na. ington, Natchez, and Woodville, to St. Francisville, in LouisiaFrom Woodville, by Liberty, Holmesville, Columbia, Augusta and Winchester, to St. Stephens, in Alabama. From Jackson, by Copiah Court House, Monticello, Columbia, and Ford's, to Shieldsborough. From Jackson, by Wiksbury, Warrenton, and the Rocky Spring, to Port Gibson. From Washington, by Meadville, Monticello, and Monroe, to Augusta. From Greenville to Petit Gulf. From Columbus, by Hamilton, and the Cotton Gin Port, to the Choctaw Agency. From Augusta, by Leaf river, and Green Court House, to Jackson Court House. All other post From Woodville to Pinkneyville. Discontinue all other post sissippi to be roads in said state, except those to the seats of justice, as soon as discontinued, the same can be effected consistently with existing contracts. to seats of jus- In Illinois. From Springfield to Lewistown. From Carmi, by routes in Mis except those tice. Illinois. Fairfield, to Vandalia. In Missouri. From New London, on the Mississippi river, by Fayette, to Franklin, on the Missouri river. From St. Louis, by St. Ferdinand, to St. Charles. That the post road now established, on the south side of the Missouri river, from St. Louis to Boonville, shall pass by the seat of justice of the county of Gasconade. In Alabama. From Dale to Marengo. From Greenville to Montezuma. From Montgomefrom Augusta y to Coosawda. Discontinue the post route from Augusta by to Coosawda Fort Jackson to Coosawda. And that the postmaster general be discontinued, authorized, if by him thought expedient, to cause a mail to be Alabama. The post route Arkansas. Route, &c, discontinued. All routes fail- fourth of the expense, dis continued. Proviso. Routes to be transmitted by water from the city of Mobile to the city of New Orleans. From Bellefonte, Jackson county, by Gunter's Landing, to Blountsville. From Athens, Limestone county, by Eastport, to Florence. In Arkansas. From Hempstead Court House, by Long Prairie, to Natchitoches, Louisiana. From Little Rock to Monroe, Louisiana. And that the present route from Clark Court House, to Natchitoches, Louisiana, be discontinued. § 2. That all post routes, which hereafter, within the term of three successive years, fail to yield one fourth of the expense incident to its establishment, shall be discontinued by the postmaster general, unless in cases where it may be necessary as a connection or continuance of a route or routes: Provided also, That this section shall not be so construed as to deprive the seat of justice in each county of one mail going to and from said town. 3. That the mail routes from Morgantown, by Crab Ordiscontinued. chard, Kingwood, Armstrong's Cross Roads, Martin's Glady Creek, Billsburg, Leedsville, Beverly, Travellers' Repose, Huntersville, and Frankfort, to Lewisburg; from Hagen's store to Morgantown; from Lewisburg, by Nicholas Court House, to Kanawa Court House, in Virginia, be, and the same are hereby, discontinued. Places to and master gener $ 4. That the postmaster general may, whenever he deems it from which the expedient, cause the mail to be transported from St. Charles, in transported, the state of Missouri, to Franklin, in said state, by the seat of if the post- justice of Callaway and Boone counties, instead of the route now al deem it ne- established by law; and may also cause the mail to be transported from Franklin to Liberty, in Clay county, by the seats of justice of the counties of Saline, Lillard, and Ray, instead of the route now established by law. [Approved, March 3, 1825.] cessary. CHAP. 262. An act fixing tho place for holding the circuit and district courts of the United courts of the the southern 1. Be it enacted, &c. That the circuit and district courts of The circuit the United States for the southern district of New York, shall be and district holden in the city hall in the city of New York, as heretofore, U. States for until otherwise ordered by law, or until the secretary of the trea- district of New sury, on the representation of the judges of said courts, respec- York to be tively, shall direct further or other accommodation to be provid- holden in the ed for said courts or either of them: Provided, The competent Proviso. authority allow to said courts the exclusive use of some suitable apartment for holding the same in the said city hall: And pro- Proviso. vided, That the district court of the United States for the said southern district of New York may continue to hold its sessions where the same are now held, until the last of May, which shall be in the year one thousand eight hundred and twenty-six, any thing in this act contained to the contrary nothwithstanding. [Approved, March 3, 1825.] CHAP. 275. An act to reduce into one the several acts establishing and regulating the pot office department. office to be es vernment, un master gener assistants and necessary to office, &c. $1. Be it enacted, &c. That there be established, at the seat A general post of the government of the United States, a general post office, tablished at under the direction of a postmaster general. The postmaster the seat of gogeneral shall appoint two assistants, and such clerks as may be der the direc necessary for the performance of the business of his office, and tion of a postas are authorized by law; and shall procure, and cause to be al, who shall kept, a seal for the said office, which shall be affixed to commis- appoint two sions of postmasters, and used to authenticate all transcripts and such clerks as copies which may be required from the department. He shall he may deem establish post offices, and appoint postmasters, at all such places complete the as shall appear to him expedient, on the post roads that are, or business of the may be, established by law. He shall give his assistants, the Duties of the postmasters, and all other persons whom he shall employ, or who postmaster. may be employed, in any of the departments of the general post