Shreveport daily news., 1861-09-13

II provided or furnished under the pro
visions of this or any former act
whether the same are Impressed o,
printed on or attached to envelopesiol
not, or any dies, plate or engraving
| therefor, or shall make, Or print, o.
knowingly use or sell OF have in pos
session, with intent to use or sell, any
such false, forged or comterfeited
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 General us aforesaid, with
ont the especial authority and direc-
ton Of the Postotiice Department, or
who, after such postage stamps have
been printed, shall, with inteht 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 to
receive the same by any instrument
Of writing, duly executed under the
hand cf the Postmaster General and
the seal Of the Postof1ice Department
shall, onconv iction thereof be deemed
gailty Of felony, and be punished by
a fine notexceedipg $500, or by i'm
prisonment not Exceeding, 1--WE 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 Postotiice 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.
'.Sec 4. ard Ire 1t further enacted,
That il shall be the duty of every
Postmaster TO cause TO be detaced in
such manner as the Postmaster Gen
eral shall direct, al postage stamps
of this Contederacy TO letters elepos-
tied in his office for delivery or to be
sent by mail; and ifany Postmaster
sending letters III the mail with such
postage stamps attached shall omit
to detace the same. it shall be the
duty of the Postmaster to whose
office such letters shall be sent for
delivery, TO defacc the stamps and re-
port the delinquent Postma ster TO the
Postmaster General. AND If any per-
son shall use, OF attefnp' to use, IN
prepayment ofpostage, any postage
stamps which shall ha, Z been before
used for like purposes, such persons
shall be subject to penalty OF fifty
dollars for every such oticnsc. to he
recovered in the name of the Conted-
crate States OF America in any court
Of competent jurisdiction.
"Sec 5. -iad dc It .farthe<, cnactca,
That from and after lhe day when
this act goes INTO effect, the
franking privilege shall be abolished;
prOridcd, that the Postmaster Gener-
al and his chief clerks. aud the Audi
tor OF the Treasury for the Postoiiice
Department shall he and they AZ,
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
Postofiice Department: but they
shall in every such case endorse on
the back Of the letter OF 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; ami
prorided turther, the several Depuv-
PostmasierS throughou, the Confeder-
ate Shall shall be and hereby are att
thorized to send through the mails
free of postage all letters and pack
ages which it may be their duty, or
thew may have occasion to transmit
a I |