St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1863-06-25
THE NEW POsTxGE LAW.

THE NEW POsTlGE LAW.
The Press gives the following most m
portant features of the law: e -
The Postage Law, as amended BY the
last Congress, will take: effect on. the%6s>1
of nett ihotth.. Tile. Pos; N aster aess..l
has furnished all Postmasters in fhe sever,
al cities, with copies thereof, accompanied
by instructions. As the time IS at hand
tor the law to go into effect, we win brief.
ly glance at the provisions Of the new
law, for the information of those whv hare
not lad an opportunity to see or stuAt. i.
In some respects the new laR.a "a JIM.
provemcnt on the old, but in: vthenit.n
worse. fu.tle. e.registratioa Of money let-
te*:, The. system EraStised BY the .United
States Express Company is adoptcd-i. 1.
each clerk handling 4 registered letter II
required to sign his name to the rnek.ee,
SO that the letter may be traced throus sh-
out its entire route after it is deposited ia
the Post Office. The receipt given by tn
receiver of the letter is to be retalae2 10
the sender, The fee fox registration viii
hereafter be twenty cents, instead If I've
cents as heretofore, which is IN excessive
charge, and will greatly reduce the num-
Der OF registered letters.
Newspaper postage; is reduced by the
new law to the following latcs:a
Weekly, PEI: qeartsr: -. eeA.
Semi-weekly, per quarter :..::::1O Is
Tri:veekly, per quartet: tef:::::::..:.........:l5 Z"
Daily per quarter.
I, Magazines, not exceeding four euaces
in weight are rated rs follows: s. e..
semi,monthly, per quarter. ee.a..
Monthly, per quarter........--::....... 81:
Quarterly, per quarter. -
Under the old law, newspapers were
circulated in the States where published,
at half the rates of papers without the
States. This distinction Is sboliIhed-
which is change for the better.
Transient newspapers will hereafter Ii
charged tsco cents each. This, Ne dl65af,
is change that should not have keeR
made.
All post Offices where the gross receipts
amount to 81 900 or more per annum, ic.-
ters arc to be advertised once a weeks.
all other Offices once month All q5e1e e.
"dye,ti,'ns "'s;t weekly yns gill bead Letter ocs
e,a,ny' an:S, ana 5Ssa about Eve weeks after their
receipt; smaller Offices will return their
letters monthly. -. p. ;.
The franking privilege heretofore grsut:
ed to postmasters at Offices where the. erusa
receipts amounted TO less Than, $500, per
annum, is abolished, and postmastefs arv;
not allowed to frank any letters except
those upon official business, which musf
be SO endorsed, with the name Of the post
master.
There are some provisions of the law
which require additional labor By post
masters and their clerks. Among these
are sections Sd and 4th, by which the
postmaster is required to keep a record of
each days transactions, showing the en-:
tire amount Of money received each da;.
giving separately the amount received fo7
letter postages, for regular newspapers.
tor box rents, &C., &c.
On and after July l box rents and pa,
per postage must be pa d in advance -
There is no evading this, as it is obligz.'
tory on Post Master to execute 1t, aud he
is obliged to make oath that he has done
50. The following is the section Of nv
referred to, and the instruction Of the
Post Master General referring to it,
SECTION 3. b. 1t fu,nFtr sn,dc.5d;. Thstae
mail matte shflE IS delivered by tie Postrnas-
ter until the postage due thereon shall hav.
beeu paid; and no Boz, or Drawer Il any
Post Ofhce>shali be assigned tt the use Of any
person until the rent therefor has been pa;:!
for st least one quarter, for which the P61y-::
master shall give receipt aud Keep record:
thereof: in his Office. hich record sh.ll be Dc.
livered 70 IBIS succfssor:~:'. -.
! 1xsrRrcrloN>-This section absolutely pfo:
hibits the delivery Of any Letter, Newspaper
Pamphlet Or P4ckat6 ~hassoever, until. L. J:
postage thereon shall be prepaid; postnmaaxEs-- :
ters must strictly conform to it. Printed mat
ter must be retained until it is paid for, ei-
ther as transient package Or for . quar,er,
as provided in sect ons lS and s..
The public should bear this iu mind.
Much annoyance would thus be saved.
L.