Shreveport daily news., 1861-09-05

provided or furnished under the pro-
visions. Of this or any former act,
whether the same are impressed or
printed on or attached to envelopcs.'or
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 pastaSe stamps OF the
kind provided and furnished by the
Postmaster General as aforesaid, with
out the especial authority and dirc-
ton of the Postotiice department, or
who, after such postage stamps have
been printed, shall, with intent to de-
fraud the revenues af the Postoaice
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 PoS,ottirc Department
shall, on conviction thereof be deemed
guilty of felony, and be punished by
a fine not exceeding $500, or by inn
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 OF authorized by this act, shall he
paid after being adjusted by the An.
ditor of the Postofficc 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.
.'Scc 4. Ind he it tartht2- cnac'ed,
That it shall be the duty of every
Postmaster to cause TO be defaccd III
such manner rs the Postmaster Gen
eral shall direct, all postage stamps
Of this Contederacy to letters Iepos-
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 he sent for
delivery TO detace the stamps and re-
port the delinquent POSTING ster to the
Postmaster General. An@ if any per-
son shall use, or attemp' to use, in
prepayment of postage, any postage
-. ,,,,,. VI ,.I Il, Ill 10, j,,,,, L.f>.o
used for like purposes, such persons
shall be subject to 4 penalty Of fifty
dollars for every such otlense, to be
recovered in the namc'of the Confcd-
crate States of America in any court
Of competent Jurisdiction.
"Sec 3. ind be ii .faythey enacers7,
That from and after the day when
this act goes into effect, the
franking privilege shall be abolished;
p,Oridcd, that the Postmaster Gener-
al and his chief clerks, and the Audi
tor of the Treasury for the Post Office
Department shall be and they are
hereby authorized to TRANSMIT,
through the mails, free of postage,
any letters, packages, or other mat
tiers relating exclusively to their Off
cial duties, or to the business of the
Postotficc Department.; but they
shall in every such case endorse OH
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 and pay taxes Sa0o; and
proridea f1rtAer, the several Depuy-
Postmasters throughout the Confedcr-
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
to anu 1anrSaI o1. 1Alaco a,,a .,-h; IL