J dm , Duke University Libraries A bill to be en Conf Pam #248 [IIOUSB OP RlI»RESENTXT17B9, No. 282.] HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Dec. 13th, 1864.— Read first and second times, referred to Committee on Postofficos and Post Roads. January 25, 1865. — Made special order for Saturday, morning hoir, and ordered to be printed. [By Mr. Sexton. A BILL To be entitled An Act for the prevention of frauds on the reve- nues of the Postoffice l>epartment, and prohibiting the transportation of mailable matter over the post routes of the (confederate States by unauthorized association? of persons. 1 The Congress of tJit Confederate Stats of America do enact, 2 That it shall not be InuTiil for aiiy ])orson or persons, express 3 or otlier company, or associations .to oslnblish any private cx- 4 press or expresses for the conveyance, iior in any manner to 5 cause to be convcjod. or i>rovidc for the couvoyarce or trans- 6 portation by regular trips, or at stated periods, or at intervals. 7 from one city, town or other jilace, to any other city, town or 8 other place, in the Confederate Sta'es, between and from and 9 to which cities, towns or other places the Confederate States 10 mail is regularly transported under the authority of the Post- 11 office Department, of any letters, packets, or packages of let- 12 ters, newspapers, pamphlets, magazines and periodicals, or otlier 13 matter properly transmittable in the Confederate States mail : 14 and each ami every person offending against thh provision, or 15 aiding and assisting therein, or acting as such private express, 16 for each time any letter or letters, packet or packages, news- 17 paper, pamphlet, magazine, periodical or other matter properly 18 transmittr.ble by mail, shall, or may be, by him, her or them, or 19 through his, her or their means or intrumentality, in whole or in 20 part, conveyed or transported, contrary to the true intent, spirit 21 and meaning of this section, upon conviction, shall be subject 22 to a fine of not less than one hundred dollars nor more than 23 five hundred dollars, and be imprironod for a period of not 24 less than three months, nor more than twelve months. 1 Sec. 2. Be it further fnacted, That the owner or owners of 2 every stage-coach, railroad car, or other vehicle or vessel, S which shall, with the knowledge of any owner or owners, in 4 whole or in part, or with the knowledge or connivance of the 5 driver, conductor, captain or other persons having charge of 6 any such stage-coach, railroad car, steamboat or other vessel or T vehicle, convey or transport any person or persons acting or em- 8 ployed as a private express for the conveyance of letters, pac- 9 kets or packages of letters or other mailable matter, and actual- 10 ly in possession of such mailable matter for the purpose of trans- it portatioi contrary to the spirit, true intent and meaning of the 12 preceding section of this Act, shall be subject to the penalties 13 herein provided and directed in the case of persons acting as 14 such private expresses, and of persons employing the game ; but 15 nothing in this Act contained shall be construed to prohibit the 16 conveyance of letters, packets or packages, or other mailable 17 matter to any part of the Confederate States, by private hands, 18 no compensation being tendered or received therefor in any 19 way, or by a special messenger employed only for the single 20 .particular occasion : Provided further ^ That nothing in this Act 21 contained shall have the eflfect to repeal any of the provisions 22 of the thirteenth section of " An Act entitled An Act to reduce 23 ' the rates of postage, to limit the use and correct the abuse of the 24 franking privilege, and for the prevention of frauds on the rev- 25 enuesof the Postoffice Department," approved, March 3d, 1845 2G except such as exempts newspapers, pamphlets, magazines and 27 periodicals from the charge of the rates of postage prescribed 28 by law; or of the second section of An Act entitled " An Act 29 to establish the rates of postage on newspapers and periodicals 30 sent to dealers therein through the mail, or by express over 31 postroads," approved, August 31st, 1861. 1 Sec. 3. Jind he it further enacted, That all persons whatever 2 who shall, after the passage of this Act, transmit by any private 3 express or other means, by this Act declared to be unlawful 4 any letter or letters, package or packages, or other mailable 5 matter, or who shall place or cause to be deposited at any 6 place for the purpose of being transported by such unlawful 4 7 means, any matter or thing properly transmittable by mail ; or 8 who shall deliver any such matter for transmission to any agent 9 or agents of such unlawful expresses, upon conviction, shall, for 10 each and every offence, be subject to the same penalties provided 11 for offenders against the provisions of ttie first section of this 12 Act. 1 Sec. 4. And he it further enacted, That " mailable matter " 2 and " matter properly transmittable by mail," shall be deemed 3 and taken to mean all letters and sealed or unsealed packets or 4 packages containing written or printed matter, or bank notes, 5 or treasury notes, or bonds with written or printed letters ac- 6 companying them, all newspapers, magazines and pamphlets, 7 periodically published, or which may be published in regular 8 series or in successive numbers under the same title, though at 9 irregular iritcjvals; maps, engravings, lithographs or photo- 10 graphic prints, on rollers or in paper covers; bcoks, bound or un- 11 bound; phonog'raphic paper, letter envelopes, cards, blank or 12 printed, and all other written or printed matter. 1 Sec 5. And he it further enacted, That nothing in this Act 2 contained shall be so construed as to prohibit any person what- 3 ever from trarsporting or causing to be transported, over any 4 post route, any books, bound or unbound intended for sale as 5 merchandise and transported in the usual mode of transporting 6 merchandise over the particular route used, and sent or consign- 5 7 ed to some bona fide dealer or agent for the sale thereof; nor 6 shall anything herein be construed to prohibit the transporta- 9 tion bjr express or other companies, associations, person or per- * 10 sons, of packets or packages, of bank notes or treasury notes 11 or bonds or books without written letters accompanying them : 12 Provided, That upon the trial of any indictment against any ex- 13 press or other company, association, person or persons for riolat- 14 ing any of the provisions of this law, the receipt by them for 15 transmission, or the transmission of any letter, packet or pack- 16 age by such express or other company, association, person or 17 persons or through their means or instrumentality, in whole or 18 in part, shall be deemed and taken as sufficient evidence of 19 their knowledge of the contents of the letter, packet or pack- 20 age so transported or deposited at any place for the purpose of 21 being unlawfully transported, and shall not be rebutted by evi- 22 dence of the fact that such letter, packet or package was sealed 23 when deposited with them for transportation or when trans- 24 ported by them. 1 Sec. 6. And be it further enacted, That all oflfenders against 2 this Act may bo prosecuted before any Circuit or District Court 3 of the Confederate States, and that it shall be the duty of the 4 judges of said courts respectively, to give this Act in charge to 5 the Grand Juries at each term of said courts, and that all pecu- G niary penalties incurred under this Act, shall be one-half for the 6 7 use of the person or persons informing and prosecuting for the 8 same, and the other half to the use of the Confederate States, 9 and shall be paid orer to the Postmaster General, and accounted 10 for bj him as other moneys of the department. Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2010 with funding from Duke University Libraries http://www.archive.org/details/billtobeentitled16conf pH8.5