Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1833-04-15
CIRCULAR TO POsTMAsTERs,
Relative TO the abuses Of the frmktng priritege
and sending books inthe mail.
PosT OFFICE DEPARTMENT.,
April II, 1883


Being informed, by official REPORTS " that the
abuse Of the Thanking priviIegei is increasing 10
an extent, which Threatens seriously to impair
the revenue OF the Departments" that !" 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 IT'S
being practised for the benefit OF Banks and VEN
ders of lottery tickets;" that :. every day, let
tiers are left to be mailed, bearing the franks of
persons who are, and Tor some time have been,
many hundred miles tisant;-a letters are re-
ceived from the large ci,ies bearing the franks OF
gentlemen we'll know IN to be remote fOm those
places, the addresse, being in nd.writiDg dll-
ferent from the franks; with otler circumstances
attending. obviously showing tha' hose. wh"se
franks were upon them, Gould have M Iarticipa-
ton in, or knowledge OF the letters" and that
81 blank envelopes, with franks upon them. have
been surrephtOusly and otherwise obtained, with
view of covering correspondence. IN violation
of aw;''-I deem it my duty call OH all Post
masters strictly to obey that requirement
of the act of Congress, which makes it &" their
especial duty to prosecute for such offences.
It's because the letter is actually, or by con.
struction Of law, from the person authorized To
send it free, that 1t ia exempted from postage
The frank is merely the certificate OF the fact
that it is so. When, therefore. the cIrcumstan.
ces connected with the letter are such asto show
that it is not from such person, and that the
frank on it is. in effect. false certificate, Post.
masters will, in such cases, charge the letter
with postage: and they are particularly required
to do sn, whenever the address on the letters is
in hand writing different from the frank, unless
that circumstance is satisfactorily explained.
Penalties attach, wherever person franks
letter from another, unless written by his enn
order, aud on the business of his Office. except
that the Secretaries of State, Treasury, War
and Navy Departments, and the Postmaster Ge.
neral, may frank letters and packets, on official
business, prepared in any public office, in the
absence OF the principal thereof In prosecuting
for these penalties. Posmasters will obtain the
aid Of the District Attorney of the United States.
and for that purpose. report to him the circum-
stances, and the names of the witnesses in each
case; aud they will cause the proceedings to be
instituted in the District Court Of the United
Statesmen only against those who abuse their
frank. bit also against those who procure 1t 10 De
DONE Attention is called TO the subjolned refer
ances to. and extracts from, the Law and regula.
items Of the Department
1t has been reported bv several Postmasters,
that numerous volumes OF books have lately been
discovered in the mails, the wrappers IN which
they were enveoped aud ranked. when mailed.
having worn of; aud that this mode OF sending
them through the country, has been praclised to
an extent that has subjected the conveyance of
the mail to vcxatious burlhens and deay;-l,
therefore. require all Postmasters to be careful
to ascertain, when bulky packages are Jeff to be
mailed, If they contan books. or any other artl.
Gle not authorized by law to be so transmitted;
and on discovering that to b. the case. 10 with
hold them, in all instances. from the mail.
W. L. BARRY.
Post Master General