ACTS AND RESOLUTIONS OF CONGRESS RELATIVE TO THE 

 SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION AND NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



In contimtation from previous reports. 



Chap. 179. An act extending the privilege of the Library of Congress to the Eogenta 

 of the Smithsonian Institution. 



Be it enacted, &c., That the Joint Committee of both Houses of Con- 

 gress on the Library, be authorized to extend the use of the books in the 

 Library of Congress to the Regents of the Smithsonian Institution, resi- 

 dent in Washington, on the same conditions and restrictions as mem- 

 bers of Congress are allowed to use the Library, 



Approved March 3, 1875. 



(Stat, vol. 18, sec. 512 ; Revised Statutes, supplement, vol. 1, page 195.) 



Chap. 103. An act establishing post-roads, and for other purposes. 



Be it enacted, &c. : 



Sec. 5. That it shall be lawful to transmit through the mail, free of 

 postage, any letters, packages, or other matters relating exclusively to 

 the business of the Government of the United States : Provided, That 

 every such letter or package, to entitle it to pass free, shall bear over 

 the words " Official business " an endorsement showing also the name 

 of the department, and, if from a bureau or office, the names of the de- 

 partment and bureau or office, as the case may be, whence transmitted. 

 And if any person shall make use of any such official envelope to avoid 

 the j)ayment of postage on his private letter, package, or other matter 

 in the mail, the person so oftending shall be deemed guilty of a misde- 

 meanor, and subject to a fine of three hundred dollars, to be prosecuted 

 in any court of competent jurisdiction. 



Sec. 6. That for the purpose of carrying this act into effect, it shall 

 be the duty of each of the executive departments of the United States 

 to provide for itself and its subordinat-e offices, the necessary envelopes ; 

 and, in addition to the endorsement designating the department in which 

 they are to be used, the i)enalty lor the unlawful use of these envelopes 

 shall be stated thereon. 



Approved March 3, 1877. 



(Revised Statutes, supplement, vol. 1, page 288.) 



[Extended to the Smithsonian Institution by act of March 3, 1879, as 



follows:] 



181 



