"That the franking privilege be hereby abolished from and after the first day of July, Anno Domini 1873, and that henceforth all official correspondence of whatever nature, and other mailable matter sent from or addressed to any officer of the government or person now authorized to frank such matter, shall be chargeable with the same rates of postage as may be lawfully imposed upon like matter sent by, or addressed to other persons. Provided that no compensation or allowance shall be now or hereafter made to Senators or Members and Delegates of the House of Representatives on account of postage." The Act of the XLII Congress, Session III, Chapter 228, approved March 3, 1873, after appropriating so much as should be necessary of a certain sum for the purchase of postage stamps for each department, continues: "That the Postmaster General shall cause to be prepared a special stamp or stamped envelope to be used only for official mail matter for each of the executive departments, and said stamp and stamped envelope shall be supplied by proper officer of said departments to all persons under its direction requiring the same for official use, and all appropriations for postage heretofore made shall no longer be available for said purpose, and all said stamps and stamped envelopes shall be sold or furnished to said several departments or clerks only at the price for which stamps and stamped envelopes of like value are sold at the several post offices." In the report of the Postmaster General for the year ending June 30, 1873, it is stated that: "The several Acts for the repeal of the franking privilege became operative on the first of July last. The results of the first quarter of the current year are highly satisfactory and more fully verified the predictions of the friends of the repeal. * * * Section 4 of the Act of March 3rd, 1873, making it the duty of the Postmaster General to provide official stamps and stamped envelopes for the several Executive Departments, has been strictly complied with. The stamps and envelopes furnished have been executed in the highest style of art and will compare favorably with those of any other country. From July 1st to September 30th of the current year the following varieties, numbers and values were issued: