Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-11-27
LOTTERY LETTERS.
THE QUESTION OF INVIOLABILITY
IN TIE MAILS.
Opinion of tho Attorney General of the
Postoffice Department-What Letters
Instructions by the Postmaster General
The Test Case Certified up 10 the Equity
Court of Observation-Disclosures
Washington News.
LOTTERY LETTERS,

WASHINGTON, Nov. 26-The assistant attor
ney-general for the postoffice department., il
reply to an inquiry from the third assistant
postmaster-general, has addressed to the latte,
the following letter with regard to the treat.
ment of lottery correspondence:
WASHINGTON, D. C.-Sir: In reply to your
letter of the Goth inst. have the honor to ad.
wise you
First That lottery letters reaching the dead.
letter office may be returned to the writer's by
mail.
Second-That postmasters are not justifable
in Withholding letters to an individual, for the
sole reason that such individual is an agent
for a lottery company. The letter must be
addressed to the agent, as such, to justify its
detention, unless it is addressed to the person
declared by special order of the postmaster
general to be a fraudulent, in which case the
registered letter is returned to tho writer, and
payment of money orders forbidden.
(Sigued) A. A. FREEMAN,
Assistant Attorney General, p. o. D.
The postmaster general has also written a
letter to Gen. Hazen upon the same subject, as
follows:
WASHINGTON, D. G., Nov. 26-Sir: Section
1854, revised statutes, prohibits the carriage
in mails of letters concerning lotteries. Sec
ton 3,S95 provides that all lottery packets or
other matter which may be seized or detained
for violation of law, shall be returned to the
owner or sender of the same, or
otherwise disposed of as the order
of the postmaster general may direct. In order,
therefore, to carry out the provisions of the
sections referred TO it is directed that all letters
concerning lotteries which may arrive at the
dead letter office, be returned to the writer. If
by inadvertance mistake or otherwise letters
supposed to contain lottery matter should
come to the dead letter office they should be
sent to the office of delivery with such direc-
tions to the postmaster as will ensure their
prompt delivery. (Sigued) D. NJ. KEY.
Postmaster General.
TEST CASE.
The case of the lottery agent VS.. the post
master general, in which the complainant
seeks an injunction to restrain the enforcement
Of the recent order of the postoffice depart
ment with regard to lottery letters and money
orders, came up in the supreme
court of the district to-day. Chief
Justice Carter said that the court
had decided, after due reflection, to remand the
case to the equity court, where the proceed
ings were originally instituted, and where a
then, he said, come up regularly to the court,
and If the parties interested should
desire to carry it to the United States
supreme court the district supreme court
in general term would expedite it as fur as pos
sible. Subsequently counsel for the COM
plaluhuL ODtdlucu du OIUcE III Cuo euuAGy COuEG
certifying the case to the supreme court in
general term and fixing Thursday of next
week for the hearing.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 26.-Secretary Schurz re-
ceived the following telegram this morning:
Los Pinos Agency, Nov. z4.-We have informa-
ton that the White River Ute Indians are on
their way, including Jack. We are now of the
opinion that we shall be successful in carrying
out your wishes. At all events we have patience
enough to try it. So far as danger is concerned
the commission has not given that . thought.
They must take the chance. Signed, Hatch,
commissioner. The latter portion of the dis
patch is in reply to telegram from Secretary
Schurz, in which he said: commissioners, if
they have reason to think themselves in danger,
aust follow their own judgment in taking
such steps rs their safety may require
REMODELING NAVAL VESSELS.
WASHINGTON, Nov. &C. The chief of the bu-
reau of steam engineering recommends an ap-
preparation of 81, 165, 600 for the completion
aud erection on boats of the machinery of
double-turreted monitors.
IMPORTS OVER EXPORTS.
The excess of value of exports over imports
OF merchandise, for October, is $40, 067 1878,
the largest in the history of the country. The
excess of imports of gold and silver into the
country over EXPORTS from July to Nov. %,
amounted to about $65, 0OO,O0O.