or

which mails

Sec. 20. And be it further enacted, That if Penalties for injuring the any person shall rip, cut, tear, burn, or other- portmantuas, wise injure any portmantua, valise, or other &c. &c. in bag used, or designed to be used by any may be carperson acting under the authority of the ried. postmaster general, or any person in whom his powers are vested in the conveyance of any mail, letter, packet, newspaper pamphlet, or shall draw or break any staple, or loosen any part of any lock, chain or strap attached or belonging to any such valise, portmantua, or bag, with an intent to rob or steal any mail, letter, packet, newspaper or pamphlet, or to render either of the same insecure, every such offender, upon conviction, shall for every such offence pay a sum not exceeding five hundred dollars, or be imprisoned not exceeding three years, at the dis cretion of the court before whom such conviction is had.

Accessories

ed as princi

pals.

Sec. 21. And be it further enacted, That every person who from and after the passage to be punishof this act shall procure, aid, advise, or assist in the doing or perpetration of any of the acts or crimes, by this act forbidden to be done or performed, shall be subject to the same penalties and punishments as the persons are subject to, who shall actually do or perpetrate any of said acts or crimes, ac. cording to the provision of this act.

Sec. 22. And be it further enacted, That every person who shall be imprisoned by a judgment of court, under and by virtue of the eighteenth, nineteenth, twentieth or twenty-first sections of this act, shall be kept at hard labor during the period of such impri

sonment.

Regulations concerning unclaimed letters, &c.

&c.

Sec. 23. And be it further enacted, That the postmasters shall, respectively, publish, at the expiration of every three months, or oftener, when the postmaster general shall so direct, in one of the newspapers published at or nearest the place of his residence, for three successive weeks, a list of all the letters remaining in their respective offices, or, instead thereof, shall make out a number of such lists, and cause them to be posted at such public places in their vicinity, as shall appear to them best adapted for the information of the parties concerned; and at the expiration of the next three months, shall send such of the said letters as then remain on hand, as dead letters, to the general post of fice, where the same shall be opened and inspected; and if any valuable papers or matter of consequence shall be found therein, it shall be the duty of the postmaster general to return such letter to the writer thereof, or cause a descriptive list thereof to be inserted in one of the newspapers, published at the place most convenient to the supposed residence of the owner, if within the United States; and such letter, and the contents, shall be preserved to be delivered to the person to whom the same shall be addressed, upon payment of the postage, and the expense of publication. And if such letter, with its contents, be not demanded by the person to whom it is addressed, or the owner thereof, or his lawful agent, within two years after the advertisement thereof as aforesaid, the said contents shall be applied to the use of the United States, until the same shall be reclaimed by the proprietor thereof. The manner of such application to be specially

stated by the postmaster general, to the sc cretary of the treasury.

letters go free

of postage.

Sec. 24. And be it further enacted, That Persons to & letters and packets, to and from the follow- from whom ing officers of the United States, shall be received and conveyed by post, free of postage. Each postmaster, provided each of his letters or packets shall not exceed half an ounce in weight; each member of the Senate, and each member and delegate of the House of Representatives of the Congress of the United States; the secretary of the Senate and clerk of the House of Representatives, provided each letter or packet shall not exceed two ounces in weight, and during their actual attendance in any session of Congress, and twenty days after such session, and in case of excess of weight, that excess alone shall be paid for; the President of the United States; Vice President, the Secretaries of State, of the Treasury, of War, of the Navy; the Attorney General; the Comptroller; Treasurer; Auditor; Register; Supervisor of the direct tax for the district of South Carolina; Superintendent of Indian trade; Purveyor; the Inspecter and Paymaster of the army; accountants of the War and Navy departments; Postmaster general; and the assistants Postmaster general; John Adams, a former President of the United States; and Thomas Jefferson, late President of the United States; and they may all receive their newspapers by post, free of postage: Provided, That the members of the Senate and House of Representatives, secre tary of the Senate and clerk of the House of Representatives, shall receive their newspapers, free of postage, only during any ses

Ꮓ

sion of Congress, and twenty days after the expiration of the same: And provided, That no letter or packet from any public officer shall be conveyed by post, free of postage, unless he shall frank the same, by writing his name and office on the outside of such letter or packet, and until he has previously furnished the postmaster of the office where he shall deposit the same, with a specimen of his signature.

Penalties up if any person shall frank letters other than

Sec 25. And be it further enacted, That

on franking other letters

than their own.

Iroviso.

Regulation

concerning newspapers.

those written by himself, or by his order on the business of his office, he shall, on conviction thereof, pay a fine of ten dollars: Provided, That the secretary of the treasury, secretary of state, secretary of war, secretary of the navy, and postmaster general, may frank letters or packets on official business, prepared in any other public office, in the absence of the principal thereof. And if any person, having the right to receive his letters free of postage, shall receive enclosed to him any letter or packet addressed to a person not having that right, it shall be his duty to return the same to the post office-marking thereon, the place from whence it came, that it may be charged with postage. And if any person shall counterfeit the hand writing or frank of any person or cause the same to be done, in order to avoid the payment of postage, each person so offending shall pay for every such offence fifty dollars.

Sec. 26. And be it further enacted, That every printer of newspapers may send one paper to each and every other printer of newspapers within the United States, free of postage, under such regulations as the postmaster general shall provide.

lations.

Sec. 27. And be it further enacted, That Further regu newspapers conveyed in the mail shall be under cover, open at one end, and charged with a postage of one cent each, for any distance not more than one hundred miles, and ene and an half cents for any greater distance: Provided, That the postage of a sin- Prov160. gle newspaper from any one place to another in the same state, shall not exceed one cent; and that the postmaster general shall require those who receive newspapers by post, to pay always the amount of one quarter's postage in advance. If any person employ. ed in any department of the post office shall improperly detain, delay, embezzle or destroy any newspaper, or shall permit any other person to do the like, or shall open, or permit any other to open any mail or packet of newspapers not directed to the office where he is employed, he shall, on conviction thereof, forfeit a sum not exceeding fifty dollars for every such offence. And if any other person shall open any mail or packet of newspapers, or shall embezzle or destroy the same, not being directed to himself, or not being authorised to receive and open the same, he shall on conviction thereof, pay a suni not exceeding twenty dollars for every such offence. And if any person shall take or steal any packet, bag or mail of newspapers from or out of any post office, or from any person having custody thereof, such person shall, on conviction, be imprisoned, not exceeding three months for every such offence, to be kept at hard labor during the period of such imprisonment. If any person shall en. close or conceal a letter or other thing, or