The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1874-08-13
The New Postal Law.

The new postal law, ovcr which Con
gross ~wranolcd last winter, and which
sent into effect July /, 1874, provides
that newspapers may go free through
the nails within the counties in which
they are printed, in whole or in part,
and published, one copy being sent to
each actual subscriber. The term
" printed, in whole or in part" Is OF
course, intended to cover the patent
ou.sidcs Of the weekly country papers,
and the words actual subscriber, arc
AS is apparent from the context, used
anonymously with regular subscrI
bcrs," When newspapers are sem
elsewhere than to regular subscribers
within the county of publication, the
prescribed rate Of postage is at the rate
Of one cent for each two ounce Or lrac'
tional part thereof.
To coniinc the benefits Of the law to
the prescribed limits, the act provides
that the Postmaster General, when II
his Judgment it shall he necessary, may
prescribe the form Of an affidavit to be
made by the publisher n news agents
or hy the cmploye charged with tue
matter, dsclmring that lie will not send,
or knowingly permit to be sent, througl
the mails, any newspaper or periodical
except to regular subscribers within
the county, without prepayment OF pos
tage thereon. The refusal to make
such affidavit, and the subsequent de
posting Of any newspapers in the mat's
for transmission constitute, a mIshc'
meauOr, for which the offender, or
conviction, may be fined q thousand
dollars. A similar fine, with the az
ditional penalty Of Imprisonment Tor
one year, may be imposed on any per
son who shall wiItulIy mai! any mat
ter without prepayment Of postage as
above indicated.
The act Of 1873, revising and con,
solidating the postal laws, fixed the
weight limit Of each package OF mail
able matter Of class three at twelve
ounces, and the postage at two cents
per two ounces or fraction thereof
The enumeration OF maiiahlc matter OF
the third class remains the same as un-
der the old law, and includes all pamph
lets, occasional publications, transient
newspapers, magazines, %handbiI(s, pos
tiers, unseaIcd circulars, prospectuscs,
books, book manuscripts, proof sheets,
corrected proof sheets, maps, prints,
engraving, blanks, flexible, patterns,
samples Of merchandise. sample. cards,
Photographic paper, letter envelopes,
pospal cnvclodes, wrappers, cards,
plain and ornamental paper, photo
graphic representations OF different
types, seeds, cuttings, bulbs, roots and
all other articles not above the pre-
scribed weight, and which from their
form and naCure are not liable to de
stroy, l%njure or deface other mail mat
ter.
The new law further provides that
on and after January /, 1875, all news
papers and periodical publications mail
ed from any known office Of adjudication
or news agency and addressed to reg.
ular subscribers or news agents, Shall
be subjected to prepaid postage at the
rate of two cents q pound and fraction
thereof on newspapers and periodicals
issued weekly and oftener; and three
cents per pound OF fraction thereof
when they are issued less frequently
than once a week. This postage is to
be prepaid by ahixing a specially de-
vised adhesive stamp to the package or
sack containing the matter, or by such
other means as the Postmaster General
may, from time to time, provide by
regulation.
The law not only denounces a pen
atty against the party who deposits
matter in the mail in violation Of its
provisions, but it declares that if any
postmaster or postoilice official shall,
knowingly, permit any such unlawfully
deposited matter to be mailed, he shall
be deemed guilty of misdemeanor
and may be subjected to Il fine Of II
thousand dollars and Imprisonment for
one year.