Shreveport daily news., 1861-11-02

visions of this or any former act,
whether the same are impressed Or
printed on or attached to envelopessor
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 pastage stamps of the
kind provided and furnished by the
Postmaster General as aforesaid, with
out the especial authority and direc-
ton Of the Postofice Department, or
who, after such postage stamps have
been printed, shall. with intent to de-
fraud the 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 eff the Postmaster General and
the seal of the Postofiice 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 Postotfice Department on
the certificate of the Postmaster Cen
eral out of any money in the Treasury
arising from the revenues Of the Post
Office Department.
"Sec 4. And be 1t .twtAer enacted,
That it shall be the duty of every
Postmaster to cause to be defaced IN
such manner as the Postmaster Cen
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 Postms ster to the
Postmaster General. And If any per-
son shall use, or attemp to use, in
prepayment ofpostage, any postage
stamps which shall ha' been before
used for like purposes, such persons
shall be subject to penalty of fifty
dollars for every such offense, to be
recovered in the name of the Conted-
crate States of America in any court
of competent jurisdiction.
"Sec 5. And be 1t further euactcd
That from and after the day when
this act goes into effect, the
franking privilege shall be abolished
uorided, that the Pos master Gener
al and his chief clerk, and the Audi
. tor of the Treasury f. The Postotfic,
| Department shall be and they ar,
hereby auth orized % transmi
l through the mails, free Of postage
:, any letters, packages, or other mat
ters relating exclusively to their Off
ciai duties, or 70 the business Of til,
; Postotiice Department; but they
) shall in every such case endorse OF
!, the back of the letter or packages t.
be sent free of postage over their ow,
=, signatures, the words. Official busi
. ness, 'aud for any such enlorsemcn
= falsely made, the person 50 otsendin:
shall forfeit and pay taxes $500: ar
/ procided trther, the several Depuy
: Postmasters throughout the Confeder
: lte shall shall he and hereby are ~,
no1 iz,d TO send III ough the mail
free OF postage al! Letters and pack
ages which it may he their duty, 90
hov may lave occasion to tr,ns II
to amy person or place, and wlicI
hall r. ste exclusively to the hus;
rs oT their respective Offices, or :
l. IL. - I \