PORTS AT WHICH MERCHANDISE MAY BE ENTERED FOR TRANSPORTATION TO OTHER PORTS WITHOUT APPRAISEMENT, UNDER THE ACT OF JUNE 10, 1880.

PORTS TO WHICH MERCHANDISE MAY BE TRANSPORTED WITHOUT APPRAISEMENT UNDER THE ACT OF JUNE 10, 1880.

PORTS DESIGNATED BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, PURSUANT TO SECTION 2866, R. S., FROM WHICH IMPORTED MERCHANDISE MAY BE FORWARDED IN BOND IN TRANSIT THROUGH THE UNITED STATES TO OR FROM THE DOMINION OF CANADA, UNDER THE TREATY OF WASHINGTON.

PORTS DESIGNATED BY THE SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY, UNDER AUTHORITY OF SECTION 3005, R. S., FROM WHICH IMPORTED MERCHANDISE MAY BE FORWARDED IN BOND IN TRANSIT THROUGH THE UNITED STATES TO THE REPUBLIC OF MEXICO.

NOTE.-Goods in bond arriving at the ports of Norfolk, Va., Louisville, Ky., Saint Paul, Minn., Milwaukee, Wis., Georgetown, D. C., New Bedford, Mass., Albany, N. Y., Cincinnati, Ohio Brownsville, Texas, and Indianapolis, Ind., are stored in the Custom-house premises at those ports. F. FRENCH, Acting Secretary.

TREASURY DEPARTMENT, March 27, 1883.

TREASURY CIRCULAR,

RELATIVE TO THE GUANO ISLANDS APPERTAINING TO THE UNITED STATES.

To COLLECTORS OF CUSTOMS:

TREASURY DEPARTMENT

February 12, 1869.

You will find hereto annexed a corrected list of the Guano Islands, bonded under the Act of August 18, 1856, as appears by the bonds and papers, transmitted from the Depart ment of State, now on file in the office of the First Comptroller of the Treasury.

The several islands named and described in said list having been duly bonded, and considered by the President of the United States "as appertaining to the United States," in manner and form prescribed by said Act, and, as a consequence thereof, brought under the laws regulating the coasting trade, your attention is directed to the same with a view to the proper enforcement of these laws regulating intercourse with said islands.

By the first proviso of the second section of the above-named Act [11 Stat., p. 119,] it is provided:

"That no guano shall be taken from said islands, rock, or key, except for the use of citizens of the United States, or of any person resident therein." [For partial suspension of this prohibition, see second section of the Act of July 28, 1866.]

It is further provided by the aforesaid second section, that "The introduction of guano from said islands, rocks, or keys, shall be regulated as the coasting trade between the different parts of the United States, and the same laws shall govern the vessels concerned therein."

And, as the laws of the United States forbid foreign vessels from engaging in the coasting trade, and as commercial intercourse with these islands thus form a part of said trade, you are hereby requested to use all due vigilance to prevent the infraction of any law or regulation upon that subject. H. MCCULLOCH,

Secretary of the Treasury.

GUANO ISLANDS

PERTAINING TO THE UNITED STATES AND BONDED UNDER ACT OF AUGUST 18, 1856.

The following are added under circular of October 12, 1871, Syn. Series, 936:

EXTRACTS FROM POST-OFFICE ACTS.

(U. S. REVISED STATUTES.)

SEC. 3912. The rate of United States postage on mail matter sent to or received from foreign countries with which different rates have not been established by postal convention or othe. arrangement, when forwarded by vessels regularly employed in transporting the mail, shall be ten cents for each half ounce or fraction thereof on letters, unless reduced by order of the Postmaster General; two cents each on newspapers; and not exceeding two cents per each two ounces, or fraction thereof, on pamphlets, periodicals, books, and other printed matter, which postage shall be prepaid on matter sent and collected on matter received; and, to avoid loss to the United States in the payment of balances, the Postmaster General may collect the unpaid postage on letters from foreign countries in coin or its equivalent.

