ART. 578. If the book which is to oe the subject-matter of the search should be the protocol of a notary, the provisions contained in the notarial law shall be observed.

If a book of the registry of property should be in question, the provisions of the mortgage law shall be observed.

If a book of the civil or commercial registry should be involved, the provisions of the law and regulations relating to these services shall be observed.

ART. 579. The judge may order the detention of private postal and telegraphic correspondence which the accused may transmit or receive and the opening and examination thereof, if there should be indications of arriving by these means at the discovery or verification of some fact or circumstance of importance in the cause.

ART. 580. The provisions contained in articles 563 and 564 are also applicable to the detention of correspondence.

The performance of this duty may also be entrusted to the administrator of posts and telegraphs or to the chief of the office in which the correspondence should be.

ART. 581. The employee detaining the correspondence shall immediately forward the same to the examining judge of the cause.

ART. 582. The judge may likewise order that any telegraph administration furnish copies of telegrams transmitted by it if they might contribute to the elucidation of the facts in the cause.1

ART. 583. The decree setting forth the reasons ordering the detention and search of correspondence, or the delivery of telegrams transmitted, shall specify the correspondence to be detained or examined, or the telegrams, copies of which are to be delivered, by means

1

By a royal order transmitted by the Department of Grace and Justice to the presiding judges of audiencias on December 12, 1883, it was decided:

1. That the administrations of telegraphs must furnish the copies of telegrams of the domestic as well as of the international service, transmitted by them, to competent judges and courts when called upon to do so by virtue of the provisions of articles 579 et seq., of the Law of Criminal Procedure, and with the formalities prescribed therein.

2. That said administrations are also obliged to show to judges and courts the originals of the telegrams for their inspection, description, or examination by experts, and in general for compliance with any judicial order relating to the criminal action, provided the request be made in writing and the reasons for the request set forth in accordance with the said law.

And 3. That the administrations of telegraphs must likewise deliver to the competent examining judge or court the originals of the telegrams transmitted of the domestic as well as of the international service when they shall state the absolute necessity of having the same at hand for an expert investigation or ocular examination, in order that they may figure in the action as corpi delicti or exhibits, but in such case the administration must retain a certified copy of said originals and require the judge or court to return the same upon the conclusion of the cause.

designación de las personas á cuyo nombre se hubieren expedido, ó por otras circunstancias igualmente concretas.

ART. 584. Para la apertura y registro de la correspondencia postal será citado el interesado.

Éste, ó la persona que designe, podrá presenciar la operación.

ART. 585. Si el procesado estuviere en rebeldía, ó si citado para la apertura no quisiese presenciarla ni nombrar persona para que lo haga en su nombre, el juez instructor procederá, sin embargo, á la apertura de dicha correspondencia.

ART. 586. La operación se practicará abriendo el juez por sí mismo la correspondencia, y después de leerla para sí, apartará la que haga referencia á los hechos de la causa y cuya conservación considere necesaria.

Los sobres y hojas de esta correspondencia, después de haber tomado el mismo juez las notas necesarias para la práctica de otras diligencias de investigación á que la correspondencia diere motivo, se rubricarán por todos los asistentes y se sellarán con el sello del juzgado, encerrándolo todo después en otro sobre, al que se pondrá el rótulo necesario, conservándolo el juez en su poder durante el sumario, bajo su responsabilidad.

Este pliego podrá abrirse cuantas veces el juez lo considere preciso, citando previamente al interesado.

ART. 587. La correspondencia que no se relacione con la causa será entregada en el acto al procesado ó á su representante.

Si aquél estuviere en rebeldía, se entregará cerrada á un individuo de su familia, mayor de edad.

Si no fuere conocido ningún pariente del procesado, se conservará dicho pliego, cerrado, en poder del juez hasta que haya persona á quien entregarlo, según lo dispuesto en este artículo.

ART. 588. La apertura de la correspondencia se hará constar por diligencia, en la que se referirá cuanto en aquélla hubiese ocurrido.

Esta diligencia será firmada por el juez instructor, el secretario y demás asistentes.

of the designation of the persons to whom addressed, or by other equally specific circumstances.

ART. 584. The person interested shall be cited for the opening and examination of correspondence.

The latter, or the person he may designate, may be present thereat. ART. 585. If the person accused should be in default, or if upon being cited to attend the opening he should not desire to be present, nor appoint any other person to attend in his name, the examining judge shall nevertheless proceed to open said correspondence.

ART. 586. The work shall be conducted by the judge himself opening the correspondence, and after reading it to himself he shall lay aside that which refers to the acts, the subject of the cause, and the preservation of which he may consider necessary.

