of all persons who shall be authorized, pursuant to the provisions of this act, to grant, issue, or verify passports, to make return of the same to the Secretary of State, in such manner and as often as he shall require ; and such returns shall specify the names and all other particulars of the persons to whom the same shall be granted, issued, or verified, as embraced in such passport: Provided, That in any country where a Iegation of the United States is established, no person other than the diplomatic representative of the United Stabcs, at such place shall bc permitted to grant or issue any passport, except in the absence therefrom of such representative. Sec. 24. And be it further enacted, That every secretary of lcgation Seqreanries of and consular officcr is hereby authorized, whenever he shall be required ;£:'°““z;;;; or may deem it necessary or proper so to do, at the post, port, place, or may admiuisfgr within the limits of his legation, cohsulabc, or commercial agency, to oaths! wd Mt ¤¤ administer to or take from any person an oath, ai·fu·mation, affidavit, or ”°“‘"°°‘ deposition, and also to perform any notarial act; or acts such as any notary public is required or authorized by law to do or perform within the United States ; and every such oath, aiirmatiou, aiidavit, deposition, and notarial act administered, sworn, aiirmed, taken, had, or done, by or bcibre any such` officer, when certified under his band and seal of office, shall be as good, valid, effectual, and of like force and effect within the United States, to all intents and purposes, as if such oath, affirmation, a,tHdaviI:, deposition, or notarial act had been administered, sworn, aflirmed, taken, had, or done, by or before any other person within the United States duly authorized and competent thereto; and if any person shall wilful1y and corruptly commit perjury, or by any means procure any penalty go, person to commit pmjury in any such oath, afiirmation, afidavit, or depo- pegzry in such sition, within the intent and meaning of any act of Congress now 01·°“ hereafter made, such offender may be charged, proceeded against, triad, convicted, and dealt with in any district of the United States, in tho same manner, in all respects, as if such offcncc had been committed in the United States, before any ciicer duly authorized therein to administer cr take such oath, affirmation, affidavit, or deposition, and shall be subject to the same punishment and disability therefor as are or shall be prescribed by any such act for such offence; and any document purporting to have afiixed, impressed or subscribed thereto or thereon the seal and signature of the 0Hicar administering or taking the same in testimony thereof; shall bc admitted in evidence without proof ofany such seal or signature being Evidence of genuine or of the oficial character of such person; and if any person the '¤¤ki¤S $**16 shall forge any such seal or signature, or shall tender in evidence any mth'? f such document with a false or counterfeit seal or signature thereto, know- Mgingudgmgf ing the same to be false or counterfeit, he shall be deemed and taken to cams of oaths. bc guilty of a misdemeanor, and on conviction shall be imprisoned not exceeding three years nor less than one year, and fined in 2. sum not to exceed three thousand dollars, and may be charged, proceeded against, tried, convicocd, and dealt with, therefbr, in the district where he may be arrested or in custody.
