Register of Debates in Congress, Comprising the Leading Debates and Incidents of the Second Session of the Eighteenth Congress Page: 91
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APPENDIX—To Gales & Sea Inns Register. gj
I8tb CONGHESS,? T , .
2d Session. S Laws °fthe Zjmtexi States-
_ jlished in any of the states or territories of the United States, and which is without a miil- , i- 7 If
such mail shall be transported, shall become a post road, and so continue, until the tnnsDortlta Thi r i'° !
„„„„„ it shall. kn. hf lawful forth,. P™tm.,.L ' i . .... ' .uVn* «-" spoitation thereon shad
cease. It sha.l, also, be lawful foi the I osimaster Genera! to enter into contracts, for a term not exceeding- fon
years, for extending'the line of posts, and to authorize the persons, so contrasting, as a compensation fbr heir ex-
penses, to receive, during the continuance of such contracts, at rates not exceeding those for like dist-mres P
blished by this act, all the postage which shall arise on letters, newspapers, magazines, pamphlets and na-k-tt
conveyed by any such posts ; and the roads, designated in such contracts, shall, daring the'continuance thereof
be deemed and considered as post roads, within the provision of this act : and a duplicate of evervTicU*con< rv't
shall, within sixty days alter the execution thereof, be lodged in the office of the Comptroller of the Tre-rurV rf
the United States. •""* ■ 01
Sec. 5. .hid be it further enacted, That the Postmaster General be authorized to have the mail carried in any steam
boat, or other vessel, which shall be used as a packet, in any of the waters of the United Stales, 011 such terms and
conditions as shall be considered expedient: Provided, 'Chat he does not pay more than three cents for each leHe-'
and more than one half cent for each newspaper, conveyed in such mail. "
Sec. 6. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of every master or manager of any steam-boat, wlii h
shall pass from one port or place in the United States, where a post office is established, to deliver, within three
hours after bis arrival, if in the day time, and within two hours after the next, sunrise, if the arrival be in the nh'-ht
all letters and packages addressed to, 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; ami 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.
Sec. 7. .bid be it further enacied, That no other than a free white person shall be employed in conveying the
mail; and any contractor who shall employ, or permit, any other than a free white person to convey the mail, shall,
for every such offence, incur a penalty of twenty dollars.
Sec. 8. And be it further enacted, That, whenever it shall be made appear, to the satisfaction of the Postmaster
General, that any road established, or which may hereafter be established, as a post road, is obstructed by fences,
gates, or bars, or other than those lawfully used on turnpike marts to collect their toll, and not kept in good repair,
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.
Sec. 9. And be. it further enacted, That, if any person shall, knowingly and wilfully, obstruct, or retard, the pas-
sage ofthe mail, or of any driver or carrier, or of any horse or carriage, carrying the same, he shall, upon convic-
tion, for every such offence, pay a fine not exceeding one hundred dollars ; and if any ferryman shall, by wilful ne-
gligence, or refusal to transport the mail across any ferrv, delay the same, he shall forfeit and pay, for every tell
minutes that the same shall be so delayed, a sum not exceeding ten dollars.
Sec. 10. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty ofthe Postmaster General to 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 the contract is to be performed, for at least twelve weeks be-
fore enteriviginto 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
(lavs after the making of any contract, bulge a duplicate thereof, together with the proposals which he shall have
rec ived respecting it, in the office of the Comptroller of the Treasury, of the United States : Vrovided, f hat no
contract shall be entered into for a longer term than four years.
Sec. 11. And be it further enacted, That every Postmaster shall keep an office, in which one or more persons shall
attend on everv day on which a mail shall arrive, by lunJ or water, as vvell as on other (lays, 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, 011 every day ofthe 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
bt fore the time of making up the mail at such office, shall be forwarded therein, except at such post of ices where,
in the opinion of the Postmaster General, it requires more time for making up the mail, and which he shall accord-
ingly prescribe ; but this nhall, in no case, exceed one hour. .
Sec. 12. And be it further enacted, That no fees or perquisites shall he received by any person employed m the
General Post Office, on account ofthe duties to be performed by virtue of his appointment.
Sec. 13. And be it further enacted, That the following rates of postage be charged oil all letters and pac^ts, (.ex-
cepting such as are excepted by law,) conveyed in the mail of the United Stales, viz: For every letter composed
of asingle sheet of paper, conveyed not exceeding thirty miles, six cents. Over thirty,and not exceeding i.ig.i },
ten cents. Over eighty, and not exceeding one hundred and fifty, twelve and a half cents. Over one hundred
and fifty, and not exceeding foul' hundred, eighteen and three quarters of a cent. Over tour bundled, twc.ntj 1 c
cents.
And for eve
letter, or letter
and in that proportic
shall be charged
No postmaster s
and the postage
shall be conclusive evidence in favor ofthe postmaster wno delivers u.e same, y. ,>aKeS, or
less such letter or packet shall be opened m presence of the postmastei 01^ his oIli ^ ^ p-Amob-iet size,
eight quarto pages, or sixteen octavo, or twenty-four duodecimo pages, 01 p g • • surplus
or magazine, whatever be the size of the paper of which it is formed, shall be cancel-J a sncet, I
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Gales, Joseph, 1761-1841. Register of Debates in Congress, Comprising the Leading Debates and Incidents of the Second Session of the Eighteenth Congress, book, 1825; Washington D.C.. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc30752/m1/467/: accessed April 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.