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the postmaster who delivers the same, of the lawful postage thereon; unless such letter or packet shall be opened in the presence of the postmaster or his clerk. Every four folio pages, or eight quarto pages, or sixteen octavo, or twenty-four duodecimo pages, or pages less than that of a pamphlet size, or magazine, whatever be the size of the paper of which it is formed, shall be considered a sheet, and the surplus pages of any pamphlet or magazine, shall also be considered a sheet; and the journals of the legislatures of the several states, not being bound, shall be liable to the same postage as pamphlets. Any memorandum, which shall be written on a newspaper, or other printed paper, pamphlet, or magazine, and transmitted by mail, shall be charged with letter postage: Provided, The publisher of a newspaper Proviso. may send a printed or written notice to a subscriber, stating the amount due on his subscription; which notice shall be attached to the margin of the newspaper, and the postmaster who delivers the paper shall charge for such notice the same postage as for a newspaper.

ceive such

Proviso.

§14. That the postmaster general be, and he is hereby, au- Each postthorized to allow to each postmaster, such commission on the master to repostages by him collected, as shall be adequate to his services commission and expenses: Provided, That his commission shall not exceed as, &c. the following several rates on the amount received in one quarter, viz: On a sum not exceeding one hundred dollars, thirty Rates. per cent. On any sum over and above the first hundred dollars, and not exceeding four hundred dollars, twenty-five per cent. On any sum over and above the first four hundred, and not exceeding two thousand four hundred dollars, twenty per cent. On any sum over and above the first two thousand four hundred dollars, eight per cent. Except to the postmasters who may be Exceptions. employed in receiving and despatching foreign mails, whose compensation may be augmented, not exceeding twenty-five dollars in one quarter; and excepting to the postmasters at offices where the mail is regularly to arrive between the hours of nine o'clock at night and five o'clock in the morning, whose commission on the first hundred dollars collected in one quarter may be increased to a sum not exceeding fifty per cent. The postmaster general may allow to the postmasters, respectively, a commission of fifty per cent. on the moneys arising from the - postage of newspapers, magazines, and pamphlets; and to the postmasters whose compensation shall not exceed five hundred dollars in one quarter, two cents for every free letter delivered out of the office, excepting such as are for the postmaster himself; and each postmaster, who shall be required to keep a register of the arrival and departure of the mails, shall be allowed ten cents for each monthly return which he makes thereof to the general post office. The postmaster general may allow to the postmaster at New Orleans, at the rate of eight hundred dollars a year, in addition to his ordinary commissions. The postmaster general is hereby authorized to allow to the postmaster of the city of Washington, in addition to the allowance made by this act, for postage collected, and for free letters received by him for delivery, a commission of five per cent. on the amount of mails VOL. III. 230

Proviso.

Every letter

or packet carried from one

distributed at his office: Provided, nevertheless, That the whole annual emolument of the said postmaster, including the extra compensation of eight hundred dollars which is hereby allowed him, shall be subject to the restrictions imposed by the forty-first section of this act.

§ 15. That every letter or packet, brought into the United States, or carried from one port therein to another, in any priport to anoth- vate ship or vessel, shall be charged with six cents, if delivered ex, in any pri at the post office where the same shall arrive; and if destined to charged with be conveyed by post to any place, with two cents added to the six cents, if, ordinary rates of postage.

vate vessel,

&c. Any person receiving

16. That, if any postmaster, or other person, authorized by through fraud, the postmaster general to receive the postage of letters, shall more than the fraudulently demand, or receive, any rate of postage, or gratuiletter, &c. to ty, or reward, other than is provided by this act, for the postage of letters, or packets, on conviction thereof, he shall forfeit, for every such offence, one hundred dollars.

postage of a

be fined for

every offence 100 dolls.

No ship or

the United

established,

port, &c.

until, &c.

17. That no ship or vessel, arriving at any port within the vessel arriving United States where a post office is established, shall be permitat any port of ted to report, make entry, or break bulk, until the master or States, where commander shall have delivered to the postmaster all letters dia post office is rected to any person or persons within the United States, or the shall be per- territories thereof, which, under his care, or within his power, mitted to re- shall be brought in such ship or vessel, except such as are directed to the owner or consignee of the ship or vessel. And it shall be the duty of the collector or other officer of the port empowered to receive entries of ships or vessels, to require from every master or commander of such ship or vessel, an oath or affirmation, purporting that he has delivered all such letters, except as aforesaid; and if any commander or master of any such ship or vessel shall break bulk before he shall have complied with the requirements of this act, every such offender shall, on conviction thereof, forfeit, for every such offence, a sum not exceeding one hundred dollars.

