The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1873-09-04
Approved, March 3, 1873.
GENERAL NATuRE-No. IS /

GENERAL NATURE-No. Sc
AN ACT for the suppression of trade in and cir
culation of obscene literature and articles Of
immoral use.
Be 1T enacted by the Senate and House Of
Representatives of the United States of
America IN Congress assembled, That who
ever, within the District of Columbia or any
Of the Territories of the United States, or
other place within 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 to give away or in
any manner to exhibit, or shall otherwise
publish or offer to publish in any manner,
or shall have in his possession for any such
purpose or purposes any obscane book,
pamphlet. paper, writing, advertisement, cir
cular, print, picture, drawing or other re-
presentation, figure, or image on or of paper
or other material, or any cast, instrument
or other article Of immoral nature, or any
drug or medicine, or any article what
ever for the prevention of conception or
for causing unlawful abortion, or shall ad-
yertise the same for sale, or shall write or
print, or cause to be written or printed, any
card, circular, book, pamphlet, advertise
nent or notice Of any kind, stating when,
where, how, or Of whom, or by what means,
any of the articles in this section hereinbe-
fore mentioned, can be purchased or obtain
ed. or shall manufacture, draw, or print, or
in any wise make any Of such articles shall
be deemed guilty Of misdemeanor, and,
on conviction 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 juris-
diction of the United States, where such
misdemeanor shall have been committed;
and on conviction thereof he shall be i'm
prisoned at hard laborin the penitentiary for
not less than six months nor more than
five wears for each offense or fined not
less than one hundred dollars nor more
than two thousand dollars with costs Of
court.
SEC. 2. That section one hundred and
forty-eight of the act TO revise, consolidate
and amend the statutes relating to the Post
Office Department, approved June eighth,
eighteen hundred and seventy-two, be amend
ed to read as follows:
"sEc. 148. That no obscene, lewd, or lasci-
vious book, pamphlet, picture, paper, print,
or other publication of an indecent character,
OR any article or thing designed or intended
for the prevention Of conception or procuring
of abortion, nor any article or thing intended
or adapted for any indecent or immoral use or
nature, nor any written OR printed card,
circular, book, pamphlet, advertisement or
notice Of kind giving information, directly
or indirectly, where, or how, or OF whom, or
| by what means either Of the things before
mentioned may be obtained or made, por
any letter upon the envelope Of which, or
postal card upon which Indecent or scurril-
| Gus epithets may be written or printed, shall
be carried in the mail; and any person who
| shall knowingly deposif, or cause to be de-
posted, for mailing or delivery, any Of the
hereinbefore- articles or things, or
any notice. or paper containing any adver-
tisement relating to the aforesaid articles or
things, and any person who, IN pursuance of
any plan or scheme for disposing Of any Of the
einbefore-mentione articles or things
/ shall take. or cause TO be taken, from the
mail any such letter or package, shall be
deemed guilty Of mlsdemeanor, and, on
conviction thereof shall, for every otfense,
be fined not less than one hundred dollars
nor more than FIVE thousand dollars, or i'm
prisoned at bard labor not less than one
year nor more than ten years, or both in
| the discretion Of the judge"
| SEC. 8. That all persons are prohibited
from importing into the United States, from
any foreign country, any Of the hereinbefore
mentioned articles or things, except the
drugs Neutrality-suspicious. when import
ed in bulk. and not put up for any Of The
purposes before-m entloncd; and all such.spro