Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1873-05-23
LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES
Passed at the Third Session of the Forty
Second Congress-.
PUBLISHED By AUTHORITY
GENERAL NATURE--No. sc. ]

GENERAL NATURE--No. 96]
An Act for the suppression of trade in and cir,
cuaton of obscene literature and crticles of
immoral use.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of
Representatives of the United States of Ameri-
ca in Congress assembled, That whoever, with
in the District of Columbia or any of the Terri
tories of the United States, or other place with
in the exclusive jurisdiction of the United
States, shall sell, or lend, or give away, or in
any manner exhibit or shall offer to sell. or to
lend or give away, or in any manner to exhibit
or otherwise publish or offer to publish in any
manner. or shall have in his possession, for any
such purpose or purposes, any obscene book,
pamphlet, paper, writing, advertisement, cir
cular, print, picture drawing or other represen-
tation, figure or image on or of paper or other
material, or any cast, instrument or other arti
Gle of an immoral nature. or any drug or medi-
cine, or any article, whatever, for the preven-
ton OF conception, or for causing unlawful
abortion, or shall advertise the same for sale, or
shall write or print, or cause to be written or
printed, any card, circular, book, pamphlet,
advertisement or notice of any kind, stating
when, where, how, or of whom, or by what
MEANS any of the articles in this section herein
before mentioned, can be be purchased or OBJ
tanned, or shall manufacture, draw, or print, or
in any wise make any of such articles, shall be
deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and on con-
vlctlon thereof in any court of the United States
having criminal jurisdiction in the District of
Columbia, or in any Territory or place within
the exclusive Jurisdiction of tho United States.
where such misdemeanor shall have been COM
United aud on conviction thereof, he shall be
imprisoned at hard labor in the penitentiary
for not less than six months nor more than five
years for each ofense, or fined not less than one
hundred dollars nor more than two thousand
dollars, with costs of court
Sec. z That section one hundred and forty
eight OF the act to revise, consolidate and amend
thesstatutes relating to the Post Office Depart
ment, approved June eighth, eighteen hundred
and seventy two, be amended to read as fol
lows.
"Sec. 14S. That no obscene, lewd, or lascivi-
Gus book, pamphlet, picture, paper, print, or
other publication of an indecent character,
any article or thing designed or intended for
the prevention of conception or procuring for
abortion, nor any article or thing intended or
adopted for any indecent or immoral use or ma
ture, nor any written or printed caad, circular,
book, pamphlet, advertisement or notice of any
kind giving information, directly or indirectly,
where or how, or of whom, or by what means
either of the things mentioned may be obtained
or made, nor any letter upon the envelope of
which, or postal card upon which indecent or
scurrilous epithets may be written or printed,
shall be carried in the mail; and any person
who shall knowingly deposit, or cause to be de>
posted, for mailing or delivery, any of the
hereinbefore mentioned articles or things, or
any notice, or paper containing any advertise
ment relating to the aforesaid articles or things
and any person who, in purluance of any plan
or schemte. for disRosing at gay of the hereinbe-
cause to be taken. from the mail any such let
ter or package, shall be deemed guilty of a mis-
demeanor, and, on conviction thereof, shall, for
every ofense, be fined not less than one hun
dred dollars nor more than FIVE thousand doll
lars, or imprisoned at hard labor not less than
one year nor more than ten years, or both, in
the discretion of the judge"
Sec. 3. That all persons are prohibited from
importing into the United States, from any for
eign country, any of of the hereinbefore men
TONED articles or things, except the drugs here
lnbefore mentioned when imported in bulk, and
not put up for any of the purposes before men
toned and all such prohibited articles in the
course OF Importation shall be detained by the
Officers OF customs, and proceedings taken
against the same under section five of this act.
See. 4. That whoever, being an officer, agent
or employ zee of the government of the United
States, shall knowingly aid or abet any person
angaged IN any violation of this act, shall be
deemed guilty of misdemeanor, and, on con-
victlon thereof, shall, for every ofense, be pun
lshed as provided in section two of this act.
Sec 5. That any Judge of any district or cir
cult court ofthe United States, within the prop
er district, before whom complaint in writing of
any violation OF this act shall be made, to the
satisfaction of such Judge, and founded on
forth the grounds of such belief, and supported
by oath or affirmation of the complainant NAV
issue, conformably to the Constitution, war
rant directed to the marshal or any deputy mar
shall in the proper district. directing him to
search for, seize and take possession of any
such article or thing hereinbefore mentioned,
and to make due and immediate return thereof,
10 the end that the same may be condemned
and destroyed by proceedings which shall be
conducted in the same manner as other pro-
eeedings In case of municipal seizure, and with
the same right of appeal or writ of error: Pro-
vided That nothing in this section shall be con-
strued as repeating the one hundred and forty
eighth section of the act of which this act is
aRlendatory. or to affect any indictments here
tofore found for otfenses against the same, but
the said indictments may be prosecuted to
Judgment as if this section had not been en-
actedd:
Approved, March 8, 1873.
GENERAL MATURING. ST.
AN ACT to establish O. board of local inspect
ors of steam vessels for the custom district
Michigan, in the State of Michigan
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of
Representatives or the United States of Amer-
ca in Congress assembled, That there shall be
a local board of inspectors designated and APP
pointed for the customs district of Michigan, in
the State of Michigan, and the inspector OF
hulls and the inspector of boilers, composing
the said board. shall receive salary Of nine
hundred dollars a year each. -
Approved, March 8, 1873:
GENERAL NATURE--No. Ssl
AN ACT to amend an act entitled An act to
provide for the redemption and sale of lands
n ae.s oy thu United States under the several
es iesylng direct taxes, and for other purpos-
and s apprevea June eighth, eighteen hundred
cad as follows: " "ih ueu so 1nas ~ WIN
pee, o. That all money derived from the
provisions OF section eight of an act entitled