Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 58 Part 1.djvu/820

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PUBLIC LAWS-CHS. 552, 553-DEC. 13, 1944 Deeember 13, 1944 [.218] [Public Law 476 [CHAPTER 552] AN ACT To authorize relief of disbursing officers of the Army on account of loss or deficiency of Government funds, vouchers, records, or papers in their charge. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Army. United States of America in Congress assembled, That the General Relief of disbursing offeras. Accounting Office shall relieve any disbursing officer of the Army charged with responsibility on account of loss or deficiency while in the line of duty, of Government funds, vouchers, records, or papers, in his charge, where such loss or deficiency occurred without fault or neg- ligence on the part of said officer: Provided, That the Secretary of War shall have determined that the officer was in the line of his duty, and the loss or deficiency occurred without fault or negligence on his part: Provided further, That the determination by the Secretary of War of the aforesaid questions shall be conclusive upon the General Applicability. Accounting Office: And provided further, That this Act shall be applicable only to the actual physical loss of Government funds, vouchers, records, or papers, and shall not include deficiencies in the accounts of disbursing officers of the Army resulting from illegal or erroneous payments. Approved December 13, 1944. [CHAPTER 553] December1, 13,19 [8. 267 [Public Law 4771 Marriage and di- vorce among certain Indian tribes. Existing bona fide Indian custom mar- riages. Divorces by State court decree only. Inheritance restric- tion. Devolution of re- stricted property. 25U.8.0. 56. AN ACT Relating to marriage and divorce among members of the Klamath and Modoc Tribes and Yahooskin Band of Snake Indians. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That from and after six months after approval of this Act no marriage thereafter entered into, to which a member of the Klamath or Modoc or Yahoo- skin Band of Snake Indians of the Klamath Indian Reservation in Oregon is a party, shall be valid for any purpose unless such mar- riage shall have been solemnized pursuant to the laws of the State in which the ceremony is performed. SEC. 2 . Bona fide Indian custom marriages with members of said tribes mentioned in section 1 existing prior to the effective date of section 1 of this Act are valid, and recordation of such marriage with the superintendent of the Klamath Indian Agency, if both parties are then living, in a book kept by him for that purpose shall be prima facie evidence of such marriage. The nonrecordation of such a mar- riage shall be prima facie evidence of the nonexistence of such marriage. SEC. 3. From and after the date of the approval of this Act, divorces in which a member of the said tribes or band of Indians is a party shall be effected only by decree of a State court of competent jurisdiction. SEC. 4 . No person shall be entitled to inherit as the surviving spouse of a deceased member of the Klamath or Modoc Tribes or Yahooskin Band of Snake Indians by virtue of a marriage entered into subsequent to the effective date of section 1 of this Act unless his or her marriage to the decedent has been solemnized in conformity with the provisions of this Act: Provided, That nothing herein con- tained shall be construed to authorize the devolution of restricted property within the Klamath Reservation to any person not qualified under the provisions of section 5 of the Act of June 1, 1938 (52 Stat. 605). Approved December 13, 1944. [58 STAT.