See note 3. SEC. 6. That for the purpose of carrying this act into Idem. 8. 6. effect, it shall be the duty of each of the Executive Departments of the United States to provide for itself and its subordinate offices the necessary envelopes; and in addition to the indorsement designating the Department in which they are to be used, the penalty for the unlawful use of these envelopes shall be stated thereon. Mar. 3, 1879, s. 29, v. 20, p. 362. Use of penalty tended. The provisions of the above sections (act March 3, 1877) 66 are hereby extended to all officers of the United States Government, and made applicable to all official mail-matter envelopes extransmitted between any of the officers of the United States, or between any such officer and either of the executive departments or officers of the government, the envel opes of such matter in all cases to bear appropriate indorsements containing the proper designation of the office from which the same is transmitted, with a statement of the penalty for their misuse. And the provisions of said fifth and sixth sections are hereby likewise extended and made applicable to all official mail-matter sent from the Smithsonian Institution: Provided, That this act shall extend or or apply to pension-agents or other officers who receive a fixed allowance as compensation for their services, including expenses for postage." That the Postmaster-General is hereby authorized to take the necessary steps to introduce and furnish for public use a letter-sheet envelope, on which postage stamps of the denominations now in use on ordinary envelopes shall be Note 3.-This section does not impose upon the Executive Department at Washing. ton the duty of furnishing such envelopes to the various subordinate officers throughout the United States who are under their supervision, but whose offices are not offices in those Departments, excepting, of course, cases where that duty is required by other statutory provisions than those above mentioned. (Op., XVI, p. 455, Jan. 30, 1880, Devens.) Where the envelopes are not furnished by the Departments, they may be prepared for their own use by the officers contemplated in section 29 of said act of March 3, 1879. This statute does not require that the penalty, etc., on such envelopes should be printed rather than written. (Ibid.) The indorsements on the penalty envelopes may be printed, written, or impressed by stamp. (Op., Assistant Attorney-General, P. O. Department, Apr. 21, 1879.) The penalty envelopes can not be properly used by officers in replying to a postmaster on matters not official; for instance, when a postmaster notifies said officer of private mail matter being in the office, which will be sent to him on the return of the requisite postage, the officer can not use the penalty stamp in making his reply. (Post Office ruling.) Officers of the Navy, who have no "office," in the sense that term is generally used, can send official mail matter, free of postage, between themselves, or to the Executive Departments, by using envelopes bearing the indorsement "official business," with their signature and rank, and a statement of the penalty for their misuse the indorsements to be printed, or impressed by a stamp, or written. (Op. Assistant Attorney-General, P. O. D., Apr. 20, 1879.) The twenty-ninth section of the act of March 3, 1879 (Postal Laws and Regulations, section 251), extending to all officers of the United States Government the provisions of the sections numbered 249 and 250, Postal Laws and Regulations, for the transmission of official mail matter. requires all officers who are not departmental in their character to use envelopes which bear the appropriate indorsements, containing the name of the office from which the same are transmitted, with a statement of the pen alty for their misuse; and the use of the envelopes must be absolutely restricted to official mail matter transmitted between officers of the United States, or between any such officer and either of the Executive Departments or officers of the Government. The signature of the officer and his official title is not a compliance with the law; the name of the office from which they are transmitted must also be given on the envelope. (Rule 604, Post-Office Guide, Jan., 1883.) Official communications may be sent by officers of the Government under cover of the penalty envelope to private individuals; but such envelopes can not be inclosed for the purpose of eliciting a reply. (Rule 606, idem.) Letter-sheet envelopes; dou ble postal cards. Mar. 3, 1879, s. 32, v. 20, p. 362. Jan. 27, 1894. 28 Stat. L., 30. Recalled let ters of advice to be attached to accounts. placed. And the Postmaster-General is also authorized to introduce and furnish for public use a double postal card, on which shall be placed two one-cent stamps, and said card to be so arranged for the address that it may be forwarded and returned, said cards to be sold for two cents apiece; and also to introduce and furnish for public use a double-letter envelope, on which stamps of the denominations now in use may be placed, and with the arrangement for the address similar to the double postal card; said letter-sheet and double postal card and double envelope to be issued under such regulations as the Postmaster-General may prescribe. SEC. 6. That section four thousand and thirty-nine of the Revised Statutes of the United States be amended by adding the following: "That it shall be the duty of the postmasters to attach to their accounts rendered to the Auditor of the Treasury for the Post-Office Department the letters of advice, or if lost evidence of that fact, recalled from the post-office to which originally sent for all repayments of domestic money orders provided for in this section and in section four thouR. S., secs. 4038, sand and thirty-eight of the Revised Statutes of the United States." 