Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1864-08-06
OFFICIAL.
LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES.
Passed at tie First Sessions Of tie Thirty
Eighth COsgress.
TPUBLIC-No. I'LL

PUBLIC-No. H.
An ACT to es,ablish postal order system.
BE Il Gjhcted by the Senate asd Hoxse
Of Representatives, Of the UHited Stases
Of America in Congress assembled, That
to promote public convenience. and to insure
greater security in the transfer Of money
Though the United States mails. the Postmas-
ter General is hereby authorized to establish
under such rules and regulations as he may
find expedient and necessary, a uniform mon
ey order system at all post Offices which he
may deem suitable therefor, and whichshaC be
designated and known as Money Order
Offices; )" and it shall BE- the duty of the
deputy postmaster ut every money order Of
flee to issue, in such manner and form as the
Postmaster General may prescribe and order,
for sum Of money payable by the deputy
postmaster of any other money order Office
which the person applying therefor may Sc
lect; and the deputy postmaster who issues
such order shall be required to send through
the mails, without delay, to the deputy
postmaster on whom it is drawn, due notice
thereof, and he shall not deliver such order
to the applicant thereto runtil the latter shall
first have deposited with him the amount of
money for which such order is drawn, to.
gether with the proper charge or fee there
for, as hereinafter provided. And it shall
not be lawful for any deputy postmaster to is.
sue money order on any other deputy post.
master without having previously received
the money therefor; and any person who shall
violate this provision shall be deemed guilty
of misdcmcanor, and on conviction thereof
shall be fined in any sum not less than fifty
nor more than five hundred dollars.
Sec. 9. And be 1t further enacted, That
a money order shall not b. valid or payable
unless it be drawn on printed or engraved
form, which s..all be furnished to the money
order offices by the Postmaster General; and
it shall b. the duty of the latter to supply
such offices also with the blank forms Of ap.
plcation for money orders, one of which the
deputy postmaster shall hand to each ap-
plicaant for money order, who shall be re.
quired to enter, or cause to be entered, there
in his own name and the name and address
of the party to whom the order is to be paid,
together with the amount thereof and the
date of application. And all such applica-
tions, when filled up and delivered to the de.
putty postmaster, shall be preserved on file at
his Office for such length Of time as the Post.
master General may prescribe.
SEC. 3. Aad hcH .furthcr enacted, That
no money order shall be issued for any sum
less than one or more than thirty dollars; and
all persons who receive money orders shall
be required to pay therefor the following
charges or fees, viz: For an order for one
dollar, or for any larger sum, but not exceed
ing ten dollars, fee Of ten cents shall be
charged and exacted by the postmaster Civ
ing such order; for an order Of of more
than ten and not exceeding twenty dollars,
the charge shall be fifteen cents; and for every
order exceeding twenty dollars fee Of twen-
ty cents shall be charged.
Sec. 4. And be It .fxrtAcr enacted, That
if the purchaser Of money order, from hav-
ing made an error in stating the name Of tho
office of payment, or tho name Of the payee,
or for other reasons, be desirons that the said
money order he modified or changed, it shall
be the duty of the deputy postmaster from
whom lie received it to take back, at his re-
quest, the first order, and issue another in
lien thereof, for which a new fec shall ba
charged and exac,ed; and it shall also be the
duty Of deputy postmaster to repay the
amount Of any money order to the person who
obtained il, If the latter apply for such re-
payment and return the money order; but
the charged or fee paid therefor shall not in
any case be refunded.
Sec. S. And be It further enacted, That
if any money order be not presented to the
deputy postmaster on whom it is drawn with
in ninety days after its date, it shall not b.
valid or payable; but the Postmaster Gener.
cral shall be. and he is hereby, authorized. on
application of the payce Of such money order,
to cause new order in lieu thereof to be is
sued in his favor. for which second fee shall
be exacted. And the Postmaster General is
further authorized, whenever money order
shall have been lost, to cause duplicate
thereof to be issued. for which . second fee
shal: be paid on application Of the remitter or
Of the paycc Of such order, provided the par
ty losing the shall furnish statement, under
oath or affirmation. setting forth the loss or
destruction thereof, and q certificate from the
postmaster by whom it was payable that It
had not been paid, and that it would not bs
paid thereafter
Sec. 6. And be 1t further enacted. That
the psyes Of q money order may. by his writ.
ten endorsement thereon, direct it 10 be paid
to any other person, and it shall be the duty
Ct the deputy postmaster on whom it 10 or
d-red to pay the amount thereof to the per-
son thus designated. provided the person to
whom the money order is endorsed shall fur
nish such proof - the Postmaster Geee'sl
may require that the written Enforcement 10
genuine. and that he is the person thereby
empowered to receive payment Of the order |;
but such second person shall not be at liberty
to endorse the snme order TO q third party.
and more than one endorsement shall render
any order invalid. and not payable. and the
holder thereof. in order 10 obtain the amount