Southern shield., 1851-03-22


 termining the amount of postage charged ble thereon, they shall be weighed when in a dry state. And whenever any printed matter on which the postage is required by this section to be prepaid, shall, through the inattention of postmasters, or other wise, be sent without prepayment. the same shall be charged with double the amount of postage which would have been chargeable thereon if the postage had been prepaid: but nothing in this act contained shall subject to postage any matter which is exempted from the payment of postage q by any existing law. And the Post Mas tel General, by and with the advice and consent of the President of the United States, shall be and is hereby authorized to reduce, or enlarge, from time to time the rates of postage upon all letters anC other maiable matter conveyed between the United States and any foreign country for the purpose of making better postal ar engagements with other governments, or counteracting any adverse measures affect ing our postal intercourse with foreign countries; and postmasters at the office of delivery are hereby authorized, and it shall be their duty, 10 remove wrappers and en- velopes from all printed matter and pamph- lets not charged with letter postage, for the purpose of ascertaining whether there is upon or connected with any such print ed matter or in such package any matter or thing which would authorize or require the charge of higher rate of postage there on. And all publishers of pamphlets, pe- riodicals, magazines, and newspapers which shall not exceed sixteen ounces in weight, shall be allowed to interchange their publi- cations reciprocally free of postage: Prori- ded, That such interchange shal! be con- fined 10 a single copy of each publication: And prouided, also, That said publishers may enclose in their publications the bills | for subscriptions thereto without any addi- 1 tional charge for postage: find prOUided further, That in all cases where neWSpa- perS shall not contain over three hundred square inches they may be transmitted through the mails by the publishers to bona 1 fde subscribers at one fourth the rates fixed | by this act.
 SEC. 3. And be 4. l.furher enacted, That it shall be the duty of the Post Master Gene ral to provide and furnish 10 all deputy | i plying and paying therefor, suitable pos tage stamps of the denomination of three cents, and of such other denominations as he may think expedient to facilitate the prepayment of the postages provided for in this act; and any person who shall forge or counterfeit any postage stamp provided or l furnished under the provisions ot this or any 1 former act, whether the same are impress ed or printed or or attached to envelopes or not, or any die, plate, or engraving there l for, or shall make or print, or knowingly use or sell, or have in his possession with intent to use or sell, any such false, forged, or countereited die, plate, engraving, or postage stamp, or who shall make or print, or authorize or procure to be made or print ed, any postage stamps of the kind provi- ded and furnished by the Post Master Gen. eral as aforesaid, without the especial au- thoritv and direction of the Post Office De- parment, or who, after such postage stamps have been printed, shall. with intent to de- fraud the revenues of the Post Office De- partment, deliver any postage stamps to any person or persons other than such as shall be authorized to receive the same by an instrument of writing duly executed un- der the hand of the Post Master General, and the seal of the Post Office Department, | shall, on conviction thereof, be deemed guilty of felony, and be punished by fine not exceeding five hundred dollars, or by imprisonment not exceeding five years, or by both such fine and imprisonment; and the expenses of providing and procuring l ,l lofto as are provided for or authorized by this act, shall be paid, after being adjusted by the Auditor of the Post Office Department, or the certificate of the Post Master Gene ral. out of any money in the Treasury aris- ing from the Post Office Department.
 SEC. 4. .4,.d De a further enacted, That it shall be the duty of every postmaster to cause 10 be defaced, in such manner as the Postmaster General shall direct, all postage stamps attached to letters deposited in his office for delivery, or to be sent by mail; and if any postmaster, sending letters in the mail with postage stamps attached, shall omit to deface the same, it shall be the duty of the postmaster to whose office such let ters shall be sent for delivery to deface the stamps and report the delinquent postmas- ter to the Postmaster General. And if any person shall use, or attempt to use, in pre- payment of postage, any postage stamp which shall have been used before for like purposes, such persons shall be subject to a penalty of fifty dollars for every such of fence, to be recovered in the name of the United States, in any court of competent jurisdiction.
 SEC. 5. find Dc # .further enacted, That lists of letters remaining uncalled for in any post office in any city. town, or village,