poft

from and after the first day of Jun

Allowance Postmaster-General shall be allow to here. fervices, at the rate of two thousan neral and dred dollars per annum, his affit

his affiftant

Rates of postage.

rate of one thousand two hundred annum, and the Postmaster-Genera lowed four clerks, whose compen be regulated in fuch manner, as no five hundred dollars per annum to the abovementioned compenfations quarterly out of the revenues of the and no fees or perquifites shall be any person employed in the general on account of the duties to be per virtue of his appointment.

Sec. 9. And be it further enacted deputy postmasters and perfons aut the Postmaster General, shall dema ceive for the conveyance of letters a except such as are hereinafter ex following rates of postage: For e letter conveyed by land, not excee miles, fix cents; over thirty miles : ceeding fixty, eight cents; over fix exceeding one hundred, ten cents hundred miles, and not exceeding o and fifty, twelve cents and a half hundred and fifty miles, and not two hundred, fifteen cents; over tv

avoirdupois, at the rate of four single letters; and in that proportion for any greater weight.

fing by fea.

Sec. 10. And be it further enacted, That for Rates of all letters and packets paffing by fea, to and letters paffrom the United States, or from one port to another therein, in packet-boats or vessels, the property of, or provided by the United States, postage shall be charged as follows: For every fingle letter, eight cents; for every double letter, fixteen cents; for every triple letter, or packet, twenty-four cents; and for every letter or packet brought into the United States, or carried from one port therein to another, by sea, in any private ship or vessel, four cents, if delivered at the place where the same shall arrive; and if directed to be delivered at any other place, with the addition of like postage, as other letters are made subject to the payment of, by this act.

Sec. 11. And be it further enacted, That if any deputy postmaster, or other person autho- demanding rized by the Postmaster-General to receive the or receivpostages of letters, shall fraudulently demand stipulated or receive any rate of postage, or any gratuity poltage. or reward, other than is provided by this aft, for the postage of letters or packets, on conviction thereof, he shali forfeit, for every such offence, one hundred dollars, and shall be ren

Duty of collectors herein.

Of postmasters on receipt of

ters.

the United States, which, under h within his power, shall be brought in or vessel, except such as are direc owner or confignee of the ship or except alfo fuch as are directed to b ed at the port of delivery, to which f vessel may be bound. And it shall b of the collector, or other officer o empowered to receive entries of th sels, to require from every maste mander of fuch ship or vessel, an oa mation, purporting that he has de fuch letters, except as aforesaid.

Sec. 13. And be it further enacted postmasters, to whom fuch letters m foreign let- livered, shall pay to the master, com other perfon delivering the fame, commanders of foreign packets, two each letter or packet, and shall ot the perfon delivering the fame, a specifying the number of letters an with the name of the ship or vessel place from whence she last failed; tificate, together with a receipt for t shall be, with his quarterly accoun mitted to the Postmaster-General, credit him with the amount.

Sec. 14. And be it further enacte any person, other than the Postma

carry the fame by fuch foot or horfe-post, stagewaggon or other stage-carriage, packet-boat or veffel, (excepting only fuch letter or letters as may be directed to the owner or owners of such conveyance, and relating to the fame, or to the perfon, to whom any package or bundle in fuch conveyance is intended to be delivered) every person, so offending, shall forfeit, for every fuch offence, the fum of fifty dollars: Provided, That it shall be lawful for any person to fend letters or packets by a fpecial messenger.

mafter-ge

ters.

Sec. 15. And be it further enacted, That the deputy-postmasters and other agents of the Deputies to Postmaster-General, shall duly account, and with poftanfwer to him, for all way-letters, which shall neral for come to their hands: And for this purpose, way-letthe 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 two miles from a poft-office) shall deliver the fame, together with the postage, if paid, at the first post-office, to which they shall afterwards arrive, where the postmaster shall duly enter the fame, and specify the number and rate or rates in the poft-bill, adding to the tate of each way-letter, one cent, which shall be paid by the deputy-postmaster, to the mailVOL. III.

G

Penalty on

to account

ders.

ty-postmaster, on demand: And for e ter, fo delivered, the mail-carrier deliv fame, shall be allowed to demand an two cents, to his own use, befides the postage. And if any deputy-poftm

other agent of the Postmaster-Gener deputies neglect so to account, he or they so o neglecting fhall, on conviction thereof, forfeit = for away-let fuch offence, a fum not exceeding fifty Provided, That no mail-carriers sh fuch deliveries at any place not on road: Provided also, That the receip livery of letters on the way, betwe offices, shall not be required of the mail in cafes where, in the opinion of the ter-General, the timeormanner of car mail, or the speed of conveyance, is tible with fuch receipts and deliveries.

Sec. 16. And be it further enacted On derain- any person employed in any of the dep ereting let- of the general post-office, shall unlaw tain, delay or open any letter, packe mail of letters, with which he shall b ted, or which shall have come to his p and which are intended to be con post; or if any fuch person shall fec bezzle or destroy any letter or pack ted to him, as aforesaid, and which contain any security for, or affuranc