Shreveport daily news., 1861-09-27

provided or. furnished under the pro.
visions Of this or any former act,
whether the same are impressed or
printed on or attached to envelopes;or
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 Generals as aforesaid. with
out the especial authority and direc-
ton of the Postofiice Department. or
who, after such postage stamps have
been printed, shall, with intent 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 ef the Postmaster General and
the seal Of the Postofiiee Department
shall, on conviction thereof be deemed
gailty Of felony, and be punished by
a ine not exceeding $500, or by i'm
tprisonment not exceeding five years,
or by both such fine and inprison-
ment; aud 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 Postofice Department on
the certificate or the Postmaster Cen
eral out of any money in the Treasury
arising from the revenues Of the Post
Office Department.
"Sec d. And be 1t .furt6ey 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 sach
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 detace 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 ha, been before
used for like purposes, such persons
shall be subject to a 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. Ind bc 1t further enacted,
That from and after the day when
this act goes into effect, the
franking privilege shall be abolished;
prorided, that the Postmaster Gencr-
al and his chief clerks, and the Audi
tor of the Treasury for the Postofice
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
Postottice 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 busi- |
ness, and for any such endorsement
falsely made. the person so offending |
shall forfeit aud pay taxes $500; and
prorsded FURTHER, the several Depuy-
Postmasters throughout the Confeder-
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 haze nccasinn 10 trnnsnsit |