Any Police Officer who shall directly or indirectly extort, extract, seek, or obtain any bribe or unauthorized reward or consideration, by any illegal threat or pretence, or for doing or omitting or delaying to do any act which it may be his duty to do or to cause to be done, or for withholding or delaying any information which he is bound to afford or to communicate, or who shall attempt to commit any of the offences above said, or shall be guilty of cowardice, shall be liable, upon conviction before a Magistrate, to a fine not exceeding twelve months pay, or to imprisonment with or without hard labor not exceeding twelve months, or both:
     Proviso.---Provided always that nothing in the three last preceding sections shall be deemed to preclude the Magistrate from committing for trial any cases of this nature too serious for his cognizance.