"I, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will demean myself as an attorney before the Post Office Department uprightly and according to law. So help me, God." (4) An applicant for admission to practice must address a letter to the Postmaster General, giving his full name and post office address, and inclosing a certificate of the state, territory or District court, duly authenticated under the seal of the court, that he is an attorney in good standing, also a certificate from the judge of the state, territorial, or District court, duly authenticated under the seal of the court, that such person is of good moral and professional character, and also the oath above required. He must state whether he has ever been suspended or disbarred from practice. He must also state whether he holds any office of trust or profit under the government of the United States, and if he does not at the time hold such office, but ever did, the time of his relinquishment of said office must be given.23 (5) The Postmaster General may demand additional proof of qualification, and reserves the right to decline to recognize any attorney applying for practice before this department.23 (6) No attorney disbarred from practice in this department, or any other executive department, will be placed upon said list until said order of disbarment shall have been revoked. Any attorney who, subsequently to being placed on said list, is disbarred by any other executive department, will be deemed suspended from practice in this department during the pendency of said order of disbar ment. (7) No person who has been an officer, clerk, or employee in this department will be recognized as counsel or attorney for prosecuting any case or matter before this department or any office thereof, with which he was in any wise connected while he was such officer, clerk, or employee. (8) No attorney who has been appointed or generally retained by or for this department will be recognized as attorney before this department or any office thereof for two years next after he shall have ceased to act under such appointment or retainer. (9) No person falling within either of the following prohibitions of the law will be recognized: "Every officer of the United States, or person holding any place of trust or profit, or discharging any official function under or in connection with, any executive of the government of the United States, or under the Senate or House of Representatives of the United States, who acts as an agent or attorney for prosecuting any claim against the United States, or in any manner or by any means, otherwise than in the discharge of his proper official duties, aids or assists in the prosecuting or support of any such claim or receives any gratuity, or any share of or interest in any claim from any claimant against the United States, with intent to aid or assist, or in consideration of having aided or assisted, in the prosecution of such claim, shall pay a fine of not more than five thousand dollars, or suffer imprisonment not more than one year, or both." "It shall not be lawful for any person appointed after the first day of June, one thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, as an officer, clerk, or employee in any of the departments, to act as counsel, attorney, or agent for prosecuting any claim against the United States, which was pending in either of said departments, while he was such officer, clerk, or employee, nor in any manner, nor by any means, to aid in the prosecution of any such claim, within two years next after he shall have ceased to be such officer, clerk, or employee." (10) The head of any office may require an attorney to present satisfactory evidence of his authority to represent the person for whom he appears.. (11) If the head of an office have reason to believe, or if complaint be made to him, that any attorney is guilty of any improper practices in connection with any matter before an office of this department, the head of such office shall investigate the matter, giving the attorney due notice, together with a statement of the charge against him, and allow him opportunity to be heard in the premises. If on the investigation it shall appear that the charge is sustained, the head of the office shall transmit all the papers in connection therewith, together with a report on the case and such recommendation as to disbarment or suspension from practice as he may deem proper, to the Postmaster General, who will within his discretion disbar or suspend such attorney. (12) Upon the disbarment of an attorney, notice thereof will be given to the heads of the offices of this department and to the other executive departments, and thereafter, until otherwise ordered, such disbarred person will not be recognized as attorney before the Post Office Department or any office thereof. 249* |