Shreveport daily news., 1861-06-19

provided or. furnished under the pro-
visions Of this or any former act,
whether the same are impressed or
printed OH or attached to envelopesyor
not, or any dies. plate, or engraving
therefor, or shall make, or print, or
knowingly use or sell or have inpos-
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 Pcstoffice Department, or
who, after such postage stamps have
been printed, shall, with intent to de-
fraud the revenues of the Postotfice
Department deliver amy 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 Postoffice Department
shall, on conviction thereof be deemed
gHilty of felony, and 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
e. -, I, u hall Ia
paid after being adjusted by the Au-
ditor of the Postefiice 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. ind be 1t tnrther eaactcd,
That it shall be the duty of every
Postmaster to cause to be detacedlfr
such manner as the Postmaster Cen
eral shall direct, all postage stamps
OF this Coniederacy to letters elepos-
tied in his office for delivery or to be
sent by mail; and if any Postmaster
letters in the mail with such
postage stamps attached shall omit
TO deface the same, ii 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 it;Hy pes
son shall use, on attsmp' to USE, in
prepayment of postage, any postage
stamps ,.;ch shall ha' been before
used for like purposes, such persons
shall be subject to a penalty of fifty
dollars for. every such ofiense, to hc
recovered in the name Of the Conted-
crate States of America in any court
Of competent jurisdiction.
Sec 3. Ind be ii .turtAe7- enactcd,
That from and after the day when
this act goes into effect, the
tranking privilege shall be abolished:
proridcd, that the Postmaster Gener-
al and his chief clerks, and the Audi
tor of. the Treasury for the Postotiicc
Department Shall be and they are
hereby authorized to translnit
through the mails, free of postage.
any letters, packages. or other mat
ters relating exclusively to their Off
cial duties, or te the business Of the
Postotiice 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 for any such endorsement
falsely made. the person so offending
shall forfeit and pay taxes $500; and
p,ocided, fwther, the several Depuy-
Postmasters throughout the Confedcr-
ate Shall shall be and hereby are al-
thorized to send through the mails
free of postage ali letters and pack
ages which it may ne their duty, or
they may have occasion to transmit
to any person on. place, and which
shall relate exclusively TO the busi-
ness oftheir respective Offices, or to
the business of the Poskofiice Depart