486 FORTY-SEVENTH CONGRESS. Sess. II. Ch. 116, 117. 1883. or from whom such supplies or stores were taken, did not give any aid or comfort to said rebellion, but was throughout that war loyal to the Loyalty to be a government of the United States, and the t31ct of such loyalty nhell be j¤¥i°di°*i°¤“m*°*- a jurisdictional fact; and unless the said court shall, on zi preliminary inquiry, find that the person who furnished such supplies or stores, or from whom the same were taken us aforesaid, was loyal to the Government of the United States throughout said war, the court shall not have · jurisdiction of such cause, and the same shall, without further proceedings, be dismissed. _ _ 1;,,,;,,,,,, ,,,6 for Sec. 5. That the Attomey—Gener:1], or his assistants, under his direc- I °7 . • • t1mUnited States. tion, shall appear for the defense and protectmu of the interests of the United States in all cases which may be transmitted to the Court of Claims under this act, with the same power to iutcrpose couiiterjclaiims, offsets, defenses for fraud practiced or attempted to be practiced by claimants, and other defenses, in like manner as he is now required to defend the United States in said court. · pam,,, in mm-. Sec. 6. That in the trial of such cases no person shall be excluded as estmay twtifyptc. a witness because he or she is 2. party to or interested in the same. gown, ,,;-4;,,,,1-; Sec. 7. That reports of the Court of Claims to Congress under this act, of Claims may be if not Emmy acted upon during the session at which they are reported, °°¤?i¤“°d» °*°·»f°*' shall be continued hom session to session and from Congress to Con- “°°‘°“‘ gress until the same shall be finally acted upon. Approved, March 3, 1883. Man 3, 1g8g_ CHAP. 117.-Au act to ratify the issuance of duplicate checks in certain cases by .._._t..; the superintendent of the mint of the United States at Sun Francisco {mmm., of du- Whereas, Henry L. Dodge, as superintendents of the United States plicsye checks in mint at San Francisco, California, did, on January thirteenth, anno §*;’*°'P t°’3‘;t*€’ Domini eighteen hundred and eighty-one, draw_ three certain checks S_ Q?,;;' gg,. Frm; upon the assistant treasurer of the United States at New York, all dated gigcq, 1Q5g0d, 0u_Lhat day, and all payable to Robert B. Hill, or order, to-wit: One Preamble- numbered twenty-four hundred and eighty, for twenty thousand dollars; one numbered twenty-four hundred and eiglityono, for nineteen thousand five hnmlred dollars; and one numbered twenty-four hundred and eighty-two, for two thousand tivo hundred dollars, and all delivered to said Hill in purchase of silver bullion for the United States; and Whereas in was thereafter modern satisfactorily appear to said Dodge that the said three checks had been, in due course of business, sold, as- { signed, and delivered to Wells, Fargo and Company, :1 banking and express corpomtion doing business within the United States, and having an office at said city of San Francisco, and that after such sale and delivery, aud while in the custody of said corporation, the said three cheeks had been destroyed by fire; and Whereas thereafter, to-wit, on the twentyfifth day of February, anno Domini eighteen hundred and eightyone, upon the application of said corporation, the said Dodge, as superintendent as ntoresaid, did issue and deliver to said corporation duplicate or second originals of all three of said checks: Therefore, _ _ Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United R¢¤6<=¤¤¢>¤- States of America in Congress assembled, That all acts of the said Dodge, as such superintendent as atbresaid, in issuing said duplicate checks, Pnwiw. are hcreby_ra.t1iicd and confirmed: Provided, That the said corporation shall, within three months from the passage of this act, execute uml deliver to the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, u. bond, wrtii sufficiont sureties, to be approved by the assistant treasurer of the ( United States ot, San Francisco, conditioned to indemnify the United States against any loss or damage that may arise by the issuance by said three duplicate checks. Approved, March 3, 1883.
