postmaster, chief clerk, or clerk, upon or to any money order or blank thereof provided or issued by or under the direction of the Department of Posts of the Island of Cuba, of the United States, or any foreign country and payable in the Island of Cuba, or any material signature or indorsement thereon, or any material signature to any receipt or certificate of identification thereon; or shall falsely alter, or cause or procure to be falsely altered in any material respect, or knowingly aid or assist in falsely so altering any such money order; or shall with intent to defraud, pass, utter, or publish any such forged or altered money order, knowing any material signature or indorsement thereon to be false, forged or counterfeited, or any alteration therein to have been falsely made; or shall issue any money order without having previously received or paid the full amount of money payable therefor, with the purpose of fraudulently obtaining or receiving, or fraudulently enabling any other person, either directly or indirectly, to obtain or receive from the Department of Posts of the Island of Cuba, or any officer, employee, or agent thereof, any sum of money whatever; or shall with intent to defraud the Department of Posts of the Island of Cuba, or any person, transmit in person, or present to, or cause or procure to be transmitted to or presented to any officer or employee, or at any office of the Department of Posts of the Island of Cuba or elsewhere, any money order, knowing the same to contain any forged or counterfeited signature to the same, or to any material indorsement, receipt, or certificate thereon, or material alteration therein unlawfully made, or to have been unlawfully issued without previous payment of the amount required to be paid upon such issue, shall be punished by a fine of not more than five thousand dollars, or by imprisonment for not more than five years, or by both such fine and imprison

ment.

SECTION 50.

Counterfeiting postage stamps.

Whoever shall forge or counterfeit any postage stamp, or any stamp printed upon any stamped envelope, postal card, or any die, plate or engraving thereof; or shall make, or print, or knowingly use or sell, or have in possession, with intent to use or sell, any

such forged or counterfeited postage stamp, stamped envelope, postal card, die, plate, or engraving; or shall make, or knowingly use or sell, or have in possession, with intent to use or sell, any paper bearing the watermark of any stamped envelope, postal card, or any fraudulent imitation thereof; or shall make or print, or authorize or procure to be made or printed, any postage stamp, stamped envelope, or postal card of the kind authorized and provided by the Department of Posts of the Island of Cuba, without the special authority and direction of the said Department; or shall, after such postage stamp, stamped envelope, or postal card has been printed, and with the intent to defraud, deliver the same to any person not authorized by an instrument in writing, duly executed under the hand of the Director-General of Posts, and the seal of the Department of Posts, to receive them, shall be punished by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars nor more than five hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not less than one year nor more than five years, or by both such fine and imprisonment.

SECTION 51.

Counterfeiting foreign stamps.

Whoever shall forge or counterfeit, or knowingly utter or use any forged or counterfeited postage stamp of the United States or any foreign government shall be punished by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars nor more than five hundred dollars, or be imprisoned for not less than one year nor more than five years, or by both such fine and imprisonment.

SECTION 52.

Inclosing higher class in lower class matter.

Matter of the second, third, or fourth class containing any writing or printing in addition to the original matter other than as authorized by the rules and regulations of the Department of Posts shall not be admitted to the mails, nor delivered, except upon payment of postage for matter of the first class, deducting therefrom any amount which may have been prepaid by stamps affixed, unless by direction of the Director-General of Posts such postage shall be re

mitted, and whoever shall knowingly conceal or inclose any matter of a higher class in that of lower class, and deposit, or cause the same to be deposited for conveyance by mail, at a less rate than would be charged for both such higher and lower class matter, shall for every offense be punished by a fine of not less than ten dollars nor more than one hundred dollars, or by imprisonment for not more than sixty days, or by both such fine and imprisonment.

SECTION 53.

Affidavit by publisher, etc.

