Shreveport daily news., 1861-06-15

forge or counterfeit any postage stamp
provided or furnished under the pro-
visions Of this or any former act
whether the same are impressed OF
printed on or attached to envelopesIor
not, or any dies, plate or engraving
therefor, or shall make, or print, OF
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 pastage stamps OF the
kind provided and furnished by the
Postmaster Generalas aforesaid. with
out the especial authority and direc-
ton of the Postoffice Department, or
who, after such postage stamps have
been printed, shall, with intent to de-
fraud the revenues Of the Postoffice
Department deliver any postage
stamps to any person or persons other
than such as shall be authorized to
receive the same by any instrument
of writing, duly executed under the
hand ef the Postmaster General and
the seal Of the Postofflce Department
shall, on conviction thereof be deemed
gsiltyef 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 Postoffice Department on
the certifcatecf the Postmaster Gen
eral out Of any money in the Treasury
arising from the revenues Of the Post
Office Department.
"Sec 4. AnG be 1t fsertNcr enacted,
That it shall be the duty of every
Postmaster to cause to be defaced in
such manner as the Postmaster Gem
! eral shall direct, all postage stamps
of this Confederacy to letters depos-
tied in his Office for delivery or to be
sent by mail; and if any Postmaster
sending 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 such letters shall be sent for
delivery, to deface the stamps and re-
port the delinquent Postmaster to the
Postmaster General. And ifany per-
son shall USE or attemp' to use, in
prepayment ofpostage, any postage
stamps which shall have been before
used for like purposes, such persons
shall be subject to penalty Of fifty
dollars for every such otfsnse, to be
recovered in the name of the Confed-
crate States Of America in any court
of competent jurisdiction.
"Sec $. and be 1t .furtAer enacted,
That from and after the day when
this act goes into effect, the
tranking privilege shall be abolished;
proeaded, that the Postmaster Gener-
al and his chief clerks, and the Audi
tor Of the Treasury for the Postotfice
department shall be and they are
hereby authorized to transmit
through the mails, free. Of postage,
any letters, packages, or other mat
tiers relating exclusively to their Off
cial duties, or tc the business of the
Postotfice 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 busi-
ness, and for any such endorsement
| falsely made, the narson Sr offendino
shall forfeit and pay taxes $500; and
procaded further. the several Depuv-
Postmasters throughout the Confeder
ate Shall shall be and hereby are au-
thorized to serd through the mails
free of postage All letters and pack
ages which it may be their duty, OF
they may have occasion to transmit