EXEMPTIONS.

All persons employed in any branch of the postal service shall be exempt from militia duty, and from serving on juries, or from any penalty for neglect thereof.

Letter Carriers on Holidays.

There is no provision in the postal laws or regulations relieving a mail carrier from performing his regular trips on holidays.

DUTIES OF ROUTE AGENTS.

It is the duty of Route Agents to receive and properly separate, and distribute all mail matter that may be received from the public up to the time of starting, except such matter as should be held for postage.

CARRYING LETTERS OUTSIDE THE MAIL.

A mail carrier cannot carry a letter outside the mail unless it be enclosed in a postage stamped envelope, except letters handed to him more than a mile from a post office, which he must deposit in the next office he reaches,

Registered Letters.

Registered letters can be sent to or from any post office in the United States, and are used in sending valuable papers, money, bonds, jewelry, or other articles of merchandise, when not convenient to send by express or otherwise. Full letter postage is required, at the rate of three cents per half ounce, in addition to a fee of ten cents for registering; the weight of each package being limited to four pounds. While the Government is not responsible for the loss of such packages, the great care observed in their transmission, by the system of a chain of receipts from all clerks, route agents, etc., through whose hands they pass, makes this mode of conveyance almost absolutely safe.

Penalty for Detaining Letters.

Any person employed in any department of the postal service, who shall unlawfully detain, delay, or open any letter. packet, bag, or mail of letters intrusted to him or which shall have come into his possession, and which was intended to be conveyed by mail or carried or delivered by any mail carrier, mail messenger, route agent, letter carrier, or other person employed in any department of the postal service, or forwarded through or delivered from any post office or branch post office established by authority of the Postmaster General; any such person who shall secrete, embezzle or destroy any such letter, packet, bag, or mail of letters, as aforesaid, which shall not contain any security for or assurance relating to money or other thing of value, every such person shall, on conviction thereof, for every such offense, forfeit and pay a penalty not exceeding five hundred dollars, or be imprisoned not more than one year, or both, at the discretion of the court,

MONEY ORDERS.

The Post Office Department is not responsible for the loss of registered letters, hence the only safe method of transmitting money by mail is by a money order, which can be obtained at the post office in any town in the United States, of considerable size.

PAYING MONEY BACK.

The Postmaster issuing a money order shall repay the amount of it upon the application of the person who obtained it, and the return of the order, but the fee paid for it shall not be returned.

CHANGING MONEY ORDER.

After a money order has been issued, if the purchaser desires to have it modified or changed, the Postmaster who issued the order shall take it back and issue another in lieu of it, for which a new fee shall be exacted.

WHEN A MONEY ORDER MUST BE PRESENTED.

No money order shall be valid and payable unless presented to the Postmaster on whom it is drawn within one year after its date: but the Postmaster General, on the application of the remitter or payee of any such order, may cause a new order to be issued in lieu thereof.

LIMIT OF AMOUNT IN MONEY ORDERS.

No money order shall be issued for more than fifty dollars, and the fees thereof shall be for orders not exceeding fifteen dollars, ten cents; exceeding fifteen and not exceeding thirty dollars, fifteen cents; exceeding thirty and not exceeding forty dollars, twenty cents; exceeding forty and not exceeding fifty dollars, twenty-five cents.

When a Money Order is Lost.

Whenever a money order has been lost, the Superintendent of the Money Order Department, upon application of the remitter or payee of such order, may cause a duplicate thereof to be issued, without charge, providing the party losing the original shall furnish a certificate from the Postmaster by whom it was payable that it had not been, and would not thereafter be paid, and a similar certificate from the Postmaster by whom it was issued that it had not been, and would not thereafter be paid.

WHO MAY COLLECT ON MONEY ORDER.

The payee of a money order may, by his written indorsement thereon, direct it to be paid to any other person, and the Postmaster on whom it is drawn shall pay the same to the person thus designated, provided he shall furnish such proof as the Postmaster may prescribe that the indorsement is genuine, and that he is the person empowered to receive payment; but more than one indorsement shall render an order invalid and not payable, and the holder, to obtain payment, shall be required to apply in writing to the Postmaster for a new order in lieu thereof, returning the original order, and making such proof of the genuineness of the indorsements as the Postmaster may require.

POSTAGE ON LETTERS.

The new postal law, which went into effect July 1st, 1873, prohibits the transmission by mail of any free matter whatever.

