The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-02-17
Submits a Special Report Cove ring Of.
lenses Against Postal Regulations.
Inhibits the Maintenance Of Pri-
vate Postohices and Letter
Boxes, as in Larger Cities They
Are the Instruments of Prac-
tices Partaking of Fraud and
immortality ~ Transmission of
Poisonous, Infectious and Ex-
plosive Matter Through the
Mails Also Prohibited.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 16.-The report
OF the commission on the codification
of the United States criminal and penal
laws is about completed, and the por-
ton OF 1t covering offenses against the
postal laws has been submitted as a
special report to Congress. The Post
master General has communicated with
both houses of Congress asking for I'M
mediate enactment of the entire report
on this subject, pointing out it's urgent
needs. The commission pays special
tribute to Acting Assistant General At
torney Barrett of the Postof1ice De-
partment for the benefit of his advice
during its labors. The laws revised en-
brace all up to and including the first
session of the Fifty fifth Congress- The
report, in brief, follows.
In numerous instances where PEN
alties have been recovered by civil
process in the nature of actions for
debt, provisions for criminal prosecu-
tionS have been substituted as more ef-
ficacious. Other changes are reported.
having in view a more proportionate
adjustment of penalties to the gravity
of the offenses respectively defined, in
which the present laws having been
adopted from time to time are faulty.
A provision has been inserted inhibit-
ing the maintenance of private Postof-
fees and letter-boxes
This is in conformity" the commits
sion says, with the general policy OF
this Government and it is further
recommended by considerations of
great weight, it being found that in the
larger cities these institutions remain
ed the instrumentalities of practices
partaking of fraud and immortality. In
a recent instance at New York they
We're employed as the means by which
two human lives were sacrificed under
circumstances of grave criminality'
Another section forbids the unlawful
exercise of the office of Postmaster or
other empioye in the postal service to
prevent a practice more or less COM
mon. Section 347S Revised Statutes
has been amended to meet the question
whether United States protection can
be extended over depreciation offenses
against other property by reason OF a
Postof1ice Locations in the same building,
the provision added being with in
tent to commit therein any offense de-
fined in this title or to steal or purloin
any money or other property of the
United States"
Sections 3S9O-91-92, -6S-60-1O
deal with large but substantially she
same class of mail depredations anu
have been embraced in one section. an
added provision giving a liberal elas-
ITCHY to the penalties. Punishment for
depredations on the mails in transit
who frequently heretofore have found
immunity through difficulty of securing
evidence as to the particular district
in which the offense committed is
provided for in two new sections maxi
ing it an offense for an employee to
fail to deliver the mail or any part to
the required person and to carry into
any district any letter or contents
thereof unlawfully distracted from the
mail in any district, any letter or con-
tent thereof unlawfully distracted
from the mail in any other district
knowing it to have been so distracted
Postmasters selling stamps to persons
outside their respective jurisdiction to
increase their compensation are to be
subject to penal punishment. Sections
39-22-25 inclusive and amendatory
Acts removal and reuse of stamped
have been consolidated into a single
section with a maximum and minimum
penalty.
To meet Supreme Court rulings In
constructing the Act of September 20,
1883, amendatory of Sections 1898, as to
obscenity, etc., these have been revised
with an additionof the words indie
cent filthy or vulgar
The postal transmission or POISONOUS
infectious and explosive matter also IS
prohibited in a new section. with q
certain discretion as to the adm1ssibii-
itv vested in the Postmaster General
The language respecting mlSappro-
priation of postal funds or property is
so amplified that its protection may be
extended to money or property which
shall have come into the possession or
under the control of any office or
employe of the Postoffice Department IL
execution of such Office or employment
or under color or claim of authority
as such.