Extracted From:
      A LAW DICTIONARY ..., SIXTH EDITION, 1856
      by John Bouvier
      CHILDS & PETERSON, PHILADELPHIA

DEAD LETTERS. Those which remain in the post-office, uncalled for. By the Act of
March 8, 1825, ... it is enacted, ... "That the postmasters shall, respectively,
publish, at the expiration of every three months, or oftener, when the
postmaster general shall so direct, in one of the newspapers published at, or
nearest, the place of his residence, for three successive weeks, a list of all
the letters remaining in their respective offices; or instead thereof, shall
make out a number of such lists, and cause them to be posted at such public
places, in their vicinity, as shall appear to them best adapted for the
information of the parties concerned; and, at the expiration of the next three
months, shall send such of the said letters as then remain on hand, as dead
letters, to the general post office where the same shall be opened and
inspected; and if any valuable papers, or matters of consequence, shall be found
therein, it shall be the duty of the postmaster general to return such letter to
the writer thereof, or cause a descriptive list thereof to be inserted in one of
the newspapers published at the place most convenient to the supposed residence
of the owner, if within the United States; and such letter, and the contents,
shall be preserved, to be delivered to the person to whom the same shall be
addressed, upon payment of the postage, and the expense of publication. And if
such letter contain money, the postmaster general may appropriate it to the use
of the department, keeping an account thereof, and the amount shall be paid by
the department to the claimant as soon as he shall be found." 
  3. And by the Act of July 2, 1836, ... it is enacted by Sec. 35 that
advertisements of letters remaining in the post-offices, may, under the
direction of the postmaster general, be made in more than one newspaper:
provided, that the whole cost of advertising shall not exceed four cents for
each letter.

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