The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1877-11-01
"A BTT,T,

| A BILL
FOR An ACT RELATIyE TO CLAssIFICATIoN
AND RATES OF POSTAGE OF MATTER DE
POSTED FOR TRANSMISSION THROUGH
THE MAIL.
Be it enacted By tie Senate md House Of Represen
assembled.
SECTION l. That mailable matter shall be divi-
ded into three classeS
! FIRsT-Letters and postal cards
SECOND-Regular printed matter.
% NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. printed matter
! and merchandise as provided by law.
SEC. .. That mailable matter of the first class
shall embrace letters postal cards, and all cores
pondence wholly or partly in writing, except book
manuscript passing between authors and publish
erS proof-SheetS and corrected proof-sheetS.
SEC. 3. That mailable matter OF the second class
shall embrace all matter exclusively i'll print
which is, or has been regularly issued from q
known office OF publication, without addition by
mark or sign, except as provided Ill section 5.
SEC. 4. That mailable matter of the third class
shall EN- brace all matter not EN- braced in the first
or second classes which is not, from its form or
nature. liable to destroy, deface, or otherwise
damage the contents OF the mail bag or harm the
person of any one engaged in the postal service
and is not above the weight provided by law
which is hereby declared to be not exceeding four
pounds for each package thereof, except for
books or documents published circulated by
order OF Congress- or official matter emanating
from any OF the Departments of the Government
Provided, however, That nothing herein CON
tanned shall be construed as to permit liquids,
poisons, glass, explosive materials, and obscene
matter to pass through the mails, and all matter
OF the third class shall be beet to examination
and rates OF postage as now provided by law.
SEC. 5. That mailaple matter OF the second class
shall contain no writing, print, mark, or sign
thereon and therein, except as herein provided
to wit: the name and address of the person to
printed; the printed title of the publicat .on the
printed name and address OF the publisher or
sns h and When sent
hereinafter provided, the printed words indica
ling such registration. and printed words indica-
ting the date on which the subscription to snch
matter will end; when sent without registration
under the ordinary rate the sender thereof
may write or print his own name and address
thereon with the word from above or proceed
ing the same, and may inclose in brackets nara
graphs or articles of such publications to which
he desires to call attention. The privilege ey-
tended to the sender OF matter of the second class
not registered by this section also extended To
the sender OF printed matter of the third class
Upon any package OF merchandise which is de-
clared mallable by law there may also be written
or printed the number and names of the articles
inclosed, and the sender thereof may write OF
print upon any such articles mark, number or
letter for purpose of Identification Matter OF the
second or thlrd classes containing any writing
other than that above Indicated or made in the
manner other than above indicated, shall not be
delivered except upon the payment of letter
postage, deducting therefrom any amount which
may have been prepaid by stamps affixed to the
package and any person who shall conceal or in
close any matter OF the first class in that of the
second or third classes, and deposit, or cause the
same to be deposited, for conveyance by mail at a
less rate than would be charged for the convey
ance by mail OF the matter concealed or Enclosed
if sent not SO concealed or inclosed shall for
every such otfense, be liable to penalty of five
dollars Provided, however, That nothing herein
contained shall be so construed as to prevent
publishers and dealers in registered matter OF
the second class from inclosing in their publica-
tons bills and receipts for subscriptions thereto
SEC. s. There shall be two rates for mailable
matter OF the second class, to wit: privileged"
rate and an ordinary rate. Publications regis
tered as herein provided shall be entitled to pass
through the mails at the privileged" rate ali
others shall be subject to the Ordinary rate.
SEC. I. From and after the passage Of this act,
may desire to secure to their publications the
benefit OF the privileged rate of postage shall
submit the same to the Department, under such
regulations as the Postmaster General NAV pre-
scribe, who shall cause the same to be examined,
aa az II deIermmed TO be entitled to the benefits
OF the privileged rates, shall cause license or
certificate Of registration to be issued to the post
master at the place where such publication Shall
the same to that effect ,|F -lr 1.777-f-9--
SEC. g.. Such license certificate of registra-
ton shall entitle the publisher OF such pablica-
ton to have printed upon each issue thereof and
upon the wrapper of each package thereof, the
words Registered for transmission through the
mails at the privileged rate, or words of like i'm
port, which may be prescribed by the Postmaster
General and upon the, payment OF an annual fee
OF iffty cents to The postmaster at the office of
suchipubication SO registered, or if sent from a
news agent, the sender thereof, to have the same
transmitted through the mails to regular smh
scribers thereto, at the following rate Of hostage
to wit when published as often as once a week
two cents per pound, or fraction thereof; when
ten as four times year, three cents per Dound or
fraction thereof such postage to be prepaid in
the manner now provided by law: Provided,
however, that no matter shall pass through the
mails at the privileged" rate unless the words Of
registration shall appear thereon
SEC. 9. The certificate OF registration. granted
as in the preceding section, shall be revoke nv
the Postmaster General, only in case the publica-
ton to which it shall have been granted shall
a ata TO-, "a
ject to the ordinary rate, in case the publisher
or sender thereof shall be guilty Of palpable eva
sion of the postal laws relative to the cIassfca-
tion of mail matter.
SEC. 10. Any person who shall print upon any,
number of his publication, or the wrapper there
Of the words designated in section three, or 9TH
er words OF like import, which may be prescribed
by the Postmaster General under the authority
conferred in that section, to whom has NOT been
granted certificate OF registration, or who shall
submit false evidence to the Department as to
the character OF his publication shall be deemed
tense shall be punished by fine OF not less than
twenty five nor more than one hundred dollars
SEC; II; The conditions upon which publica-
tion shall be admitted to the privilege OF regis
tration follows:
FIRST. 1t must be regularly issued, at stated
intervals. ,,,
SECOND. 1t must be issued from known office
of publication. =ifIl
THIRD; It must consist mainly of public news
or OF articles relating thereto Of either general
or special character, of literary matter, in
either case with or without advertisements: PRO
Vldeu, noWerer, tnat nothlng herein contained
shall be so construed as to admit books, either
bound or unbound, or publications which, al
though issued in regular series or successive
numbers, are but books or reprints OF books, to
the benefits of the "privileged'' rate.
FOURTH 1t must be printed and published in
the United States. ~
SEC. IL. On all mail matter of the second class
not registered as provided in the preceding Sec
tons postage shall be paid at the rate OF cent
for each two ounces or fractional part thereof,
which rate shall be called the Ordinary rate,
and shall be prepaid by postage stamps affixed to
said matter.
SEC. Ii. The Postmaster General shall prescribe
such regulations, not inconsistent with the pro-
visions OF this act, as shall be necessary to carry
the same into effect.
SEC. IA. All laws inconsistent with the provi-
sions of this act are hereby repealed. .il