Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1855-12-22
From the Washington Union.
POST OFFICE Departures
Franking Privilege Of Members Of Congress


Franking Privilege Of Members Of Congress
We understand some postmasters are in
doubt whether, under the new law requiring
prepayment of all letters to places within the
United States, letters addressed to members of
Congress may go without being prepaid. The
answer, Of course, is, that all such letters
should be duly despatched, as the ranking
privilege remaius unchanged.
In connection with this subject, the follow
ing circular of the Postmaster General may be
found useful
1t having come to the knowledge of the
department that large numbers of letters have
lately passed through the mails under the
forged franks of members Of Congress-, and
knowing that in many instances persons hay
ing the ranking privilege are, greatly to their
annoyance, often requested to frank letters and
packets for others, merely to avoid the pay
ment of postage, | deem it my duly to call
particular attention to the following provision
of the act OF Sd March, 1925, on this subject,
viz:
SEC. 2S. And be IL 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, [extended
by act of March /, lS47, in the case of mem
bers OF Congress and the Secretary Of the SEN
ate and Clerk of the House OF Representatives,
to include all letters and packages sent and re-
ceived by them not weighing over two ounces,
he shall, on conviction thereof, pay fine OF
ten dollars, and it shall be the especial duty Of
postmasters to prosecute for said offence And
if any person having the right to receive his
letters free of postage shall receive, enclosed
to him, any letter or packet addressed to per-
son not having that right, it shall be his duty
to return the same to the post Office, marking
thereon the place from whence it came, that it
may be charged with postage. And if any
person shall counterfeit the handwriting or
frank OF any person, or cause the same to be
done, in order to avoid the payment of post
age, each person so offending shall pay for
every such offence five hundred dollars.
snow, with view to protect all persons
having the Thanking privilege in the full enjoy
ment of their legitimate rights in this respect,
and to prevent the commission ofthese offences,
postmasters, special agents, and all others in
the service OF the department., are hereby in
structed to render all proper aid in seeing that
the intentions of the law are faithfully carried
out"
NeW Post Obices.-- The following named
new post offices have been established, and the
following-named gentlemen appointed post
masters
Crossing, Laporte county, Indiana; Isaac
Weston, postmaster.
West Sonora, Preble county, Ohio; Jesse
Tilman, postmaster.
jamestown, Conecah county, Alabama; VIM
A. b. Lamm, postmaster.
Pealed Oak, Bath county, Kentucky; John
w. Tomlinson, postmaster.
Prosperity, Lawrence county, Kentucky
John Wellman, postmaster.
Skull Creek, Colorado county, Texas Law
renee A. Washington, postmaster.
Discontinued The post Office at Maple
Grove, Knox county, Ohio, has been discon-
tinued.
Change of Ndme.-The name of the post
office at Sterling Bottom, Meigs county, Ohio,
has been changed from Sterling Bottom to
Portland, and Thomas Walker has been APP
pointed postmaster, in the place of Johnson j.
White resigned