POSTAGE ON LETTERS FORWARDED.

Letters once taken from the Post Office by the proper parties cannot be forwarded without again being paid.

DOUBLE RATES.

A letter having reached its destination with less than one full rate paid thereon must be rated at double the prepaid rates, and collected on delivery.

WHAT LETTERS SHOULD BE FORWARDED.

A letter exceeding one-half an ounce in weight, deposited in a post office, prepaid one full rate (3 cents,) should be forwarded to its destination, charged with double the unpaid rate.

POSTAGE RATES.

No card containing a written communication can be sent ly mail at less than letter rates, except postal cards, furnished by the Department, with postage stamps impressed upon them.

LETTERS WITH CANCELLED STAMPS.

When a letter having a stamp affixed which has been previously used, is placed in a post office, it should be held for postage, and at the proper time sent to the Dead Letter Office.

DROP LETTERS.

Drop Letter postage is 2 cents the half ounce at letter carrier offices, and I cent the half ounce at all other offices, and one additional rate for every additional half ounce or fraction thereof.

Unpaid Letters.

Letters upon which the postage is wholly unpaid should be sent to the Dead Letter Office; but when by inadvertence they reach their destination, double the prepaid rates should be collected on delivery.

LETTERS TO THE P. O. DEPARTMENT.

Stamps are furnished Postmasters to cover their official correspondence with the Department and with other Postmasters. Other persons writing to the Department on official business should be required to prepay postage at the usual rates.

WRITING ON THE OUTSIDE OF A LETTER.

To write anything in addition to the address, or print anything on the cover of a letter does not subject it to additional postage. But to write anything in addition to the address on the wrapper of a package of matter passing at less than letter rates of postage, or to enclose therein matter wholly or partly in writing, subjects the package to letter postage; but no additional charge should be made for a card printed or impressed on the wrapper.

PENALTIES FOR VIOLATING POSTAL LAWS.

RETARDING THE MAIL.

Any person who shall knowingly and willfully obstruct or retard the passage of the mail, or any carriage, horse, driver or carrier carrying the same, shall, on conviction thereof, for every such offense, forfeit and pay not exceeding one hundred dollars.

PRIVATE POST OFFICES.

Any person who shall, without authority of the Postmaster General, set up or profess to keep any office or place of business bearing the sign, name, or title of post office, shall forfeit and pay, for every such offense, not more than five hundred dollars.

USING OLD STAMPS.

Any person who shall use or attempt to use, in payment of the postage on any mail matter conveyed, by mail or otherwise, any postage stamp or stamped envelope, or any stamp cut from any such stamped envelope, which has been before used for a like purpose, shall forfeit and pay fifty dollars.

DESTROYING LETTER BOXES.

Any person who shall willfully and maliciously injure, tear down, or destroy any letter box, pillar-box, or other receptacle established by the Postmaster General for the safe deposit of matter for the mail or for delivery, or who shall willfully and maliciously assault any letter carrier, when in uniform, while engaged on his route in the discharge of his duty as a letter carrier, and any person who shall willfully aid or assist therein, shall, on conviction thereof, for every such offence, forfeit and pay not less than one hundred nor more than one thousand dollars, or be imprisoned not less than one nor more than three years, according to the circumstances and aggravation of the offense.

PUNISHMENT FOR OPENING LETTERS.

Any person who shall take any letter, postal card or packet which shall not contain any article of value or evidence thereof, out of a post office or branch post office, or from a letter or mail carrier, or which has been in any post office or branch post office, or in the custody of any letter or mail carrier, before it shall have been delivered to the person to whom it was directed, with a design to obstruct the correspondence, or pry into the business or secrets of another, or shall secrete, embezzle or destroy the same, shall, on conviction thereof, for every such offense, forfeit and pay a penalty not exceeding five hundred dollars, or be imprisoned at hard labor not exceeding one year, or both, at the discretion of the court.

MISCELLANEOUS.

When mails are received on Sunday, the office shall be kept open for one hour or more, if the public convenience requires it.

LETTERS TO FICTITIOUS PERSONS.

Letters addressed to fictitious persons or firms, or to no particular person or firm, are not deliverable, but should be returned to the Dead Letter Office at the end of each month.

LOCAL RATES of postage.

