Shreveport daily news., 1861-09-20

provided or furnished under the pro
visions Of this or any former ac
whether the same are impressed G
printed Oh or attached to envelopes!o
not, or any dies, plate or engravin
therefor, or shall make, or print, O
knowingly use or sell or have i'll pos
session, with intent to use or sell, an.
such false, forged or counterfeite
dies, plate, engraving or postag
stamp, or who shall make, or print, O
authorize, or procure to be made o
printed, any pastage stamps of tn
kind provided and furnished by tn
Postmaster General as aforesaid, with
out the especial authority and direc
ton Of the Postotiice Department, O
whe, after such postage stamps hav
been printed, shall, with intent to de
fraud the revenues of the Postotiic
Department deliver any postag
stamps to any person or persons Other
than such as shall be authorized t.
receive tlse same by amy instrumen
of writing, duly executed under tn,
hand eff the Postmaster General ant
the seal of the Postoifice Department
shall, on conviction thereof be deemed
guilty of felony, and be punished b,
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 byvthis act, shall b.
paid after being adjusted by the Au-
diter of the Postotfice Department or
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 he It .turther enacted
That it shall be the duty of every
Postmaster to cause to be defaced in
such manner as the Postmaster Gen
eral shall direct, all postage stamps
of this Contederacy to letters aepos-
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 detace the same, it shall be the
duty of the Postmaster to whose
office such letters shall be sent for
delivery. to detace the stamps and re-
port the delinquent Postma Stcr to the
Postmaster General. AND If any per-
son shall use. or attemp' to use, in
prepayment Of postage, any postage
stamps which shall hay : been before
used for like purposes, such persons
shall be subject to penalty of fifty
dollars for every such otf"nse, to be
recovered in the name OF the Contcd-
crate States Of America in any court
ofcompctent jurisdiction.
''Scc ). Ind lc 1t .furthcr cnack,42,
That from and after the day when
this act goes into effect, the
tranking privilege shall be abolished;
prortded, that the Postmaster Gcner-
al and his chief clerks, and the Audi
tor of the Treasury for the Postotficc
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
Postoiiice 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
prorided turtAc7, the several Depuv-
Postmasters throughout the Contcder-
ate Shall shall be and hereby are au-
thorized to send through the mails
free of postage all letters and pack
ages which it may be their duty, or
they may have occasion to transmit