The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-08-18
POSTAL CRIMES.
The Senate Passes the Bill Amending
the Act of June 1S.


WASHINGTON, Aug 17.-In the senate
to-day, the senate bill amendstory of the
act of June Isl 1888, relating to postal
crimes, was taken up and passed after
amendment.
The bill provides that all matter other
wise mailable by law, upon the envelope or
outside cover or wrapper of which, ct any
postal card upon which any delineations,
epi; bets, terms or language Of an indecent,
lewd. lascivi ous, obscene, libelous, scurril-
Gus, defamatory or threatening character,
or calculated by the terms terms OF or
obviously intended to reflect injuriously
upon the character or conduct of another
may be written or printed, or otherwise
impressed or apparent, are hereby declared
non-mailable matter, and shall not be con
veyed i'll the mails, nor delivered from
any post office nor by any letter
carrier, and shall be withdrawn
from the mails under such regulations us
the Postmaster General shall prescribe. AMI
any person who shall knowingly deposit, or
cause to be deposited for mailing or deliv-
cry, anything declared by this sectiont) be
non-mailable matter, and any person
who shall knowingly take the same
or cause the same to be taken from the
mails for the purpose OF circulating or dis
posing of, or of aiding In the circulation or
d sposition of the same, shall for each and
every ofTense, upon conviction thereof, be
fined not more than $5,000 or imprisoned
at hard labor not more than five years, or
both, at the discretion of the court
Every obscene, lewd or iascivious book,
pamphlet picture, paper. letter, writing,
print, or other publication of an indecent
character, aud every article or thing de-
signed or intended for the prevention of
conception or procuring OF abortion, and
every article or thing intended or adapted
for any indecent or immoral use and every
written or printed card. letter, circular,
book, pamphlet. advertisement or notice
of any kind giving information,
directly or indirectly, where or
how or of whom or by what means any of
the herein before mentioned matters, arti
cles, or things may be obtalDed or made.
whether sealed as flIst-class matter or not,
are hereby declared to be non
mailable matter and shall not be
conveyed in the mails nor delivered
from any postOfilce nor by any letter car
rier, and any person who shall knowingly
deposit, or cause to- be deposited, for mailing
or delivery, anything declared by this sec
ton to be non-mailable matter, and
any person who shall knowingly take
the same or cause the same to be taken
from the mails for the purpose of circulat-
ing, or dispoSing of, or of aiding in the cir
cnlation or disposition of the same shall,
for each and every offense be fined upon
conviction thereof not more than
5000, or imprisoned at hard
labor not more than five years,
or b 9TH. at the discretion of the court, and
all offenses committed under the section OF
which this is amendatory 'itici 70 the ap
proval of this act may be prosecuted and
punished under the same, in the salne man
ner and with the same effect as f the act
had not been passed, provided that nothing
in this act shall authorize any person tC
open any letter or sealed n tier of the first
class not addressed to himself