Evening star., 1868-08-31
EVENING STAR.
. II HI G L 4 L,
LAWS OF fHR UNITED STATES.
Passed at Second Session Of fortieth Congress
TPuBLIC-No. eS.l
An Act 70 further amend the postal laws

thereof his name and address, the same. after
remaining tFcl1ued (uncslledl for st the pos
once 10 which II Is directed thirty days, the
nue the writer may direct, shall be returned to
the said writer without additional postage.
whethera a specific request for such return be
endorsed on the letter or not
SIC. 9. And Dc it rurfAer enacted, That ali
persons VINO receive money orders shall be re-
CURED to pay therefor the following charges
or lees, VIZ For one dollar or any sum not ex-
eeeding twenty dollars, fee Of ten cents shall
o. charged and exacted by the postmaster
giving said order; for all orders exoaediur
twenty dollars and not exceeding thirty dol
orders exceeding thirty dollars and NOT 3. eel
ing forty dollars, the fee shall be twenty crnts.
for all orders exceeding forty dollars and moi
exceeding hfty dollars, the fee shall be twenty
i've cents; and furthermore that tha corn ns1-
sation OF deputy postmasters for the pa yment
OF money orders is hereby increased from one
elghtn TO one-iourth of one per centum on the
gross amount OF orders paid at their respective
offices, and that nothing contained in any act
shall b. so construed as 10 deprive postmasters
al money order offices of the compensation for
ransactng the money order business fixed by
the act of May seventeenth, eighteen hundrrd
and sixty -four, and modified as stated in thus
section PrOrided dis0dys, That :he amount OF
such annual compensation, together with the
postmaster's salary, shall not in any case ex-
ceed the salary established by law for post
masters OF the first class.
SIC ,. And be Il further enacted. That sec
ton thirty five OF the act of March third
eighteen hundred and sixty three, shall be so
construed as to permit weekly newspapers
properly folded and addressed, when sent to
regular subscribers, in the county where
printed and published, TO be delivered free of
postage, when deposited at the Office nearest
10 the ONCE of publication; but nothing IN this
act shall be so construed as to require carriers
TO distribute said papers, unless postage rs paid
ON them IT the rate of five cents per quarter
and such postage must be prepaid Tor q term of
not less than one quarter or more than one
year, either at the office Of mailing or of de-
M an hsc
SEC. l. And be u further enacted, That in ease
OF the loss OF money order, q du plicate there
OF shall be issued by the superintendent of the
money-order effice without charge, on the an
plication Of the remitter or payee of the or,rI
nal FrOrided, That the applicant furnish a
certificate from the postmaster on whom the
same was drawn that 1t had not been and
would not thereafter ne paid, and a similar
certificate from the pos. master by whom il was
issued that 1t had not been and would not be re-
paid 10 the purchaser; and second fee shall not
be charged TOR a duplicate money order issued 70
replace an order that has been rendered invalid
beca use OF Misrepresentation for payment with
IN one year alter Its date, or because Of illegal
endorsements.
SIC. 5. And be IL farther enacted, That if sny
person shall falsely forge or counterfeit or
willingly aid, assist, or abet in falsely forging
or counterfeitlng, or shall procure, directly or
lnolrecuy TO be falsely forged or coun ter felted
any postal money order, or any material sigma
ture or endorsement TO any postal money order
issued by the Post Once Department. or any OF
m
OF obtaining or receiving, directly or indirpetIy
or OF procuring or enabling others 10 obtain or
receive, directly or indirectly, any sum or
sums OF money, and thereby 10 defraud either
the United States or any person OF such sum or
sums Of money, OF any part thereof, or shall
pass, utter, or publish or attempt to pass utter
or publish as true, any such forged or coo ntsr-
feited postal money order with intent to de-
fraud either the UnIGed States or any person of
any sum or sums Of money, knowing such
postal money order, or any signature or en-
dorsement thereon 10 be so falsely forged or
counterfelted, every such person shall be
deemed guilty OF felony, and b ing thereof duly
convicted shall be sentenced to be Imprisoned
and kept at hard labor TOR period of not less
than two years nor more han five years and
10 be fined In a sum not Exceeding five thou
sand dollars.