office, instructions relative to their duty. He shall provide for the carriage of the mail on all post roads that are, or may be, established by law, and as often as he, having regard to the productiveness thereof, and other circumstances, shall think proper. He may direct the route or road, where there are more than one, between places designated by law for a post road, which route shall be considered the post road. He shall obtain, from the postmasters, their accounts and vouchers for their receipts and expenditures, once in three months, or oftener, with the balances thereon arising, in favor of the general post office. He shall pay all expenses which may arise in conducting the post office, and in the 'conveyance of the mail, and all other necessary expenses arising on the collection of the revenue, and management of the general post office. He shall prosecute offences against the post office establishment. He shall, once in three months, render, to the secretary of the treasury, a quarterly account of all the receipts and expenditures in the said departinent, to be adjusted and settled as other public accounts. He shall, also, superintend the business of the department, in all the duties that are, or may Proviso. any way, to before enter office. Oath. be, assigned to it: Provided, That, in case of the death, resignation, or removal from office, of the postmaster general, all his duties shall be performed by his senior assistant, until a successor shall be appointed, and arrive at the general post office, to perform the business. All persons $ 2. That the postmaster general, and all other persons ememployed in the post office, ployed in the general post office, or in the care, custody, or conand others at- veyance of the mail, shall, previous to entering upon the duties tached to it in assigned to them, or the execution of their trusts, and before Jake an oath they shall be entitled to receive any emolument therefor, respecing upon the tively take and subscribe the following oath, or affirmation, beduties of their fore some magistrate, and cause a certificate thereof to be filed in the general post office: "I, A B, do swear or affirm, (as the case may be,) that I will faithfully perform all the duties required of me, and abstain from every thing forbidden by the laws in relation to the establishment of the post office and post roads within the United States." Every person who shall be, in any manner, employed in the care, custody, conveyance, or management of the mail, shall be subject to all pains, penalties, and forfeitures, for violating the injunctions, or neglecting the duties, required of him by the laws relating to the establishment of the post office and post roads, whether such person shall have taken the oath or affirmation, above prescribed, or not. The postmas receive from 3. That it shall be the duty of the postmaster general, upon ter general on the appointment of any postmaster, to require, and take, of such appointing any postmaster, to postmaster, bond, with good and approved security, in such pe him bond with nalty as he may judge sufficient, conditioned for the faithful disgood security. charge of all the duties of such postmaster, required by law, or which may be required by any instruction, or general rule, for the government of the department: Provided, however, That, if default shall be made by the postmaster aforesaid, at any time, and the postmaster general shall fail to institute suit against such postmaster, and said sureties, for two years from and after such default shall be made, then, and in that case, the said sureties shall not be held liable to the United States, nor shall suit be instituted against them. Proviso. Authority master. 4. That the postmaster general shall cause a mail to be cargiven the post- ried from the nearest post office, on any established post road, to the Court House of any county which is now, or may hereafter be established in any of the states or territories of the United States, and which is without a mail; and the road, on which such mail shall be transported, shall become a post road, and so continue, until the transportation thereon shall cease. It shall also be lawful for the postmaster general to enter into contracts, for a term not exceeding four years, for extending the line of posts, and to authorize the persons, so contracting, as a compensation for their expenses, to receive, during the continuance of such contracts, at rates not exceeding those for like distances, established by this act, all the postage which shall arise on letters, newspapers, magazines, pamphlets, and packets, conveyed by any such posts; and the roads, designated in such contracts, shall, during the continuance thereof, be deemed and considered as post roads, within the provision of this act and a duplicate of every such contract shall, within sixty days after the execution thereof, be lodged in the office of the comptroller of the treasury of the United States. carried in any 5. That the postmaster general be authorized to have the The mail to be mail carried in any steam boat, or other vessel, which shall be steam boat, used as a packet, in any of the waters of the United States, on &c. such terms and conditions as shall be considered expedient: Provided, That he does not pay more than three cents for each Proviso. letter, and more than one half cent for each newspaper, conveyed in such mail. Course to be 6. That it shall be the duty of every master or manager of pursued by any steam boat, which shall pass from one port or place to the master or another port or place in the United States, where a post office of every steam is established, to deliver within three hours after his arrival, if boat carrying the mail; in the daytime, and within two hours after the next sunrise, if with his duties the arrival be in the night, all letters and packets addressed to, enjoined. or destined for such port or place, to the postmaster there, for which