Shreveport daily news., 1861-07-31
provided or furnished under the pro-

l
visions Of this or any former act
whether the same are impressed o,
printed on or attached to envclopes::o,
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 .countcrfeited
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
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 Postofficc
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 writiag, duly executed under th"
hand eff the Postmaster General and
the seal of the Postofiicc Department
shall, on conviction thereof be deemed
guilty of felony. and be punished by
Il 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 Postofiice 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.
''Scc 4. 4And be- 1t t~rthcy enacted,
That it shall be the duty of every
Postmaster to cause to be detaced in
such manner rs the Postmaster Gen
cral shall direct, all postage stamps
of this Confcderacy to letters elepos-
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 detacc 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 ifany per-
son shall use, or attemp' to use, in
prepayment Of postage, any postage
stamps which shall har been before
used for like purposes, such persons
shall be subject to a penalty of fifty
dollars for every such otfensc, to bc
recovered in the name of the Confed-
crate States of America in any court
ofcompetent jurisdiction.
"Sec ). ind be 1t further enacted,
That from and after the day when
this act goes into effect, the
frankins privilege shall be abolished;
prorilcd, that the Postmaster Gerer-
al and his chief clerks, and the Audi
tor of the Treasury for the Postoffice
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
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
proraded further, the several Depuy-
Postmasters throughout the Confedcr-
ate Shall shall be and hereby are a,,-
thorized to send through the mails
free ofpostage all letters and pack
ages which ii may be their duty, or
they may have occasion to transmit
to any person or place, and which
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