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their residence,a list of all theletters remain-ing in theirrespectiveoffices.
Unreclaimedletters to besent to the Gen-eral Post-officeand there open-ed.
Public officersby whom let-ters, &c. are tobe received freeof postage.
Proviso.
Liability ofpersons frank-ing letters notwritten bythemselves.
Proviso.
Printers tosend one news-paper to each
to be posted at such public places in their vicinity, as shall appear to thembest adapted for the information of the parties concerned; and at the expira-tion of the next three months, shall send such of the said letters as thenremain on hand, as dead letters, to the general post-office, where thesame shall be opened and inspected; and if any valuable papers or mat-ters of consequence, shall be found therein, it shall be the duty of thePostmaster General to return such letter to the writer thereof, or cause adescriptive list thereof to be inserted in one of the newspapers publishedat the place most convenient to the supposed residence of the owner, ifwithin the United States ; and such letter, and the contents, shall be pre-served, to be delivered to the person to whom the same shall be ad-dressed, upon payment of the postage, and the expense of publication.And if such letter contain money, the Postmaster General may appro-priate it to the use of the department, keeping an account thereof, and theamount shall be paid by the department to the rightful claimant so soonas he shall be found.
Sec. 27. And be it further enacted, That letters and packets to andfrom the following officers of the United States , shall be received andconveyed by post, free of postage. Each postmaster, provided each ofhis letters or packets shall not exceed half an ounce in weight; eachmember of the Senate, and each member and delegate of the House ofRepresentatives of the Congress of the United States , the secretary ofthe Senate, and clerk of the House of Representatives , provided eachletter or packet, (except documents printed by the order of either Houseof Congress,) shall notexceed two ounces in weight, and during their actualattendance in any session of Congress , and sixty days before and after suchsession; and in case of excess of weight, that excess alone shall be paidfor; the President of the United States , Vice President, the Secretariesof State, of the Treasury, of War, of the Navy, Attorney General, Post-master Genera ], and the assistants postmaster general, the comptrollersof the treasury, auditors, register, treasurer, and commissioner of thegeneral land office, and such individual who shall have been, or mayhereafter be, President of the United States , and each may receivenewspapers by post, free of postage: Provided, That postmasters shallnot receive, free of postage, more than one daily newspaper, each,or what is equivalent thereto ; nor shall members of the Senate , or of theHouse of Representatives, the clerk of the House , or secretary of theSenate , receive newspapers, free of postage, after their privilege of frank-ing shall cease.(o)
Sec. 28. And be it further enacted, That, if any person shall frankany letter or letters, other than those written by himself, or by his order,on the business of his office, he shall, on conviction thereof, pay a fineof ten dollars, and it shall be the especial duty of postmasters to pro-secute for said offence: Provided, That the Secretary of the Treasury,Secretary of State, Secretary of War, Secretary of the Navy, and Post-master Genera ], may frank letters or packets on official business, preparedin any other public office, in the absence of the principal thereof. Andif any person, having the right to receive his letters free of postage, shallreceive, enclosed to him, any letter or packet addressed to a person nothaving 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 chargedwith postage. And if any person shall counterfeit the hand-writing orfrank of any person, or cause the same to be done, in order to avoid thepayment of postage, each person, so offending, shall pay for every suchoffence, five hundred dollars. ,
Sec. 29. And be it further enacted, Thai every printer of newspapersmay send one paper to each and every other printer of newspapers within
(a) This section is repealed by the 5th section of the act of March 3, 1843, ch. 43.