Shreveport daily news., 1861-06-20

provided or furnished under tho pre-
visions Of this or amy former act
whether the sasne are impressed o.
| printed ON or attached to envelopesl o.
not, or any dies, plate or engraving
therefor, or shall make, or print, o.
knowingly use or sell, or have in pos
session, with intent to.use or sell, any
such false, forged or counterfeitet
dies, plate, engraving or postage
stamp, or who shall make, or print, o1
authorize, or procure o;be made OF
printed. any pastage stamps OF the
iaa provided aud furnished by the
Postmaster General rs aforesaid, with
out the especial authority :and direc.
ton Of the Postof6ce Department, OF
who, after such postage stamps have
been printed, shall, with intent to de-
fraud tie revenues Of the Postotfice
Department deliver any postage
stamps to any person or persons other
than such as shall be authorized tc
receive the same by any instrument
Of writing, duly executed under the
hand ef the Postmaster General and
the seal Of the Postofice Department
shall, on conviction thereof be deemed
guilty of felony, aud be punished by
a 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 Postothce Department on
the certificate Of the Postmaster Gen
eral out Of any money in the Treasury
arising from the revenues of the Post
Office Department.
"Sec 4. Axd be 1t further enacted,
That it shall be the duty Of every
Postmaster to cause to be defaced in
such manner as the Postmaster Gen
eral shall direct, all postage stamps
of this Confederacy to letters aepos-
tied in his office for delivery or to be
sent by mail; and if amy Postmaster
sendins letters in the mail with such
postage stamps attached shall omit
to deface the same, it shall be the
duty Of the Postmaster to whose
office sucl, letters shall be sent for
delivery, to defacs the stamps and re-
port the delinquent POSTING ster to the
Postmaster General. And ifany per-
son shall use, or attelnp' to use, in
prepayment OF postage, any postage
stamps which shall hay ( heen before
used for like purposes, such persons
shall be subject to a penalty Of fifty
dollars for every such oftensc. to be
recovered in the name of the Confed-
crate States of America in any court
Of competent Jurisdictions
"Sec 5. Ind he It further enacted,
That from and after the day when
this act goes into effect, the
franking privilege shall be abolished;
proriasa, that the Postmaster Gener-
al and his chief clerks, and the Audi
tor Of the Treasury for the POST flee
Department shall be and they are
hereby authorized to transmit
through the mails, free Of postage,
any letters, packages, or other mat
ters relating exclusively to their off,
cial duties, or to the business Of the
Postohee Department.; but they
shall in every such case endorse on
the back Of the letter or packages to
be sent free Of postage over their own
signatures, the words, Official bust
ness, and far any such endorsement
falsely made, the person SO offending
shall forfeit and pay taxes $500; and
proxaded a*rtaer, 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