Postmasters should charge all matter deposited in their offices for local delivery, on which the law fixes no specific

PRINTED TITLE FOR ENTRY BEFORE PUBLICATION.

1. A printed copy of the title of the book, map, chart, dramatic or musical composition, engraving, cut, print, photograph, or a description of the painting, drawing, chromo, statue, statuary, or model or design for a work of the fine arts, for which copyright is desired, must be sent by mail, prepaid, addressed

LIBRARIAN OF CONGRESS,

WASHINGTON, D. C.

This must be done before publication of the book or other article.

COPYRIGHT fees.

2. A fee of 50 cents, for recording the title of each book or other article, must be inclosed with the title as above, and 50 cents in addition (or $1 in all) for each certificate of copyright under seal of the Librarian of Congress, which will be transmitted by return mail.

WHAT IS REQUIRED TO PERFECT COPYRIGHT.

3. Within ten days after publication of each book or other article, two complete copies of the best edition issued must be sent, to perfect the copyright, with the address

LIBRARIAN OF CONGRESS,

WASHINGTON, D. C.

It is optional with those sending books and other articles to perfect copyright to send them by mail or express; but, in either case, the charges are to be prepaid by the senders. Without the deposit of copies above required, the copyright is void, and a penalty of $25 is incurred. No copy is required to be deposited elsewhere.

NOTICE OF COPyright to be GIVEN BY IMPRINT.

4. No copyright hereafter issued is valid unless notice is given by inserting in every copy published, on the title page, or the page following, if it be a book; or, if a map, chart, musical composition, print, cut, engraving, photograph, painting, drawing, chromo, statue, statuary, or model or design intended to be perfected as a work of the fine arts, by inscribing upon some portion of the face or front thereof, or on the face of the substance on which the same is mounted, the following words, viz.: Entered according to act of Congress, in the year ・by⋅ in the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washing'on. Or thus: Copyright, 18- by A. B.

The law imposes a penalty of $100 upon any person who has not obtained copyright who shall insert the notice entered according to act of Congress," etc., or words of the same import, in or upon any book or other article.

TRANSLATIONS, ETC.

5. Any author may reserve the right to translate or to dramatize his own work. In this case, notice should be given by printing the words, Right of translation reserved, or All rights reserved, below the notice

of copyright entry, and notifying the Librarian of Congress of such reservation, to be entered upon the record.

DURATION OF COPYRIGHT.

6. Each copyright secures the exclusive right of publishing the book or article copyrighted for the term of twenty-eight years. At the end of that time, the author or designer, or his widow or children, may secure a renewal for the further term of fourteen years, making fortytwo years in all. Applications for renewal must be accompanied by explicit statement of ownership, in the case of the author, or of relationship, in the case of his heirs, and must state definitely the date and place of entry of the original copyright.

TIME OF PUBLICATION.

7. The time within which any work copyrighted may be issued from the press is not limited by any law or regulation, but depends upon the discretion of the proprietor. A copyright may be secured for a projected work as well as for a completed one.

ASSIGNMENTS.

8. Any copyright is assignable in law by any instrument of writing, but such assignment must be recorded in the office of the Librarian of Congress within sixty days from its date. The fee for this record is fifteen cents for every 100 words, and ten cents for every 100 words for a copy of the record of assignment.

COPIES, OR DUPLICATE CERTIFICATES.

9. A copy of the record (or duplicate certificate) of any copyright entry will be furnished under seal, at the rate of fifty cents each.

SERIALS OR SEPARATE PUBLICATIONS TO BE COPYRIGHTED SEPARATELY.

10. In the case of books published in more than one volume, if issued or sold separately, or of periodicals published in numbers, or of eugravings, photographs, or other articles published with variations, a copyright is to be taken out for each volume of a book, or number of a periodical, or variety, as to size or inscription, of any other article. COPYRIGHTS FOR WORKS OF art.

11. To secure a copyright for a painting, statue, model or design intended to be perfected as a work of the fine arts, so as to prevent infringement by copying, engraving, or vending such design, a definite description must accompany the application for copyright, and a photograph of the same, at least as large as "cabinet size," must be mailed to the Librarian of Congress within ten days from the completion of the work.

FULL NAME OF PROPRIETOR REQUIRED.

12. Every applicant for a copyright must state distinctly the name and residence of the claimant, and whether the right is claimed as author, designer, or proprietor. No affidavit or formal application is required