Shreveport daily news., 1861-08-24
provided or furnished under the pro-

provided or furnished under the pro-
visions of this or any former act,
whether the same are impressed or
printed on or attached to envelope essor
not, or any dies, plate or engraving
therefor, or shall make, or print, or
knowingly use or sell or have in pos
session, with intent to use or sell, any
such false, forged or counterfeited
dies, plate, engraving or postage
stamp, or who shall make, or print, or
authorize, or procure to be made or
printed, any pastagc stamps OF the
kind provided and furnished by the
Postmaster General as aforesaid, with
out the especial authority and direc-
ton of the Postotiice Department, or
who, after such postage stamps have
been printed, shall, with intent to de-
fraud tie revenues of the Postof1ice
Department deliver amy postage
stamps to any person or persons other
than such rs shall be authorized to
receive the same by any instrument
Of writing, duly executed under the
hand eff the Postmaster General and
the seal of the Postoffice Department
shall, on conviction thereof be deemed
guilty Of felony. and be punished by
fine not exceeding $500, or by i'm
prisonment not exceeding five years,
or by both such fine and imprison-
ment and the expenses of procuring
and providing all such postage stamps
and letter envelopes as are provided
for or authorized by this act, shall be
paid after being adjusted by the Au
ditor Of the Postotficc Department on
the certificate OF the Postmaster Gen
cral out Of any money in the Treasury
arising from the revenues OF the Post
Office Department.
":Src !. ind he It .tHrther ."0ctc",
That ii shall l,e the duty Of every
Postmaster to cause to be dcfaccd in
such manner Us the Postmaster Cen
eral shall direct. all postage stamps
OF this Contrd"racv to letters sepos-
tied in his office for delivery or to be
sent by mail; and any Postmaster
scndin" letters, in the mail with such
postage stamps attached shall omit
to deiacc the same, il shall be the
duty of the Postmaster to whose
office such letters shall be sent for
delivery, to deface the stamps and re-
port the delinquent Postma Ster 10 the
Postmaster General. AND lfany per-
son shall use, CT attcmp' TO use, III
prepayment Of postage, any postage
stamps which shall ha' been before
used for like purposes, such persons
shall be subject to a penalty Of Fifty
dollars for every such otfense. /" h"
recovered in the name OF the tontcd-
crate States OF America in any court
o: competent jurisdiction.
"Sec >. .inH be It .turthcr caactcd
That from and after the day when
this act goes into effect. the
tranking privilege shall he abolished;
proridcd, that the Postmaster Gcnen
nj and his chief clerks. and the Audi
tor Of the. Treasury for the Iosto.iicc
Department shall be and they are
hereby authorized to transmit
through the mails, free Of postage,
any letters, packages, or other mat
tcrs relating exclusively to their Off
cial duties, or to the business OF the
postotiice Department; but they
shall in every such cas-" endorse on
the back Of the letter or packages to
be sent free Of postage OVER their own
signatures, the words, Official busi-
ness, and for any such endorsement,
falsely made, the person so offending
shall forfeit and pay taxes $500; aud
procidcd further, the several Depuy
Postmasters throughout the Confeder
ate Shall shall be and hereby are au-
thorized to send through the mails
free Of postage all letters and pack
ages which it may be their duty, or
they may have occasion to transmit