Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 10.djvu/662

 642 THIRTY-THIRD CONGRESS. Sess. II. Ch. 174, 1855_ are to or from a foreign country, the postages as above specified shall be prepaid, except upon letters and packages addressed to oflieers of the government on official business, which shall be so marked on the envelope. Sfemps may And from and after the first day of January, eighteen hundred and fifty. };tl;‘;f’“P‘°P“‘d six, the Postmaster-General may require postmasters to place postage stamps upon all prepaid letters upon which such stamps may not have Drop-letters. been placed by the Writers. And all drop-letters,·or letters placed in any post-ofliee not for transmission through the mail, but for delivery only, shall be charged with postage at the rate of one cent each ; and all letters which shall hereafter Addmomd be advertised as remaining over, or uncalled for, in any poseofflee, shall charge on advm be charged with one cent each, in addition to the regular postage, both to tised letters. be accounted for as other postages now are. Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That it shall not be lawful for any lfenalty for postmaster or other person to sell any postage stamp or stamped envel- Izsmgjcl ope for any larger sum than that indicated upon the face of such postage owpat ,,3 mj stamp or for a larger sum than that charged therefor by the Post-Omoo vauced rate- Department; and any person who shall violate this provision shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and, on conviction thereof, shall be fined in any sum not less than ten, nor more than five hundred dollars. kV5km; U¤*g_¤<;* This act to take effect and be in force from and after the commencement S °‘ m ° ° °° ° of the next fiscal quarter after its passage. Provided, That nothing H°F;‘;“l;¥;g P'lV· herein contained shall be so construed as to alter the laws in relation to ,m·§md_ the franking privilege. Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That for the greater security of valuable letters posted for transmission in the mails of the United States, the Postmaster-General be, and herebyis, authorized to establish a uui— R¢s:i¤*¤‘¤*i¤¤ of form plan for the registration of such letters on application of parties "l"”‘b1°1°°°°”‘ posting the same, and to require the prepayment of the postage, as well as a registration fee of five cents on every such letter or packet, to be accounted for by postmasters receiving the same in such manner as the R°Sl¤*¤**i°{* *10* Postmaster-General shall direct: Provided, however, That such registra- 3H;,E:l;°Zb;£ tion shall not be compulsory; and it shall not render the Post—Office Dement liable for partment or its revenue liable for the loss of such letters or packets, or l°°“· the contents thereofl Approved, March 3, 1855. March 4, 1855. CHAP. CLXXIV.-Att Act to inqvmve the Laws of the District of Cblumbia, and to ——·--——-———-· codfq the same. Be it enacted by the Senate and fbuse of Representatives of the Mailed ,Stu¢es q/' America in Congress assembled, That the President of the United States is hereby authorized, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to appoint two persons, learned in the law, to revise, simplify, digest, and codify the laws of said District; and, also, the rules and principles of practice, of pleadings, of evidence, and conveyancing; Codifieationof and, also, to add thereto, and codif y such laws of the State of Maryland ' applicable to the circumstances and condition of said District; and the said code shall be constructed according to a simple method, and be expressed in language concise and plain, and, far as possible, be made level to the understanding of a person of ordinary intelligence nnd education; and it shall contain a full and particular index to all its contents; and the preparation of the said code shall be made under the superintendence and revision of the Attorney-General of the United States, and as the same progresses shall be printed, under his direction; and the said codiiiers shall each be pnid for their services, out of the treasury of the United States, at the rate of three thousand dollars a year. And the board of aldcrmen and common council of the city of
 * }"g0lgY;mgE”*°* as may be, or become in forcc during the preparation of said code, and