Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the President of the United States be, and he is hereby authorized to cause treasury notes for such sum or sums as he may think expedient, but not exceeding in the whole the sum of five millions of dollars, to be prepared, signed and issued in the manner herein after provided.

Sec. 2.  And be it further enacted, That the said treasury notes shall be reimbursed by the United States, at such places, respectively, as may be expressed on the face of the said notes, one year, respectively, after the day on which the same shall have been issued: from which day of issue they shall bear interest, at the rate of five and two-fifths per centum a year, payable to the owner and owners of such notes, at the treasury, or by the proper commissioner of loans, at the places and times respectively designated on the face of said notes for the payment of principal.

Sec. 3.  And be it further enacted, That the said treasury notes shall be respectively signed, in behalf of the United States, by persons to be appointed for that purpose by the President of the United States: two of which persons shall sign each note, and shall each receive, as a compensation for that service, at the rate of one dollar and twenty-five cents for every hundred notes thus signed by them respectively; and the said notes shall likewise be countersigned by the commissioner of loans for that state where the notes may respectively be made payable.

Sec. 4.  And be it further enacted, That the Secretary of the Treasury be, and he is hereby authorized, with the approbation of the President of the United States, to cause to be issued such portion of the said treasury notes as the President may think expedient in payment of supplies, or debts due by the United States, to such public creditors, or other persons, as may choose to receive such notes in payment, as aforesaid, at par: and the Secretary of the Treasury is further authorized, with the approbation of the President of the United States, to borrow, from time to time, not under par, such sums as the President may think expedient, on the credit of such notes.  And it shall be a good execution of this provision to pay such notes to such bank or banks as will receive the same at par and give credit to the treasurer of the United States for the amount thereof, on the day on which the said notes shall thus be issued and paid to such bank or banks respectively.

Sec. 5.  And be it further enacted, That the said treasury notes shall be transferable by delivery and assignment endorsed thereon by the person to whose order the same shall, on the face thereof, have been made payable.

Sec. 6.  And be it further enacted, That the said treasury notes, wherever made payable, shall be every where received in payment of all duties and taxes laid by the authority of the United States, and of all public lands sold by the said authority.  On every such payment, credit shall be given for the amount of both the principal and the interest which, on the day of such payment, may appear due on the note or notes thus given in payment.  And the said interest shall, on such payments, be computed at the rate of one cent and one half of a cent per day on every hundred dollars of principal, and each month shall be computed as containing thirty days.

Sec. 7.  And be it further enacted, That any person making payment to the United States in the said treasury notes into the hands of any collector, receiver of public monies, or other public officer or agent, shall, on books kept according to such forms as shall be prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury, give duplicate certificates of the number and respective amount of principal and interest of each and every treasury note thus paid by such person; and every collector, receiver of public monies, or other public officer, or agent, who shall thus receive any of the said treasury notes in payment, shall, on payment of the same into the treasury, or into one of the banks where the public monies are, or may be deposited, receive credit both for the principal and for the interest, computed as aforesaid, which, on the day of such last mentioned, payment, shall appear due on the note or notes thus paid in.  And he shall be charged for the interest accrued on such note or notes from the day on which the same shall have been received by him in payment, as aforesaid, to the day on which the same shall be paid by him as aforesaid: Provided always, that no such charge or deduction shall be made with respect to any bank into which payments as aforesaid may be made to the United States, either by individuals or by collectors, receivers or other public officers or agents, and which shall receive the same as specie, and give credit to the treasurer of the United States for the amount thereof, including the interest accrued and due on such notes on the day on which the same shall have been thus paid into such bank on account of the United States.

Sec. 8.  And be it further enacted, That the commissioners of the sinking fund be, and they are hereby authorized and directed to cause to be reimbursed and paid the principal and interest of the treasury notes which may be issued by virtue of this act, at the several time and times when the same, according to the provisions of this act, should be thus reimbursed and paid.  And the said commissioners are further authorized to make purchases of the said notes, in the same manner as of other evidences of the public debt, and at a price not exceeding par, for the amount of the principal and interest due at the time of purchase on such notes.  So much of the funds constituting the annual appropriation of eight millions of dollars, for the principal and interest of the public debt of the United States, as may be wanted for that purpose, after satisfying the sums necessary for the payment of the interest and such part of the principal of the said debt as the United States are now pledged annually to pay and reimburse, is hereby pledged and appropriated for the payment of the interest, and for the reimbursement or purchase of the principal of the said notes.  And so much of any monies in the treasury not otherwise appropriated as may be necessary for that purpose, is hereby appropriated for making up any deficiency in the funds thus pledged and appropriated for paying the principal and interest as aforesaid.

Sec. 9.  And be it further enacted, That a sum of twenty thousand dollars, to be paid out of any monies in the treasury not otherwise appropriated, be, and the same is hereby appropriated, for defraying the expense of preparing, printing, engraving, signing, and otherwise incident to the issuing of the treasury notes authorized by this act.

Sec. 10.  And be it further enacted, That if any person shall falsely make, forge, or counterfeit, or cause or procure to be falsely made, forged or counterfeited, or willingly aid or assist in falsely making, forging or counterfeiting any note in imitation of or purporting to be a treasury note aforesaid; or shall falsely alter, or cause or procure to be falsely altered, or willingly aid or assist in falsely altering any treasury note issued as aforesaid; or shall pass, utter or publish, or attempt to pass, utter or publish, as true, any false, forged or counterfeited note, purporting to be a treasury note as aforesaid, knowing the same to be falsely forged or counterfeited ; or shall pass, utter or publish, or attempt to pass, utter or publish, as true, any falsely altered treasury note, issued as aforesaid, knowing the same to be falsely altered ; every such person shall be deemed and adjudged guilty of felony, and, being thereof convicted by due course of law, shall be sentenced to be imprisoned and kept to hard labour for a period not less than three years nor more than ten years, and be fined in a sum not exceeding five thousand dollars.