Year: 1864

..... [PUBuc--No. IL


AN ACT to establish o postal money


order system.


BE 1t enacted bg the Senate and House
Of Representatives. Of the United States
Of America IN Congress assembled, That
to promote pnblic convenience, and to
issue greater security in the transfer
of money through the United States
mails, the Postmaster General is here
by authorized to establish, under such
rules and regulations as he may find
expedient and necessary, q uniform
money order system at all post Offices
which he may deem suitable therefor,
and which shall be designated and
known as Money Order Offices :"
and it shall be the duty Of the deputy
postmaster at every money order Office
to issue, in such manner aud form
as tho Postmaster General may pre-
scribe, an order for a sum of money
payable by the deputy postmaster Of
any other money order Office which
the person applying therefor may Sc
lect and the deputy postmaster who
issues such order shall be required to-
send through tho mails, without delay,
to the deputy postmaster on whom it
is drawn, due notice thereof, and he
shall not deliver such order TO tho ap-
plicant therefor until the latter shall
first have deposited with him the
amount of money for which such Or
der is drawn, together with tho proper
charge or fee therefor, as hereinafter
provided. And it shall not be lawful
for any deputy postmaster to issue
money order on any other deputy post
master without having previously re-
ceived the money therefor (; and any
person who shall violate this provision
shall be deemed guilty of misdemean-
or, and on conviction thereof shall be
fined in any sum not less than fifty
nor more than five hundred dollars.


Sec. 9. And BE- t'sfnytAer enacted,
That a money order shalt not be valid
or payable unless IL be drawn on u
printed or engraved form. which shall
be furnished to the money order Offices
by the Postmaster General and it
shall be the duty of the latter to sup
ply such Offices also with the blank
forms of application for money orders,
one of which the deputy postmaster
shall hand to each applicant for mon
ey order, who shall be required to en-
ter, or causo to DO entered, therein his
own name and the name and address
Of the party to whom the order il to
be paid, together with the amount
thereof and tho date Of application.
And oil such applications, when filled
up and delivered to tho deputy post
master. shall DO preserved on file at
his office for such length Of time as
tho Postmaster General may pre-
scribe. .....


Sec. 3. And De Il tnrther enacted.
That no money order shall be issued
for any sum less than one or more than
thirty dollars (; and all persons who
receive money orders shall be required
to pay therefor the following charges
or fees, viz: For an order for one
dollar, or for any larger sum, but not
exceeding ten dollars, 4 fec Of ten
cents shall be charged and exacted by
the postmaster giving such order for
an order of more than ten and not ex-
ceeding twenty dollars, the charge
shall be fifteen cents and for every
order exceeding twenty dollars feo
Of twenty cents shall be charged.


Sec. 4. Aad be IL further enacted,
That if the purchaser Of q money or
der, from having made an error in sta
ting the name of the Office of payment,
or the name of the payce, or for other
reasons, be desirous that the said
money order be modified or changed,
it shall be the duty of tho deputy
postmaster from whom he received it
to take back, at his request, the first
order. and issue another in lieu there
of, for which a new fee shall DO
charged and cxacted and it shall
also be the duty of a deputy postmas-
ter to repay the amount Of any money
order to the person who obtained it,
if the latter apply for such repayment
and return the money order /; but the
charge or fee paid therefor shall not
in any case be refunded.


Sec 5. Aad be IL further enacted,
That if any money order be not pre-
sented to the deputy postmaster on
whom it is drawn within ninety days
after ats date, it shall not be valid or
payable but the Postmaster General
shall be, and he is hereby, authorized,
on application of the payee of such
money order, to cause new order in
lieu thereof to be issued in his favor,
for which a second fee shall be exact
ed. And the Postmaster General is
further authorized, whenever money
order shall have been lost, to cause q
duplicate thereof to be issued, for


which second fee shall DO paid on


application of the remitter or of tho


payee Of such order, provided the par


ty losing the original shall furnish .


statement, under oath or affirmation,


setting forth the loss or destruction


thereof, and q certificate from the


postmaster by whom it was payable


that it had not been paid, and that it


would not thereafter be paid.


Sec. 6. And be ii further enacted,


That the payee Of money order may,
by his written endorsement thereon,


direct it to be paid to any other per-


son, and it shall be the duty of the


deputy postmaster on whom it is Or


dered to pay the amount thereof to the


person thus designated, provided the


person to whom the money order is


endorsed shall furnish such proof as


the Postmaster General may require


that the written endorsement is genu-


ine, and that he is the person thereby


empowered to receive payment Of the


order but such second person shall


not be at liberty to endorse the Same
order to a third party, and more than