4039. Act Jan. 27, 1894. orders. Substitute for sec. 4040. ch. 137. SEC. 11. Whenever a money-order has been lost, within Replacing lost one year from the last day of the month of issue, the Postmaster-General, upon the application of the remitter or payee of such order, may cause a duplicate thereof to be 1894, July 16, issued, without charge, providing the party losing the origi nal shall furnish a certificate from the postmaster by whom it was payable that it has not been, and will not thereafter be, paid; and a similar certificate from the postmaster by whom it was issued that it has not been, and will not thereafter be, repaid. Jan. 27, 1894. That the first section of the Act approved January third, 28 Stat. L., 30. eighteen hundred and eighty-seven, modifying certain proPostal notes visions of the Act approved March third, eighteen hundred Repeal of 1887, and eighty-three, and entitled "An Act to modify the postal (1 Supp. R. S., money order system, and for other purposes," abolished. Jan. 3, ch. 13. s. 1 88. 1, 2 (1 Supp. R. S., 405, 406). 517, 518): 1883, and the first section and such provisions of the second secMar. 3 ch. 123 tion as are applicable to postal notes of the Act approved March third, eighteen hundred and eighty-three, entitled "An Act to modify the postal money-order system, and for other purposes," -already issued, to be paid. Fees for money orders reduced. be, and the same are hereby, repealed, but nothing herein contained shall prevent the payment, after July first, eighteen hundred and ninety-four, in the manner provided by existing law, of postal notes issued prior to that date, and any such postal notes, if presented for payment more than one year from the last day of the month of their issue, may be paid by warrant, as provided by section four of this Act in the case of money orders. SEC. 2. That section three of the said Act of March third, eighteen hundred and eighty-three, as amended by the Act of June twenty-ninth, eighteen hundred and eighty-six, entitled "An Act to reduce the fee on domestic money orders for sums not exceeding five dollars," be amended to read as follows: "That a money order shall not be issued for more than one hundred dollars, and that fees for domestic money orders shall be as follows, to wit: Substitute for 123, s. 3, and 1886, 1883, Mar. 3, ch. June 29, ch. 568 (1 Supp. R.S.,406, 498). "For orders not exceeding two dollars and fifty cents, Fees for money three cents. "For orders exceeding two dollars and fifty cents and not exceeding five dollars, five cents. "For orders exceeding five dollars and not exceeding ten dollars, eight cents. "For orders exceeding ten dollars and not exceeding twenty dollars, ten cents. "For orders exceeding twenty dollars and not exceeding thirty dollars, twelve cents. "For orders exceeding thirty dollars and not exceeding forty dollars, fifteen cents. "For orders exceeding forty dollars and not exceeding fifty dollars, eighteen cents. "For orders exceeding fifty dollars and not exceeding sixty dollars, twenty cents. "For orders exceeding sixty dollars and not exceeding seventy-five dollars, twenty-five cents. "For orders exceeding seventy-five dollars and not exceed ing one hundred dollars, thirty cents." July 16, 1894. 28 Stat. L., 104. Money orders, stroyed after ten etc., may be de SEC. 4. The Secretary of the Treasury and the Postmaster-General shall cause to be destroyed in such manner as they may deem best all Money Order Statements rendered by Postmasters and all paid Money Orders and paid Postal Notes accompanying the same, now filed in the office of the years. Auditor of the Treasury for the Post Office Department, or which may hereafter be filed therein, after ten years shall have elapsed from the expiration of the period covered by such statements: See note 4. Provided, That the Postmaster-General upon evidence --how paid. satisfactory to him, and under such special regulations as he shall prescribe, may cause payment to be made in the manner prescribed in sections four and eleven of the Act 1894, Jan. 27, ch. 21. ss. 4,11, pp. approved January twenty-seventh, eighteen hundred and ninety-four, of the amount of any Money Order remaining unpaid after the lapse of ten years from the date of its issue. Note 4.-See act regulating disposition of useless papers in Executive Departments, 1889, Feb. 16, ch. 171 (1 Supp. R. S., 644), and note thereon. 167-169. کی Title 54. SEC. 4613. The provisions of this Title shall apply to all Application of captures made as prize by authority of the United States, provisions of or adopted and ratified by the President of the United June 30, 1864, 8. States. title. 