SEC. g. And he IL further enacted, That the
Postmaster General be, and he Is hereby au-
thorized 10 appoint and employ on board of
each OF the mali steamers plying on the route
between San Francisco, Japan, and Cnlna and
between San Francisco and Honolulu, (Ha.
ws'lan lslands,) government agent in charge
OF the nlted States mails, al an annual salary
OF two thousand dollars each per annum.
SEC. :. Ana be az further enacted, That tn
Postmaster General be, aud he is hereby, au-
thorized to establish in connection win IN
United States mail steamship Ieryice to Japan
and China, general postal agency at Shsng-
hal, China, with such branch agencies at other
ports In China and Japan shall, in his iudg-
ment be necessary for the prompt and efficient
management OF the postal service in those
countries; ana to pay the postal agents so ap-
pointed and employed a reasonable compepSa-
uon for their services in addition TO the neces
sary expenses for rent furniture, clerk hire
and so forth, 10 be allowed at each agency for
conducting the postal business, a report on
which shall be embraced in the ann uai report
OF the Postmaster General.
SIC. 8. ARd be u further enacted, That for the
more efficient management of the increased
postal business come cted with the foreign mail
service. the Postmaster General be, and he is
hereby, authorized TO appoint in his depirt-
ment superintendent of foreign mails at an
annual salary OF three thousand dollars, aud
also three additional clerks for that branch of
the postal service. TO wit: one of class four
and two Of class three; and that the salary OF
the superintendent OF the money -order sysIem
shall be three thousand dollars per annun
SEC. 9. And be IL further enacted, That the
Postmaster General be, and he is hereby au-
thorized to appoint in the Office of the Third
Assistant Postmaster General, q chief of di-
vision for the dead-letter Office at a salary of
TIVE thousand five hundred dollars per snnum
SEC. 10. And be IL further enacted. That, il any
person employed in any department Of the post
office establishment OF the United States shall,
wilfully and knowingly, use or cause 20 be
used IN prepayment OF postage any postage
hereafter be issued by authority OF any act OF
Congress or Of the Postmaster General which
has already once been used for q like purpose or
sball remove or attempt TO remove the cancel
ling or defacing marks from any such postage
stamp or stamped envelope VITA intent TO use
or cause the use of the same a second time. or
TO sell or offer to sell the same or shall remove
from letters or other mail matter deposited in
or received at post office the stamps attached
TO the same in payment of postage, with intent
10 use the same a second time for a like pur-
pose. or TO sell OF otter to sell the same every
such offender shall, upon conviction thereof,
be deemed guilty of felony, and shall be impris-
oned Tor not less than one year nor more than
three years.
SIC. ii. And be IL further enacted That n any
person not employed IN any department of the
post office establishment of the United States
shall commit any OF the offences described m
the preceding section Of this act every such
person shall, on conviction thereof be deemed
guilty OF misdemeanor, and be punished by
Imprisopment for not less than six months
than one hundred dollars nor more than We
hundred dollars for each offense, or by both
such fine and imprisonment
SEC. IL. Ind be u further enacted. That Sec
tion nine OF an act OF Congress approved July
one, eighteen hundred and sixty -four, author
lzlng the sales OF postage stamps and stamped
at a discount be so modified that the
quantities Of each sold at any one time TO the
same party shall not exceed one hundred dol
lars in value; and that such sales shall be
restricted to certain designated agents who will
agrte TO sell again without discount under
rules 10 be fixed by the Postmaster General.
SIC. 13. And be Il further enacted, That il
shall not be lawful TO deposit in q post Office
10 be sent by mail, any letters or circulars con-
cerning lotteries, so-called gift concerts or
oiher similar enterprises offering prizes of any
KIND on any pretext whatever.
SIC. II. and be IL further enacted, That the
Postmaster General be, and he is hereby, au-
f hs.xr