SEC. 3913. All letters conveyed by vessels not regularly employed in carrying the mail shall, if for delivery within the United States, be charged with double postage, to cover the fee paid to the vessel.

SEC 3916. To facilitate letter correspondence, and to provide for the transmission in the mails, at a reduced rate of postage, of messages, orders, notices, and other short communications, either printed or written in pencil or ink, the Postmaster General is authorized and directed to furnish and issue to the public, with postage-stamps impressed upon them, postal cards," manufactured of good, stiff paper, of such quality, form, and size as he shall deem best adapted for general use; which cards shall be used as a means of postal intercourse, under rules and regulations to be prescribed by the Postmaster General, and when so used shall be transmitted through the mails at a postage charge of one cent each, including the cost of their manufacture. SEC. 3986. No per on shall carry any letter or packet on board any vessel which carries the mail otherwise than in such mail, except as provided in section three thousand nine hundred and ninety-three; and for every such offence the party offending shall be liable to a penalty of fifty dollars.

SEC. 3987. No vessel departing from the United States for any foreign port shall receive on board or convey any letter or packet originating in the United States which has not been regularly received from the post-office at the port of departure, and which does not relate to the cargo of such vessel, except as provided in section three thousand nine hundred and ninetythree; and every collector, or other officer of the port empowered to grant clearances, shall require from the master of such vessel, as a condition of clearance, an oath or affirmation that he has not received on board, has not under his care or control, and will not receive or convey any letter or packet contrary to the provisions of this section.

SEC 3988. No vessel arriving within any port or collection district of the United States shall be allowed to make entry or break bulk until all letters on board are delivered at the nearest post-office, and the master thereof has signed and sworn to the following declaration, before the collector or other proper customs officer: "I, A. B., master of the —, arriving from, and now lying in the port of do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I have, to the best of my knowledge and belief, delivered at the post-office at every letter, and every bag, packet, or parcel of letters, which were on board the said vessel during her last voyage, or which were in my possession or under my power

or control."

And any master who shall break bulk before he has delivered such letters, shall be liable to a penalty of not more than one hundred dollars, recoverable, one-half to the officer making the seizure, and the other to the use of the United States.

SEC. 3989. Any special agent of the Post-Office Department, when instructed by the Postmaster General to make examinations and seizures, and the collector or other customs officer of any port, without special instructions, shall carefully search all vessels for letters which may be on board, or which have been conveyed contrary to law.

SEC. 3990. Any special agent of the Post-Office Department, collector, or other customs officer, or United States marshal or his deputy, may at all times seize all letters and bags, packets or parcels, containing letters which are being carried contrary to law on board any vessel or on

"Importations through the Mail.-The Postmaster General complains that registered letters and packages received through the mail from foreign countries are seized and detained by the collector of customs at the port in the United States at which they first arrive, and requests that measures shall be taken to prevent such alleged violation of the postal laws.

"It has been agreed that collectors shall not require postmasters to deliver to them any letter or package addressed to a person residing at another port or place where a customs officer is stationed. A careful inspection, however, should be made by the postmaster, and, if any such letter or package be suspected to contain dutiable articles, the postmaster at the place of destination should be notified, in order that he may inform the proper officer of the customs. Such letters and packages should be opened in the presence of an officer of the customs by the person to whom addressed, and any dutiable article contained therein, not mentioned in a postal convention applicable, should be seized and held to await the decision of this department, upon any application which may be made for a mitigation of the forfeiture incurred."-(Treasury Circular, November 26, 1873. Syn. Series, No. 1723.)

any post-route, and convey the same to the nearest post-office; or may, by the direction of the Postmaster General or Secretary of the Treasury, detain them until two months after the final determination of all suits and proceedings which may, at any time within six months after such seizure, be brought against any person for sending or carrying such letters.

