Foreign letters.
Department of State, Washington, December 12, 1870.
The frequent requests to the Department of State to transmit private letters through Government dispatch-bags render it necessary to give notice that no private, unofficial letters will be transmitted through such hags, except those to or from persons actually in the diplomatic or consular service of the United States, or to or from members of their families.
All other unofficial letters received at the Department, from or for any foreign country, will be sent to the General Post-Office.
HAMILTON FISH, Secretary of
State.