he shall be entitled to receive, of such postmaster, two cents for every letter or packet so delivered, unless the same shall be carried or conveyed under a contract with the postmaster general; and, if any master or manager of a steam boat shall fail so to deliver any letter or packet, which shall have been brought by him, or shall have been in his care, or within his power, he shall incur a penalty of thirty dollars for every such failure. And every person employed on board any steam boat, shall deliver every letter, and packet of letters, entrusted to such person, to the master or manager of such steam boat, and before the said vessel shall touch at any other port or place; and for every failure or neglect so to deliver, a penalty of ten dollars shall be incurred for each letter or packet. free white per $7. That no other than a free white person shall be employ- None but a ed in conveying the mail; and any contractor who shall employ, son to carry or permit, any other than a free white person to convey the mail, the mail. shall, for every such offence, incur a penalty of twenty dollars. ter when any out of repair, such effect. 8. That, whenever it shall be made appear, to the satisfac- The postinastion of the postmaster general, that any road established, or established which may hereafter be established as a post road, is obstructed post road is by fences, gates, or bars, or other than those lawfully used on to report to turnpike roads to collect their toll, and not kept in good repair, congress to with proper bridges and ferries, where the same may be necessary, it shall be the duty of the postmaster general to report the same to congress, with such information as can be obtained, to enable congress to establish some other road instead of it, in the same main direction, 9. That, if any person shall, knowingly and wilfully, ob- Any person wilfully stepstruct or retard the passage of the mail, or of any driver or car- ping the mail, rier, or of any horse or carriage, carrying the same, he shall, shall, upon upon conviction, for every such offence, pay a fine not exceed- fined. ing one hundred dollars; and if any ferryman shall, by wilful negligence, or refusal to transport the mail across any ferry, delay the same, he shall forfeit and pay, for every ten minutes that the same shall be so delayed, a sum not exceeding ten dollars. $10. That it shall be the duty of the postmaster general to postmaster Before the to a contract for carrying the mail, shall enter in- give public notice, in one newspaper published at the seat of government of the United States, and in one or more of the newspapers published in the state or states or territory, where twelve weeks public notice the contract is to be performed, for at least twelve weeks before must be given. entering into any contract for carrying the mail, that such contract is intended to be made, and the day on which it is to be concluded, describing the places from and to which such mail is to be conveyed, the time at which it is to be made up, and the day and hour at which it is to be delivered. He shall, moreover, within ninety days after the making of any contract, lodge a duplicate thereof, together with the proposals which he shall have received respecting it, in the office of the comptroller of the treasury of the United States: Provided, That no contract shall be entered into for a longer term than four years. Proviso. master to &c. Every post- § 11. That every postmaster shall keep an office, in which keep an office, one or more persons shall attend on every day on which a mail shall arrive, by land or water, as well as on other days, at such hours as the postmaster general shall direct, for the purpose of performing the duties thereof; and it shall be the duty of the postmaster, at all reasonable hours, on every day of the week, to deliver, on demand, any letter, paper, or packet, to the person entitled to, or authorized to receive the same; and all letters, brought to any post office half an hour before the time of making up the mail at such office, shall be forwarded therein, except at such post offices where, in the opinion of the postmaster general, it requires more time for making up the mail, and which he shall accordingly prescribe; but this shall, in no case, No fees or perquisites to exceed one hour. 12. That no fees or perquisites shall be received by any perbe received by son employed in the general post office, on account of the duties to be performed by virtue of his appointment. any person employed in the post office. age. Vol. iii. p. 1545. 13. That the following rates of postage be charged upon Rates of post- all letters and packets, (excepting such as are excepted by law) conveyed in the mail of the United States, viz: For every letter composed of a single sheet of paper, conveyed not exceeding thirty miles, six cents. Over thirty, and not exceeding eighty, ten cents. Over eighty, and not exceeding one hundred and fifty, twelve and a half cents. Over one hundred and fifty, and not exceeding four hundred, eighteen and three quarters of a cent. Over four hundred, twenty-five cents. And for every double letter, or letter composed of two pieces of paper, double those rates; and for every triple letter, or letter composed of three pieces of paper, triple those rates; and for every packet composed of four or more pieces of paper, or one or more other articles, and weighing one ounce avoirdupois, quadruple those rates; and in that proportion for all greater weights: Provided, That no packet of letters, conveyed by the water mails, shall be charged with more than quadruple postage, unless the same shall contain more than four distinct letters. No postmaster shall receive, to be conveyed by the mail, any packet which shall weigh more than three pounds; and the postage marked on any letter or packet, and charged in the post bill which may accompany the same, shall be conclusive evidence in favor of Proviso. |