PROSECUTIONS 199 



In all cases within military territory the period of time is a 

 fortnight. 



The registration may be paid for by instalments. 



ART. 153. Offences or trespasses against forest property shall 

 be proved by reports, or by witnesses in default of reports, in case 

 these documents are insufficient. 



ART. 154. Reports invested with all the formalities pre- 

 scribed by Arts. 146 and 149, and which are written and signed 

 by two French Waters and Forests officers, shall be taken as 

 proofs until they have been disproved of material facts relating 

 to the trespasses and offences which they describe, whatever 

 may be the convictions to which these offences and trespasses 

 may lead. Consequently, no proofs beyond or against the 

 material (facts) of these reports will be admitted unless legal 

 ground exists for challenging one of the signatories. 



ART. 155. Reports, invested with all the formalities pre- 

 scribed, which are drawn up or signed only by a single French 

 Waters and Forests officer, shall also be taken as proofs until 

 they have been disproved, but only when the offence or tres- 

 passes shall not lead to a conviction for more than 100 francs 

 ($19.30) either as fine or civil damages. 



When one of these reports shall authenticate charges of dis- 

 tinct and separate offences and misdemeanors simultaneously 

 against several individuals, it shall be equally admissible, ac- 

 cording to the terms of the present article, for each offence or 

 misdemeanor which shall not lead to a conviction for more than 

 100 francs ($19.30) for fines or for damages, whatever may be 

 the amount of all the aggregate sentences. 



ART. 156. Official reports which, according to the preceding 

 provisions, do not furnish sufficient proofs or have been shown 

 to be in error, as well as reports drawn up by native guards, can 

 be corroborated or corrected by all the legalized tests as set 

 forth in Art. 154 of the code of criminal procedure. 



ART. 157. The accused, who wishes to disprove a report, shall 

 be obliged to make in person, or else by proxy having a proper 

 power of attorney, an affidavit to that effect at the registry of 

 the court, or at the court of the justice of the peace, before 

 the session mentioned in the summons. 