The envelopes and sheets of this correspondence, after the said judge has made the notes necessary for the performance of other work of investigation to which the correspondence may give rise, shall be rubricated by all those present, and shall be sealed with the seal of the court, all being afterwards enclosed in another package, upon which the proper endorsement shall be placed, and the judge shall retain the same in his possession during the sumario, under his liability.

This package may be opened as often as the judge may consider it necessary, the person interested being previously cited.

ART. 587. Correspondence which does not relate to the cause shall be delivered to the accused or to his representative at once.

If the former should be in default, it shall be delivered sealed to a member of his family of legal age.

If no relative of the accused be known, said package shall be kept sealed in the possession of the judge until there is a person to whom delivery can be made according to the provisions of this article.

ART. 588. A record shall be made of the opening of the correspondence, in which shall be stated all that may have occurred thereat.

This record shall be signed by the examining judge, the secretary, and other persons present.

TÍTULO IX.

DE LAS FIANZAS Y EMBARGOS.

ART. 589. Cuando del sumario resulten indicios de criminalidad contra una persona, se mandará por el juez que preste fianza bastante para asegurar las responsabilidades pecuniarias que en definitiva puedan declararse procedentes, decretándose en el mismo auto el embargo de bienes suficientes para cubrir dichas responsabilidades, si no prestare la fianza.

La cantidad de ésta se fijará en el mismo auto y no podrá bajar de la tercera parte más de todo el importe probable de las responsabilidades pecuniarias.

ART. 590. Todas las diligencias sobre fianzas y embargos se instruirán en pieza separada.

ART. 591. La fianza podrá ser personal, pignoraticia ó hipotecaria. Podrá constituirse en metálico ó en efectos públicos al precio de cotización, bien fueren del procesado, bien de otra persona, depositándose en el establecimiento destinado al efecto.

Serán también admisibles, á juicio del juez ó tribunal, las acciones y obligaciones de ferrocarriles y obras públicas y demás valores mercantiles é industriales cuya cotización en bolsa haya sido debidamente autorizada, los cuales se depositarán como los anteriores.

Las fianzas sobre prendas que consistan en cualesquiera otros bienes muebles serán igualmente admisibles á juicio del juez ó tribunal, previa tasación, y se depositarán, según su clase, de la manera prescrita en los artículos 600 y 601.1

ART. 592. Podrá ser fiador personal todo español de buena conducta y avecindado dentro del territorio del tribunal, que esté en el pleno goce de los derechos civiles y políticos y venga pagando con tres años de anterioridad una contribución directa, al menos de 100 pesetas anuales, procedente de bienes inmuebles de su propiedad personal; ó de 200 por razón de subsidio con establecimiento abierto.

No se admitirá como fiador al que lo sea ó hubiese sido de otro hasta que esté cancelada la primera fianza, á no ser que tenga, á juicio del juez ó tribunal, responsabilidad notoria para ambas.

1 Según el artículo 533, las disposiciones de este artículo y siguientes, hasta el 596, son aplicables á las fianzas que se ofrezcan para obtener la libertad provisional de un procesado.

TITLE IX.

BONDS AND ATTACHMENTS.

ART. 589. If the sumario should show indications of criminality against any person, the judge shall order that he give a bond sufficient to secure the pecuniary liabilities which may finally be declared to lie, the same decree ordering the attachment of sufficient properties to meet such liabilities should he not give bond.

The amount of the latter shall be fixed in the same decree and can not be less than one-third more than the entire probable amount of the pecuniary liabilities.

ART. 590. All proceedings upon bonds and attachments shall be conducted upon a separate record.

ART. 591. The bond may be personal, pignorative or mortgage.

It may be constituted in coin or in public securities at the market price, whether the property of the accused or of another person, and shall be deposited in the institution set aside for the purpose.

The stock and obligations of railroads and public works, as well as other commercial and industrial securities whose quotation upon the exchange may have been duly authorized, shall also be admissible in the discretion of the judge or court, and shall be deposited in the same manner as the former.

Bonds on pledges which consist of any other personal property shall also be admissible in the discretion of the judge or court, after their appraisal, and shall be deposited, according to their class, in the manner prescribed in articles 600 and 601.1

ART. 592. Any Spaniard of good conduct residing within the territory of the jurisdiction of the court in the full enjoyment of his civil and political rights, and who has paid for three years prior thereto a direct tax of 100 pesetas at least per annum on real estate of his own ownership, or of 200 pesetas by way of subsidy on his business, may be a personal bondsman.

No person shall be admitted as a bondsman who is or has been that of another until the first bond has been cancelled, unless he is, in the opinion of the judge or court, well known to be responsible for both.

1 According to article 533 the provisions of this and of the following articles up to article 596 apply to bonds offered to obtain the temporary liberty of an accused person.