Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-10-08
THE LOTTERY BILL.
Wanamake-'s Circular of Instructions
to POstmasters.


WASHINGTON, ID. c., Oct 3.-Assistant
Attorney-General Tyner, under di1ec-
ton of Postmaster-Gene Wanamaker,
has prepared for publication in the
Postal Bulletin circular letter to post
masters containing instructions for their
guidance in the treatment Of lottery
matter" under the anti-lcttery act. At
ter quoting the law in full the circular
reads as follows:
Section 1894. above quoted, applies to any
letter, ordinary or registered, if it con-
Germs any lottery, gift concern or scheme
described IN the section, and to lottery
tickets, checks, drafts, bills, money, postal
notes, or money orders for the purchase of
lottery tickets, or any share or chance in a
lottery or gift enterprise, and to the list of
the drawings at any lottery or similar
scheme. and forbids the carrying Of them
in the mails, or the delivery of them from,
post-ofices.
The seal of a letter or of any sealed
packet, prepaid at letter rates, must not be
disturbed for the purpose of aScertaining
II Its transmission in the mail or its deliv-
cry at a post-office is forbidden by the
provlslons OF this act. Nor will the mere
to lottery, or the fact that it is adj
dressed to any person known to be engaged
in the business of conducting a lottery,
justify its detention or non-deliveTy eX-
cept that the delivery Of registered letters
at the office of destination shall be withheld
when the pOStmaSter-general has issued
specific orders, under provisions of section
1929 to that effect.
Postal cards and circulars unSealed, and
all other unSealed matter, may, when SIlS-
pected of having been deposited or mailed
IN violation or the provisions OF this act, be
examined for the purpose Of ascertainmg
their character:
The mailing of matter interdicted by
this act by citizens to lottery companies
and their representatives, is as clear a VlO-
lation of the law as the mailing of such
matter by lottery companies to their GUS
toners or other persons.
When it is known at the time of deposit
ing them for mailing that postal cards OF
circulars are unavailable under the provis-
IONS of section 1894, above quoted, the
postmaster should decline to receive them.
If they be found in post-office, and the
sender is unknown to the postmaster, or, if
they be discovered in the mail in transit,
they should be withdrawn and marked or
stamped fraudulent" and sent to the
pOstmaster-general. accompanied by
special report from the postmaster explain
ing the reason for their detention.
The provisions of this act apply to let
tiers, postal cards and circulars concerning
the mails from foreign countries, and
such matter SO received should be treated
as if it originated in the United States.
Matter sent in violation of the provisions
of section 1894, discovered by postmasters
at intermediate offices, should be with
drawn from the mail and disposed of in
the same manner as if it had been discov-
cred by the postmaster at the Office of
mailing or the office Of delivery. But
postmasters at intermediate offices should
not delay the transmission of other mail
In making special search for any thing de-.
clared by this act TO be unavailable.
Newspapers, pamphlets az publications
of all kinds, bearing date before or since
September 19, 1896, at which date the act
took effect, which contain the advertisement
of any lottery, gift enterprise or similar
scheme, or the whole or part of the list of
prizes awarded at the drawings of lotteries
or similar schemes, are, by the provisions
Of this act, denied carnage in the
mails or delivery to subscribers
addresses, or to any other persons, or as
sample copies" Postmasters should re-
fuse to receive them from publishers, or to
deliver them if by inadvertence they reach
the office of destination. When found by
postmasters in the mail in transit they
should be held until report concerning
them can be made to the postmaster-gen-
eral, and Instructions received from him as
to the diSpOsing of them.
LEGATIONS of all kinds. containing printe(a
matter forbidden by the provisions Of this
act, should be treated as If they were pub
lished in the United States.
Clerks in the railway mail service dis
covering matter, the carriage of which
is forbidden by the provisions OF this act,
should withdraw and forward it to theil-
respective division superintendent. Di-
vision superitendentS should treat such
matter in the same manner as postmasters-
are herein instructed tC treat it.
The term lottery" as used In this act.
embraces all kinds of schemes, general OF
local, for the distribution of prizes by lot
or chance; such as gift exhibitions, enter
priseS, concerns. raffles or the drawing of
prizes in money or property at fairs.
Hence letters, postal cards and circulars.
concerning them, and newspapers, pam
phlets and other publications containing
advertisements of them. are unavailable.
The provisions of section 1929, relating to
registered letters, and Of section 4041, re-
lating to money orders. both Of which sec
tions are set out in full in the preceding
copy of the act. apply to such matter at
offices of delivery only, and are to DE en-
forced upon the direct orders of the post
master-general.
PoStmasters and other postal officials and
employees are expected to be diligcnt in
carrying out the foregoing instructions for
the enforcement of the provisions Of this
act