Smyrna times., 1873-09-03
Approved, March 3, 1873.
GENERAL NAruRE-No. e6.l

!GESERkL NATCRE-NO. COL
AN ACT for the suppression OF trade IN and circu-
IatIon Of obscene literature and articles of I'M
moral use.
Be it enacted BY the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives of the United States Of America IN Con-
gress assembled, That whoever, within the District
Of Columbia any of the Territories OF the United
States or other place within the exclusive jurlsdc
ton OF the United States, shall SELL or lend. oTgW
away, or in any manner EXHIBIT, or shall offer t.
sell, to lend, to give away, or in any manner
to exhibit, or shall ortherwIse publish or otter 70
publish in any manner, or shall have in his posses.
sIOn Tor any such purpose or purposes any obscene
book, pamphlet, paper, writing, ADVERTISEMENT clr-
cular print picture drawing, or other Representa-
ton, figure, or image on or Of paper or other ma
tcra or any cast, instrument, other article OF an
immoral nature, or any drug or medicine, or aTJ
article, whatever for th: prevention OF conception.
or for causing unlawful ABORTION, or shall advertise
the same for SALE shall write OF print or cause to
be written or printed, any card, circular, book, PAM
phet, advertisement, notice of any kInd sitting
when, where how, or Of whom, by what means,
any Of the articles in this section erelnbeore men,
TONED, be purchased obtained, or shall man.
| ufacturr, draw, or print or Ia any wise make any
of such articles shall te deemed guilty OF mlsde.
meanor, and on conviction thereof IN any court OF
the United States having criminal Jurisdiction an the
District of Columbia, or any Territory OF place
within the exclusive jurisdiction OF the United
States, where such mlsdemeanOr shall have been
committed: aud on conviction thereof; he shall be
impr soned at hard labor in tie pententary Tor not
| less than SIX months nor more than i've years tor
each ofcnse or fined not less than one hundred dOl
lars nor more than two thousand dollars with costs
| of court.
SEC. 9. That section one hundred and forty-eight
| of the act to revise, consolidate, aud amend the
statutes relating to the Post-Otice Department, sp.
proved June eighth, eighteen hundred aud seventy.
| two. be amended TO read as follows:
HN IA hat ,,ohaR aygd- nF aGcl
book pamphlet, picture, paper, print, or other pub
iCatlon of an indecent character, or any article or
| thing designed or intended for the prevention Of
conception procuring Of abortion, nor any article
! or thing intended adapted for any indecent or
immoral use nature, nor any written or printed
card, circular, book, pamphlet advertisement or no
tice of any kind giving information, directly or in-
directly, where, or how, of whom, or by what
means either of the things before mentioned may be
| obtained made, any letter upon the envelope
| of which, postal. l.clrd upon which indecent or
scufIous epithes may be written or printed, SHAH
be carried in the mail and any person VINO shall
knowingly deposit, cause to be deposited, for
mailing or delivery, any or the hereEnbetOre-m -men-
toned articles things, or any notice, or paper
containing any advertisement relating 20 the atOre.
said articles things and any person who, IN pur
suance Of any plan or scheme for disposIng OF any
of the herein mentioned articles or thIngs-
shall take, to be taken, from the mail any
such letter package, shall be deemed guilty Of 4
misdemeanor, and, conviction thereof, shafl for
every oiense, be fined not less than one hundred
dollars nor more than five thousand dollars, or I'M
prisoned at hard labor not less than one year nor
more than ten years, both, in the discretion of
| the Judge"
| SEC 3. That all persons prohibited from i'm
porting into the United States, from any foreign
country, any of the hcreinbefore.menIoncd articles
things, except the drugs neutrality-suspicious.
when important in bulk, and not put up for any of
4 a. hoG,r npad. md NIL
hbited articles in the of importation shall be
detained by the officer Of custome and proceedings
taken against the came under section i've of this
act.
SEC. L. That whoever, being and officer, agent, or
employee of the government of the United States,
shall knowingly aid or abet any person engaged IN
any violation of this act, shall be deemed guilty OF
misdemeanor and, conviction thereof, shlll. for
every ofense be punished provided IN section two
| of this act.
SEC. S. That any Judge of any district or circuit
court of the United States, within the proper dis
trict, before whom complaint in writing any viO-
laton Of this act shall be made TO the satisfaction
of such Judge, and founded on knowledge 0r eelief.
and if upon belief setting forth the grounds OF such
belief, and supported by oath or Affirmation of the
complainant, may issue, cOnfOrmably 10 the ConstI-
tuition, warrant directed to the marshal, or any
deputy marshal, in the proper district, directing
him to search for, seize, and take possession OF any
such article thing hereinbe0re mentioned, and 10
make due and immediate return thereof to the end
that the same may be condemned and destroyed by
proceedings, which shall be conducted IN the same
manner as other proceedings in case oil munIcIpH
seizure, and with the same right of appeal or writ
of error Provided, That nothing in this section
shall be construed repealing the one hundred and
y-egth section of the act of which this act is
amendatory, TO affect any indictments heretofore
found for offenses against the same but the said in
dctments may be prosecuted to Judgment as if this
section had not been enacted
Approved, March 3. 1873.