Where the ministerial officers of the United States incur extraordinary expense in executing Acts of Congress, the payment of which is not specifically provided for, the Attorney General may allow the payment thereof.
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., §577 (R.S. §846; Feb. 18, 1875, ch. 80, §1, Stat. 318; May 28, 1896, ch. 252, §13, 29 Stat. 183; May 27, 1908, ch. 200, §1, 35 Stat. 375; Mar. 3, 1911, ch. 231, §291, 36 Stat. 1167; Feb. 26, 1919, ch. 49, §7, 40 Stat. 1182; Oct. 13, 1941, ch. 431, §1, 55 Stat. 736).
Provision for payment of expenses under section 577 of title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., from appropriations for expenses of the judiciary was omitted as unnecessary. Such expenses are carried in the Judiciary Appropriation Acts and will continue without this provision.
The first sentence of said section 577 is incorporated in section 551 of this title.
The qualifying phrase "under the special taxation of the district court in which the said services have been or shall be rendered, to be paid from the appropriation for defraying the expenses of the Judiciary," was omitted, and the functions of allowing extraordinary expenses was vested in the Attorney General instead of the President. Neither the President nor the district judge should be burdened with such duty since the Attorney General only has the information upon which to act.
Changes were made in phraseology.