Duties of the

collector.

$18. That the postmaster to whom such letters may be delivered, shall pay the master or commander, or other person delivering the same, except the commanders of foreign packets, two cents for each letter or packet; and shall obtain from the person delivering the same, a certificate, specifying the number of letters and packets, with the name of the ship or vessel, and the place from whence she last sailed; which certificate, together with a receipt for the money, shall be, with his quarterly accounts, transmitted to the postmaster general, who shall credit him with the amount.

No stage or 19. That no stage or other vehicle, which regularly perother vehicle which regularforms trips on a post road, or on a road parallel to it, shall conly performs vey letters; nor shall any packet boat or other vessel, which trips on post roads, &c. to regularly plies on a water declared to be a post road, except such convey letters, as relates to some part of the cargo. For the violation of this provision, the owner of the carriage, or other vehicle, or vessel, shall incur the penalty of fifty dollars. And the person who has chage of such carriage, or other vehicle or vessel, may be prosecuted under this section, and the property in his charge

&c.

may be levied on and sold, in satisfaction of the penalty and costs of suit: Provided, That it shall be lawful for any one to Proviso. send letters by special messenger.

puty post

20. That the deputy postmaster, and other agents of the Accountabili postmaster general, shall duly account, and answer to him for all ty of the deway letters which shall come to their hands; and for this pur- master, &c. pose, the post riders, and other carriers of the mail, receiving any way letter or letters, (and it shall be their duty to receive them, if presented more than one mile from a post office,) shall deliver the same, together with the postage, if paid, at the first post office to which they shall afterwards arrive; where the postmaster shall duly enter the same, and specify the number and rate or rates, in the post bill, adding to the rate of each way letter, one cent; which shall be paid by the postmaster to the mail carrier from whom such way letters shall be received.

tain, &c.

viction be

$21. That if any person employed in any of the departments Persons emof the post office establishment, shall unlawfully detain, delay, post office ployed in the or open, any letter, packet, bag, or mail of letters, with which when they dehe shall be entrusted, or which shall have come to his possession, letters, &c. and which are intended to be conveyed by post; or, if any such shall on conperson shall secrete, embezzle, or destroy, any letter or packet fined or imentrusted to such person as aforesaid, and which shall not con- prisoned. tain any security for, or assurance relating to money, as hereinafter described, every such offender, being thereof duly convicted, shall, for every such offence, be fined, not exceeding three hundred dollars, or imprisoned, not exceeding six months, or both, according to the circumstances and aggravations of the offence. And if any person, employed as aforesaid, shall secrete, embezzle, or destroy, any letter, packet, bag, or mail of letters, with which he or she shall be entrusted, or which shall have come to his or her possession, and are intended to be conveyed by post, containing any bank note, or bank post bill, bill of exchange, warrant of the treasury of the United States, note of assignment of stock in the funds, letters of attorney for receiving annuities or dividends, or for selling stock in the funds, or for receiving the interest thereof, or any letter of credit, or note for, or relating to, payment of moneys, or any bond, or warrant, draft, bill, or promissory note, covenant, contract, or agreement whatsoever, for, or relating to, the payment of money, or the delivery of any article of value, or the performance of any act, matter, or thing, or any receipt, release, acquittance, or discharge of, or from, any debt, covenant, or demand, or any part thereof, or any copy of any record of any judgment, or decree, in any court of law, or chancery, or any execution which may have issued thereon; or any copy of any other record, or any other article of value, or any writing representing the same; or if any such person, employed as aforesaid, shall steal, or take, any of the same out of any letter, packet, bag, or mail of letters, that shall come to his or her possession, such person shall, on conviction for any such offence, be imprisoned not less than ten years, nor exceeding twenty-one years; and if any person who shall have taken charge of the mails of the United States, shall quit or desert the same before such person delivers it into the post office kept at

Persons rob

&c. to suffer

death.

the termination of the route, or some known mail carrier, or agent of the general post office, authorized to receive the same, every such person, so offending, shall forfeit and pay a sum not exceeding five hundred dollars, for every such offence; and if any person concerned in carrying the mail of the United States, shall collect, receive, or carry any letter, or packet, or shall cause or procure the same to be done, contrary to this act, every such offender shall forfeit and pay for every such offence a sum not exceeding fifty dollars.