33, v. 13, p. 315. What are ves sels of the Navy. Ibid., s. 32. Duties of com. manding officer capture. İbid., s.1, p.306. SEC. 4614. The term "vessels of the Navy," as used in this Title, shall include all armed vessels officered and manned by the United States, and under the control of the Department of the Navy. SEC. 4615. The commanding officer of any vessel making upon making a capture shall secure the documents of the ship and cargo, including the log-book, with all other documents, letters, and other papers found on board, and make an inventory of the same, and seal them up, and send them, with the inventory, to the court in which proceedings are to be had, with a written statement that they are all the papers found, and are in the condition in which they were found; or explaining the absence of any documents or papers, or any change in their condition. He shall also send to such court, as witnesses, the master, one or more of the other officers, the supercargo, purser, or agent of the prize, and any person found on board whom he may suppose to be interested in, or to have knowledge respecting, the title, national char acter, or destination of the prize. He shall send the prize, with the documents, papers, and witnesses, under charge of a competent prize-master and prize-crew, into port for adjudication, explaining the absence of any usual witnesses; and in the absence of instructions from superior authority as to the port to which it shall be sent, he shall select such port as he shall deem most convenient, in view of the interests of probable claimants, as well as of the captors. If the captured vessel, or any part of the captured property, is not in condition to be sent in for adjudication, a survey shall be had thereon and an appraisement made by persons as competent and impartial as can be obtained, and their reports shall be sent to the court in which proceedings are to be had; and such property, unless appropriated for the use of the Government, shall be sold by the authority of the commanding officer present, and the proceeds deposited with the assistant treasurer of the United States most accessible to such court, and subject to its order in the cause. [See sec. 1624, art. 15, p. 12.] claim to share in 307. SEC. 4616. If any vessel of the United States shall claim Statement of to share in a prize, either as having made the capture, or as prize. having been within signal distance of the vessel or vessels Ibid., s. 2, p. making the capture, the commanding officer of such vessel shall make out a written statement of his claim, with the grounds on which it is founded, the principal facts tending to show what vessels made the capture, and what vessels were within signal distance of those making the capture, with reasonable particularity as to times, distances, localities, and signals made, seen, or answered; and such statement of claim shall be signed by him and sent to the court in which proceedings shall be had, and shall be filed in the cause. SEC. 4617. The prize-master shall make his way diligently to the selected port, and there immediately deliver to a prize commissioner the documents and papers, and the inventory thereof, and make affidavit that they are the same, and are in the same condition as delivered to him, or explaining any absence or change of condition therein, and that the prize-property is in the same condition as delivered to him, or explaining any loss or damage thereto; and he shall further report to the district attorney and give to him all the information in his possession respecting the prize and her capture; and he shall deliver over the persons sent as witnesses to the custody of the marshal, and shall retain the prize in his custody until it shall be taken therefrom by process from the prize-court. [Sections 4618-19-20 relate to libels, duties of district attorneys, etc.] Duties of prize master. Ibid., s. 3. See sec. 5441. prize-commis. 8.5, v. 13, p. 307. SEC. 4621. Any district court may appoint prize-commis-Appointment sioners, not exceeding three in number; of whom one shall sioners. be a retired naval officer, approved by the Secretary of the June 30, 1864, Navy, who shall receive no other compensation than his pay in the Navy, and who shall protect the interests of the captors and of the Department of the Navy in the prizeproperty; and at least one of the others shall be a member of the bar of the court, of not less than three years' standing, and acquainted with the taking of depositions. SEC. 4622. The prize-commissioners, or one of them, shall receive from the prize-master the documents and papers, and inventory thereof, and shall take the affidavit of the prize-master required by section forty-six hundred and seventeen, and shall forthwith take the testimony of the witnesses sent in, separate from each other, on interrogatories prescribed by the court, in the manner usual in prizecourts; and the witnesses shall not be permitted to see the interrogatories, documents, or papers, or to consult with counsel, or with any persons interested, without special authority from the court; and witnesses who have the rights of neutrals shall be discharged as soon as practicable. The prize-commissioners shall also take depositions de bene esse of the prize-crew and others, at the request of the district attorney, on interrogatories prescribed by the court. They shall also, as soon as any prize-property comes within the district for adjudication, examine the same, and make an Duties of prize Ibid., s. 6. p. 308. commissioners. See sec. 5441. |