The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-01-22
make A NOTE.
Letters by Express Must Be
in Stamped Envelopes.
Other Curious Facts Relating to Postal Rec
ulafions--Just Word to Married Men
A Youthful senator-some Tradition
Upsct--Lucky Senator Lodge.


A Youthful senator-some Tradition
Upset--Lucky Senator Lodge.
WASHINGTON. Jan. es.-lSpcclai. Tho
postoffico department. has issued an order
warning express companies that thoy must
not carry letters which arc not sent In
stamped envelopes. Probably most OF your
readers will be surprised TO learn that the
government has authority TO issue such an
order, but II has. The postofllce depart
ment has always assumed that tho govern
ment, under its constitutional powers, ON
Joys complete monopoly OF transporta-
ton by mail, and that no serious compe-
tilion Herewith Is TO DO tolerated. lt
should be explained, however, that con-
gress has not as yet extended this monop-
oily 10 anything but letters Mail matter
Of tho second, third and fourth classes
may be sent out by express or freight or
IN any way tho sender chooses without
violation of law. But it is contrary 20
law to send lcttor by express unless 10 Is
contained within stamped envelope.
This insurcs the government getting from
that letter tho same revenue which 1t
would hayo received had IL carried the let
ter itself, or provision is made that the
lctter SO sent by express must be sealed
and marked In such a way as to preclude
o second uso of the envelope.
A fact not generally known Is 1 the
captain Of vessel sailing from tho Unitod
States to foreign land who carries let
ters at the request of friends or Others
renders himself liable to a flno of $1,000
for each offense III tho letters are stamped
or inclosed In stamped envelopes at the
full rate to the country of their destina-
tion. IL is not an offense TO carry them,
and in the case of letters brought into the
country In this manner the master of s
vessel may save himself by turning the
missives over to postoflice for delivery,
paying tho postage at the same rates which
they would have required In the country
whence they came.
A wife's Letters.
There are many curious things In the
postal laws and regulations. Almost ev-
cry day at tho postofiice department In
this city the authorities are called upon to
give instructions TO some country post
master In the matter of delivery of letters
to wives where tho husbands are inclined
to make trouble. 1t is one Of the well set
tied rules Of the department that neither
husband nor wife can control the delivery
of correspondence addressed TO the other,
though the returns indicate that about a
million married men In this country labor
under the apprehension that they have
right 70 NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. Tho orders to
postmastcrs are that in tho absence of IN
structions letters 10 wife will be deiiv-
cred along with the letters for her hus-
band, in his box or at his house. But II
tho wife send orders To the postofiice that
she does not wish her mail delivered In
this manner she may have it delivered
wherever sho wishes and TO whomsoever
she designates.
Make Note OF This.
Another point that gives the officials of
tho department great deal OF trouble Is
tho desire of sendcrs of letters to withdraw
their missiyes from tho mails before deliv-
ery to tire addressee- The department has
many times ruled on this point and has
published its regulations, but a great
many postmasters do not understand the
matter and write TO Washington for in
structions. Sono postmasters tell inquir-
crs Of this Eort that it Is impossible TO
withdraw letter from tho mails after the
stamp Is onco cancelled, but this is not
true. TIE department does permit such
Withdrawals under certain conditions.
First the postmaster must satisfy himself
the person making tho withdrawal is the
actual sender of the letter. He may re-
quiro the applicant to furnish specimens
of his handwriting and note IL it agrees
with that Of the superscription upon the
letter. He may require the applicant TO
deposit sum of money to defray the cx-
pense of tracing up tho letter If the letter
has left the Office at which it was mailed
Postmasters arc advised to be very eau
tious In such matters for they arc liable
to actions for damages IL they make mis-
take and deliver a letter thus claimed to
person who is not entitled to it.
A Youthful Senator.
The election Of Marion Butler as q sem
ator from North Carolina sends to the up
per branch of congress the youngest man
that ever occupied a seat In that body, SO
far as have been ablo to discover. Mr.
ButleY was born in May, 1863, and is now,
therefore, 81 years old According to the
constitution of the United States, a sena-
ter must be ut least 80 years old.
Another remarkable fact Is that this
Marion Butler will be tho first senator of
that name from any state besides South
Carolina. Up to this time tho more south
erly OF tho Carolinas has enjoyed amonop-
oily OF oil the Buffers that were ever sent
to the senate. There have been three But
lers from South Carolina, the great grand
father and uncle of tho Butler who will
step down and out on the sth of March.
Still another peculiar fact about this new
representative of the Butler tribe Is that
ho docs not belong TO tho nristocratio fam
lily OF that name, but is son of the COM
mon people who have in tho past been
somewhat looked down upon by the mem
bcrs of the first families. The election of
Marion Butler appears to have upset a
good many traditions.
his Silver Spoon.
Senator Lodge, who has been making
quite reputation as aproddcr of the state
department, especially concerning the
Japanese spies, Is one OF tho lucky young
men Of this country. Ho was virtually
born with u silver spoon In his mouth OF
distinguished ancestry on both sides, he
inherited not only wealth and high social
station, but good brains and magnificent
physique / am told that Mr. Lodges
private fortune, mono OF which ho had the
bother OF earning himself amounts 20
about 1000, coo and IS SO invested that Il