The Director General of Posts, when in his judg ment it shall be necessary, may prescribe, by regulation, an affidavit in form to be taken by each publisher of any newspaper or periodical publication sent through the mails, or of any employee of such publisher, stating that he will not send, or knowingly permit to be sent, through the mails any copy or copies of such newspaper as second-class matter, except to regular subscribers thereof or to news agents, and if such publisher, or employee of such publisher, when required by the Director-General or any special agent or other authorized officer of the Department of Posts to make such affidavit, shall refuse so to do and shall thereafter without having made such affidavit deposit any newspapers in the mail for transmission as second class matter, he shall be punished by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars nor more than one thousand dollars; and if any person shall knowingly and willfully mail any mail matter as second-class matter, knowing the same not to be entitled to the rate prescribed for second-class matter, with the intention to avoid the payment of proper postage thereon, or if any postmaster or other person connected with the service of the Department of Posts shall knowingly permit any matter to be mailed without prepayment of postage, or shall permit any matter to be classified contrary to law and in violation of the rules and regulations of the Department of Posts, he shall be punished by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars nor more than one thousand dollars or imprisonment of not more than one year, or both fine and imprison

ment.

SECTION 54.

False evidence as to second-class matter.

Whoever shall submit or cause to be submitted to any postmaster or to the Department of Posts, or any person employed in the service of said Department, any false evidence relative to the character of any publication, for the purpose of securing the admission thereof at the second-class rate for transportation in the mail, shall for every such offense be punished by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars nor more than five hundred dollars, or by imprisonment for not more than one year, or by both such fine and impris

onment.

SECTION 55.

Misappropriation of money or property.

Whoever, being a postmaster, assistant postmaster, cashier, or other person employed in or in any way connected with the business or operations of any branch of the service of the Department of Posts, shall convert to his own use any money, postage stamps, stamped paper, or other property of the Department of Posts, or in the custody of, or in use by, said Department, or postal, money order, or other funds coming into his hands in any manner whatever, or any money or property which may have come into his possession or under his control in the execution of such office, employment, or service, or under color or claim of authority as such officer, employee, or agent, whether the same shall be the money or property of the Department of Posts or in the custody of, or in use by said Department, or of some other person or party; or shall fail safely to keep any such money, stamps, stamped paper, postal, money order, or other funds, or other property, whether the same is the property of the Department of Posts or in the custody of, or in use by, said Department, or the property of some other person or party, without loaning, using, depositing in banks, except as authorized by the regulation of the Department of Posts, or exchanging for funds of property other than such as are especially allowed by the regulations of the Department of Posts; or shall fail to remit to or deposit at a designated depository, or turn over to the proper officer or offi

cers, agent or agents any such money, stamps, stamped paper, postal, money order or other funds, or other property, whether the same is the property of the Department of Posts or in the custody of, or in use by, said Department, or the property of some other person or party, when required so to do by law or the regulations of the Department of Posts, or upon demand or order of the Director-General of Posts, either directly or through a duly authorized and accredited officer or agent of the Department of Posts, or shall advise or participate in any of the offenses defined in this section, shall for every such offense be punished by imprisonment for not less than six months nor more than ten years, or by a fine in a sum equal to the amount embezzled, or by both such fine and imprisonment; and any failure to produce any money, postage stamps, stamped paper, postal, money order or other funds, or other property, whether the property of the Department of Posts or in the custody of, or in use by, said Department, or the property of any other person or party, when required so to do as hereinbefore provided, shall be taken to be prima facie evidence of such offense. But nothing shall be construed to prohibit any postmaster from depositing, under the direction of the Director-General of Posts, in a bank designated by the Director-General of Posts for that purpose, or in any other place, provided the Director-General of Posts shall so specifically authorize, to his own credit as postmaster, any funds in his charge, nor prevent his negotiating drafts or other evidences of debt through such banks or otherwise, when instructed or required to do so by the DirectorGeneral of Posts, for the purpose of remitting surplus funds from one post-office to another or to a designated depository.

SECTION 56.

Penalty for failure to enter into or perform contract.

Whoever having presented a bid for the transportation of the mails upon any route which may be advertised to be let, and having received an award of the contract for such service, shall wrongfully refuse or fail to enter into contract with the Director-General of Posts in due form to perform the service described in his or their bid or proposal, or having entered into such contract shall wrongfully refuse or fail to perform