Vandalia Whig and Illinois intelligencer. [volume] (Vandalia, Ill.) 1832-183?, 1833-05-01
CIRCULAR TO POSTMASTERS,
Relating to the abuse Of the franking privilege
and sending books in the mail.
PosT OFFICE DEPARTMENT.l

Relating TO the abuse Of the trdnking Pr'pttege
and sending books in the mail
PosT OFFICE DEPARTMENT.
April, IL, 1888.
BEING informed, by official reports, ''that the
abuse ofthe franking privilege is increasing 10
an extent which threatens seriously to impair
the revenue of the department" that sit Is not
confined to correspondence from which no pc
cuniary advantage results, but is extended to
the commercial and business transactions of
the country-instances having been detected
of its being practiced for the benefit of banks
and vendors oflottery tickets !" that 'every day,
letters are left TO be mailed, bearing the franks
of persons who are, aud for some time have
been, many hundred miles distant and LETT
tiers are received from the large cities, bearing
the franks of gentlemen well known to be re.
mote from those places, the addresses being in
handwriting different from the franks; with
other circumstances attending, obviously show
ing that those, whose franks were upon them
could have no participation in, or knowledge
of the letters; and that ''bank envelopes, with
franks upon them, have been surreptitiously
and otherwise obtained, with view of cover
ing correspondence, in violation of ;"-I
deem it my duty t, call on all the postmasters,
to be viz ant in detecting and preventing these
frauds upon the revenue Of The department; and
strictly TO obey that requirement of the act of
Congress, which makes ii "ther especial duty
to prosecute'' for such offences
1t is because the letter is actually, Or bv con-
struction Of law, from the person authorized
to send it free, that 1t is exempt from postage
The frank is merely the certificate of the fact
that it is so. When, therefore, the crcumstan.
ces connected with the letter, are such as to
show that it is not from such person. and that
he frank on ii is, in effect, a false certificate.
postmasters will, in such cases, charge the let
ter with postage; and they are particularly re-
|qulred to do ST., whenever the address on the
letter is in handwriting different from the
trank,un!ess that circumstance is satisfactorily
explained.
Penalues attach, whenever person franks
la letter from another, unless written by his
own order, and on the business of his Office,
except that the secretaries of the state, treasu-
ry, war, and navy departments, and the post,
master general, may frank letters and packets.
On official business, prepared in any public Of
flee, i'll the absence of the principle thereof
In prosecuting for these penalties, postmasters
will obtain the aid Of the district attorney of
II him the circumstances, and the names oftbe
witnesses IN each case; and t ey will cause
the proceedings to be Instituted in the district
court OF the United States: not only against
hose who abuse their frank, but also against
those arho procure 1t to be DONE Attention is
called to the subjoined references to, and ex>
tracts from, the law and regulations of the de-
partment.
1t has been reported by several postmasters.
that numerous volumes of books have lately
ueen discovered in the mails, the wrappers in
viii h they were enveioped and franked, when
mailed, having worn off; and that this mode of
sending them through the country, has been
practlced to an extent ihat has subjected the
conveyance of the mail to vexatious burthens
and deiay;--i therefore, require all postmas.
ters to be careful to ascertain, when bulky
packages are left to be mailed, if they contain
books, or any other article not authorized by
law to be so transmitted; and on discovering
that to be the case, to withhold them, in all in.
stances, from the mail w. T. BARRY,
Postmaster General.
See pages Is, lG, 81, %, 2S, 90, and 50.
# the law and instructions OF the post office
department., edition of 1882 to ascertain who
are entitled to the iranking privileges.
Sec. "a and IS. Of tie,act Of Congress, passed
March 3, 1925, entitled, AN act to reduce
into one the several acts establishing and
regulating the post office department..
Sec. "a. And be it further enacted, That
every person, who, from and after the passage
Of this act, shall procure, and advise, or assist,
In the doing or perpetrating of any of the acts
or crimes by this act forbidden, shall be subs
lect to the same penalties and punishment as
the persons are subject to, who shall actually
do or perpetrate any of the said acts or crimes,
according to the provisions of this act
Sec. %. And be it further enacted, That if
any person shall frank any letter or letters,
other than those written by himself, Or by his
order, on the business of his office, he shall.
on conviction thereof, pay fine often dollars,
and 1t shall be the especial duty ofpostmas~
ters to prosecute for said offences Provided.
That the secretary of the treasury, secretary
OF state, secretary ofwar, secretary of the navy
and postmaster general, may frank letters or
packets on official business, prepared in any
other public Office, in the absence of the prin~
cipal thereof. And if any person, having the
rinht ~ racaiva hi, Iattorc rrao If noe,,.o n