[CHAPTER 419-1ST SESSION]

[S. 1773]

AN ACT

To provide that no statute of limitations shall apply to offenses punishable by death.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That an indictment for any offense punishable by death may be found at any time without regard to any statute of limitations.

SEC. 2. This Act shall not authorize prosecution, trial, or punishment for any offense now barred by the provisions of existing law. Approved, August 4, 1939.

(152)

[CHAPTER 429-1ST SESSION]

[8. 185]

AN ACT

To amend section 224 of the Criminal Code so as to penalize the making of false claims for the loss of insured mail matter.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That section 224 of the Criminal Code (35 Stat. 1133; U. S. C., title 18, sec. 354) be, and the same is hereby, amended to read as follows:

"SEC. 224. Whoever shall make, allege, or present, or cause to be made, alleged, or presented, or assist, aid, or abet in making, alleging, or presenting, any claim or application for indemnity for the loss of any registered or insured letter, parcel, package, or other article or matter, or the contents thereof, knowing such claim or application to be false, fictitious, or fraudulent; or whoever for the purpose of obtaining or aiding to obtain the payment or approval of any such claim or application, shall make or use, or cause to be made or used, any false statement, certificate, affidavit, or deposition; or whoever shall knowingly and willfully misrepresent, or misstate, or, for the purpose aforesaid, shall knowingly and willfully conceal any material fact or circumstance in respect of any such claim or application for indemnity, shall be fined not more than $500 or imprisoned not more than one year, or both, except in cases where the amount of such claim or application for indemnity is less than $100 there may be imposed a fine only."

Approved, August 5, 1939.

[CHAPTER 434-1ST SESSION]

[S. 1874]

AN ACT

To amend the Criminal Code in regard to obtaining money by false pretenses on the high seas.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Criminal Code of the United States be amended by inserting after section 288 the following section:

"SEC. 288A. Whoever, upon the high seas or on any waters within the admiralty and maritime jurisdiction of the United States and out of the jurisdiction of any particular State, or within the admiralty and maritime jurisdiction of the United States and out of the jurisdiction of any particular State on board any vessel belonging in whole or in part to the United States or any citizen thereof or to any corporation created by or under the laws of the United States, or of any State, Territory, or District thereof, by any fraud, or false pretense whatsoever with intent to defraud, obtains from any person anything of value, or procures the execution and delivery of any instrument of writing or conveyance of real or personal property, or the signature of any person, as maker, endorser, or guarantor, to or upon any bond, bill, receipt, promissory note, draft, or check, or any other evidence of indebtedness or fraudulently sells, barters, or disposes of any bond, bill, receipt, promissory note, draft, or check, or other evidence of indebtedness, for value, knowing the same to be worthless, or knowing the signature of the maker, endorser, or guarantor thereof to have been obtained by any false pretenses, shall be fined not more than $5,000 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both."

Approved, August 5, 1939.

[CHAPTER 501-1ST SESSION]

[S. 188]

AN ACT

To provide for the administration of the United States courts, and for other

purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Judicial Code is hereby amended by adding at the end thereof a new chapter to be numbered XV and entitled "The Administration of the United States Courts", as follows:

"CHAPTER XV-THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE UNITED STATES COURTS

"SEC. 302. There shall be at the seat of government an establishment to be known as the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, with a Director at the head thereof who shall be appointed by the Supreme Court of the United States and hold office at the pleasure of and be subject to removal by the aforesaid Court. There shall be in said establishment an Assistant Director, to be appointed and hold office in like manner, who shall perform such duties as may be assigned to him by the Director and, during the absence or incapacity of the Director or during a vacancy in that office, shall act as Director. The Director and Assistant Director shall receive annual salaries of $10,000 and $7,500, respectively. The Director shall cause a seal of office to be made for the said establishment of such design as the Supreme Court of the United States shall approve, and judicial notice shall be taken of the said seal.

"SEC. 303. The Director, with the approval of the Supreme Court, shall have authority, subject to the civil-service laws, to appoint such employees as are deemed necessary to perform the functions and duties vested in said establishment by this chapter, and the Director shall fix their compensation according to the Classification Act of 1923, as amended. During his term of office or employment, no officer or employee of said establishment shall engage directly or indirectly in the practice of law in any of the courts of the United States.

"SEC. 304. The Director shall be the administrative officer of the United States courts and shall have charge, under the supervision and direction of the conference of senior circuit judges, of

"(1) All administrative matters relating to the offices of the clerks and other clerical and administrative personnel of the courts, but nothing contained in this chapter shall be construed as affecting the authority of the courts to appoint their administrative or clerical personnel, or the authority of the Attorney General respecting United States marshals and their deputies, United States attorneys and their assistants;

"(2) Examining the state of the dockets of the various courts and securing information as to their needs for assistance, if any, and the preparation of statistical data and reports of the business transacted by the courts, and promptly transmitting the information so obtained quarterly to the senior circuit judges of the respective circuits, to the end that proper action may be taken with respect thereto, but inspections of the dockets of the courts outside the continental United States shall be made through officials of the United States Government residing within the jurisdiction, respectively, of the said courts; "(3) The disbursement, directly and through the several United States marshals as now provided by law, of the moneys appropriated for the maintenance, support, and operation of the courts;

"(4) The purchase, exchange, transfer, and distribution of equipment and supplies;

"(5) The examination and audit of vouchers and accounts of the officials and employees covered by this chapter;

"(6) The providing of accommodations for the use of the courts and the various officials and employees covered by this chapter; and "(7) Such other matters as may be assigned to him by the Supreme Court and the conference of the senior circuit judges. The clerks of the district courts, their deputies and assistants, and all other employees of said courts shall comply with any and all requests made by the Director or one of his assistants for information and statistical data bearing on the state of the dockets of such courts.

"SEC. 305. The Director, under the supervision of the conference of senior circuit judges, shall prepare and submit annually to the Bureau of the Budget estimates of the expenditures and appropriations necessary for the maintenance and operation of the United States courts and the administrative office of the United States courts, and such supplemental and deficiency estimates as may be required from time to time for the same purposes, in accordance with the provisions of the Budget and Accounting Act. Such estimates in respect of the circuit courts of appeals, the district courts of the United States, and the courts hereinafter referred to in the Territories and possessions, and of the administrative office shall be approved by the conference of senior circuit judges before their presentation to the Bureau of the Budget. Such estimates in respect to the United States Court of Customs and Patent Appeals, the Court of Claims, and the United States Customs Court shall be approved by the judges of such courts, respectively, before submission to the Bureau of the Budget. All estimates so submitted shall be included in the Budget without revision (but subject to the recommendations of the Bureau of the Budget thereon), in the same manner as is provided for the estimates of the Supreme Court by section 201 of said Act. The Director shall submit annually to the conference of senior circuit judges a report of the activities of the administrative office and of the state of business of the courts, together with the statistical data compiled and submitted by him to the senior circuit judges as provided by clause 2 of section 304, with his recommendations. Such report shall be filed at least two weeks prior to the annual meeting of the conference, and a copy thereof shall also be filed with the Congress and with the Attorney General. Such report shall be a public document.