§ 22. That, if any person shall rob any carrier of the mail of bing the mail, the United States, or other person entrusted therewith, of such mail, or of part thereof, such offender or offenders shall, on conviction, be imprisoned not less than five years, nor exceeding ten years; and, if convicted a second time of a like offence, he or they shall suffer death; or if, in effecting such robbery of the mail the first time, the offender shall wound 'the person having custody thereof, or put his life in jeopardy, by the use of dangerous weapons, such offender or offenders shall suffer death. And if any person shall attempt to rob the mail of the United States, by assaulting the person having custody thereof, shooting at him, or his horse or mule, or threatening him with dangerous weapons, and the robbery is not effected, every such offender, on conviction thereof, shall be punished by imprisonment, not less than two years, nor exceeding ten years. And, if any person shall steal the mail, or shall steal or take from, or out of, any mail, or from, or out of, any post office, any letter or packet; or, if any person shall take the mail, or any letter or packet therefrom, or from any post office, whether with or without the consent of the person having custody thereof, and shall open, embezzle, or destroy, any such mail, letter, or packet, the same containing any article of value, or evidence of any debt, due, demand, right, or claim, or any release, receipt, acquittance, or discharge, or any other article, paper, or thing, mentioned and described in the twenty-first section of this act; or, if any person shall, by fraud or deception, obtain from any person having custody thereof, any mail, letter, or packet, containing any article of value, or evidence thereof, or either of the writings referred to, or next above mentioned, such offender or offenders, on conviction thereof, shall be imprisoned not less than two, nor exceeding ten, years. And if any person shall take any letter, or packet, not containing any article of value, or evidence thereof, out of a post office, or shall open any letter, or packet, which shall have been in a post office, or in custody of a mail carrier, before it shall have been delivered to the person to whom it is directed, with a design to obstruct the correspondence, to pry into.another's business or secrets; or shall secrete, embezzle, or destroy, any such mail, letter, or packet, such offender, upon conviction, shall pay, for every such offence, a sum not exceeding five hundred dollars, and be imprisoned not exceeding twelve

Punishment

ordained where any person shall injure, in

months.

23. That, if any person shall rip, cut, tear, burn, or otherwise injure, any valise, portmanteau, or other bag, used, or desigined to be used, by any person acting under the authority of

portmanteau,

carried.

the postmaster general, or any person in whom his powers are any way, the vested, in a conveyance of any mail, letter, packet, or newspa- &c. in which per, or pamphlet, or shall draw or break any staple, or loosen the mail is any part of any lock, chain, or strap, attached to, or belonging to any such valise, portmanteau, or bag, with an intent to rob, or steal any mail, letter, packet, newspaper, or pamphlet, or to render either of the same insecure, every such offender, upon conviction, shall, for every such offence, pay a sum, not less than one hundred dollars, nor exceeding five hundred dollars, or be imprisoned not less than one year, nor exceeding three years, at the discretion of the court before whom such conviction is had.

shall in any

§ 24. That every person who, from and after the passage of Persons, who this act, shall procure, and advise, or assist, in the doing or way be accesperpetration of any of the acts or crimes by this act forbidden, sary, or enshall be subject to the same penalties and punishments as the the crimes forpersons are subject to, who shall actually do or perpetrate any bidden by this of the said acts or crimes, according to the provision of this act. &c. act, subject to,

gage in any of

one of the

list of all the maining in their respec

letters re

tive offices.

25. That every person who shall be imprisoned by a judg- Persons imment of court, under and by virtue of the twenty-first, twenty-prisoned by a judgment of second, twenty-third, or twenty-fourth sections of this act, shall court, under be kept at hard labour during the period of such imprisonment. this act, &c. $26. That the postmasters shall, respectively, publish, at the Postmasters to publish for expiration of every three months, or oftener, when the postmas- three succester general shall so direct, in one of the newspapers publish- sive weeks, in ed at or nearest the place of his residence, for three successive newspapers weeks, a list of all the letters remaining in their respective of nearest to the place of their fices, or, instead thereof, shall make out a number of such lists, residence, a and cause them to be posted at such public places in their vi- cinity, 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 rightful claimant so soon as he shall be found.

by whom let

27. That letters and packets to and from the following offi- Public officers cers of the United States, shall be received and conveyed by ters, &c. are post, free of postage. Each postmaster, provided each of his to be received free of postletters or packets shall not exceed half an ounce in weight; age. each member of the senate, and each member and delegate of the house of representatives of the congress of the United States, the secretary of the senate, and clerk of the house of representatives, provided each letter or packet, (except documents printed

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