SEC. 3991. Every package or parcel seized by any special agent of the Post-Office Department, collector, or other customs officer, or United States marshal or his deputies, in which any letter is unlawfully concealed, shall be forfeited to the United States, and the same proceedings may be had to enforce the forfeiture as are authorized in respect to goods, wares, and merchandise forfeited for violation of the revenue laws; and all laws for the benefit and protection of customs officers making seizures for violating revenue laws shall apply to officers making seizures for violating the postal laws.

SEC 3992. Nothing herein contained shall be construed to prohibit the conveyance or transmission of letters or packets by private hands without compensation, or by special messenger employed for the particular occasion only.

SEC. 3993. All letters inclosed in stamped envelopes, if the postage-stamp is of a denomination sufficient to cover the postage that would be chargeable thereon if the same were sent by mail, may be sent, conveyed, and delivered otherwise than by mail, provided such envelope shall be duly directed and properly sealed, so that the letter cannot be taken therefrom without defacing the envelope, and the date of the letter or of the transmission or receipt thereof shall be written or stamped upon the envelope. But the Postmaster General may suspend the operation of this section upon any mail-route where the public interest may require such suspension. SEC. 3995. Any person who shall knowingly and wilfully obstruct or retard the passage of the mail, or any carriage, horse, driver, or carrier carrying the same, shall, for every such offence, be punishable by a fine of not more than one hundred dollars.

SEC. 3996. Any ferryman who shall delay the passage of the mail by wilful neglect or refusal to transport the same across any ferry shall, for every ten minutes such mail may be so delayed, be liable to a penalty of ten dollars.

SEC. 5465. Any person who shall forge or counterfeit, or knowingly utter or use any forged or counterfeited postage-stamp of any foreign government, shall be punished by imprisonment at hard labor of not less than two nor more than ten years.

MARCH 3, 1879.

(U. S. STATUTES AT LARGE, VOL. XX., p. 355.)

CHAP. 180.-An Act making Appropriations for the Service of the Post Office Department for the fiscal Year ending June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and eighty, and for other Purposes.

SEC. 7. That mailable matter shall be divided into four classes:

First, written matter;

Second, periodical publications;

Third, miscellaneous printed matter;

Fourth, merchandise.

SEC. 8. Mailable matter of the first class shall embrace letters, postal cards, and all matters wholly or partly in writing, except as hereinafter provided.

SEC. 9. That on mailable matter of the first class, except postal cards and drop letters, postage shall be prepaid at the rate of three cents for each half ounce or fraction thereof; postal cards shall be transmitted through the mails at a postage charge of one cent each, including the cost of manufacture; and drop letters shall be mailed at the rate of two cents per half ounce or fraction thereof, including delivery at letter carrier offices, and one cent for each half ounce or fraction thereof where free delivery by carrier is not established. The Postmaster General may, however, provide, by regulation, for transmitting unpaid and duly certified letters of soldiers, sailors, and marines in the service of the United States to their destination, to be paid on delivery.

SEC. 10. That mailable matter of the second class shall embrace all newspapers and other periodical publications which are issued at stated intervals, and as frequently as four times a year, and are within the conditions named in sections twelve and fourteen.

SEC. 11. Publications of the second class, except as provided in section twenty-five, when sent by the publisher thereof, and from the office of publication, including sample copies, or when sent from a news agency to actual subscribers thereto, or to other news agents, shall be entitled to transmission through the mails at two cents a pound or fraction thereof, such postage to be prepaid, as now provided by law.

SEC. 12. That matter of the second class may be examined at the office of mailing, and if found to contain matter which is subject to a higher rate of postage, such matter shall be charged with postage at the rate to which the inclosed matter is subject: Provided, That nothing herein contained shall be so construed as to prohibit the insertion in periodicals of advertisements attached permanently to the same.

SEC. 13. That any person who shall submit, or cause to be submitted, for transportation in the mails, any false evidence to the postmaster relative to the character of his publication, shall be