The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1825-05-26

. open, any mai, or PACKER bi newspaper
!, mol Directed to the Office aIfpre he /
employed, such offender shall. on contic
tlen thereof, forfeit a sum. not exceeding fif
~ dollars, foreyciy such offence. And ian,
! uiher person shall open any mail or paeke
pfnewspaprrs or shall rmbezzle or drsifo,
The sstne, not being directed to such per
son. or not being authorized To receive III
open the same, such oilrnder shall, on con
YiciiUn thereof, pay u sum not exceeding
ftHenty dollars for every such offence
Aud II any person shall take, or steal, any
packet, bag, or mail Of newspapers, from
ar out Of any post Utlice, or from
any person having custody thereof, such
person shall. on CONVICTION be imprisoned
not exceeding, three months, for every snci
offence, TO be kcptHtha labor during the pc
rod of such imprisonment. Ifany person
shall enclose or conceal any letter, or other
thing, orany memorandum in writing, IN a
news parer, pamphlet, or magazine, or m a
package of newspapers, pamphlets Or ma
gazlne, or make any writing or menoran
dun thereon, which he shall have delivered
into any post office, or 10 any person for
that purpose, in order that the same may
be carried by post, free of letter postage,
+ he shall forfeit the sum Of five dollars for
every such offence aud the letter, news
paper package, memorandum, or other
thing, shall not be delivered to the person
10 Hhpm il il directed, until the amount of
single letter postage is paid for each article
nj which the package is composed. No
newspaper shall be received by the Post
masters, To be conveyed by post, unless
they ara sufficiently dried. ADD enclosed in
proper wrappers, or which, besides the
direction, shall he noted the number of pa
pers which are enclosed for subscribers
and the number for printers: Proriaed,
That the number need not he endorsed, il
the Publisher shall agree to furnish the
postmaster, at the close of each quarter, II
certified statement of the number of pa.
p"rs sent III the mail ,.chargeable with pos.
age.
The Postmaster General, in any contract
he may enter into for the conveyance Of
the mail, may authorize the person with
whom such contract is to be made, 10 car
~ newspapers, magazines, and pamphlets,
other than those conveyed in the mail -
Prorided, That no preference shall be civ
en- 10 the publisher of one newspaper over
that of another, in the same place. When
the mode Of conveyance, and the size of
the mail, will admit oft, such magazines
and pamphlets as are published periodical
ly, may be transported in the mail, to sub.
scrlbers, at one and "A half cent sheet, for
any distance not exceeding Il hundred
miles, and two and IA naIf cents for any
greater distance. Aud such magazine and
pamphlets az are not published periodical
ly, if sent in the mail, shall be charged with
postage Of four cents on each sheet, for
any distance not exceeding one hundred
miles, and six cents, for amy greater dis
lance.
Sec. 81. and be it further enacted, That,
ifany postmaster or other person authorized
to receive thepostHgc oslrtters aud packets,
shall ncgieCt ar refuse 10 render his accounts
and pay over the Postmaster General the
balance by him due, at the end of every
three months it shall be the duty of the
Postmaster General to cause suit to be
cummpucVd against the rcr5un ur persons
So cgecung or refusing. That all suits,
which shall be hereafter commenced, for the
recover, # debts or balances due 10 the &c
neral Post Office, whether they appear by
bond or obligations, made in the name of the
eXisti1S, OF any preceding Postmaster Gene
raj, or otherwise, shall be instituted in the
name of the " Postmaster General of the
United States" That certified statements,
under the seal of the General Post ODice,
OF the accounts Of the several Postmasters
ADD contractors, after the anne shall have
been examined and adjusted atthat Office,
shall be admitted as evidence ia all suits
Drought 10y the Postmaster General for the
recovery uf balances or debts due from
Postmasters or contractors; and also, Ger
,lhrd copies OF the quarterly accounts of
Postmasters or,f lodged in the Treasury,
copies. certified 10y the Register, under the
seal of his office, shall be admitted as eSl
/ dence.
Sec. 80. And be Il further endcled, That,
if any postmaster shall nrs ec' 10 Gender his
| accounts for one month after the time, and
lin the form aud manner pr escrihed by law,
aud by the Postmaster Generals ,nstruc
! tious, Confurmahlc herewith, he shall for
| felt double the value OF tl!p hostages which
shall have arisen at the same office in any
equal portion az time previous or Suhse
qurnt thereto or, in case no account
! shall have been rendered at the sane tine
! of trial of such case, then such sum as the
court aud jury shall estimate, equivalent
! thereto, to be recovered by the Postmaster
| General, ia an action of debt, on Il bond
against the Postmaster and his secnri-
ties, and for which the securities shall be Ii
able.
See. SO. Ind be Hfuriher enacted, Tint
all pvcuniary penalties aud fhrfrtures, in
Cured under this act, shall be one hall for
the use OF the person or persons Informing
and prosecuting tor the same, AND the 9TH
or halftp the use o(thc Uoited States, and
shall be paid over to the Postmaster Gene
raj, and accounted for by him as other mo
ueys of the Department.
Sec. 81. Ind be it.fiuthcr enaciei, That
! il shall be lawful for the Postmaster Gen
cral to make prov ision, where il may be ne
cessary,for the receipt of all letters s. pack
cts intended to be conveyed by any ship