from the department of the treafury, may be franked by the Secretary of the Treafury, or by the Commiflioner of the Revenue, Comptroller, Regifter, Auditor or Treasurer: And that each perfon before named fhall deliver into the post-office, every letter or packet inclofed to him, which may be directed to any other perfon, noting the place from whence came by poft, and the ufual poftage fhall be charged thercon: And provided alfo, That no letter to or from a deputy-poftmaster fhall be free of poftage, if it exceeds half an ounce in weight.

Sec. 20. And be it further enacted, That if Penalty on any perfon fhall counterfeit the hand-writing counter of any other perfon, in order to evade the payfeiting the franking of ment of postage, such person or perfons so ofletters. fending, and being thereof duly convicted, fhall forfeit and pay, for every fuch offence, the fum of one hundred dollars.

Sec. 21. And be it further enacted, That Privilege every printer of newspapers may fend one paof newf- per, to each and every other printer of newfpapers within the United States, free of poftage, under fuch regulations, as the PoftmafterGeneral fhall provide.

printers.

Newfpato be put up for the

pers how

mail.

Sec. 22. And be it further enacted, That all newspapers conveyed in the mail, fhall be under cover, open at one end, carried in feparate bags from the letters, and charged with the payment of one cent each, for any distance not more than one hundred miles, and one cent and a half for any greater distance: Previded, That the postage of a fingle newspaper, from any one place to another in the fame ftate, hall not exceed one cent. And that where the mode of conveyance, and the fize of the mails

counts of

will admit of it, magazines and pamphlets may be tranfported in the mail, at one cent per fheet, for conveyance, any distance not exceeding fifty miles, one and a half cent for any distance over fifty miles and not exceeding one hundred, and two cents per fheet, for any greater diftance. And it fhall be the duty of Poftmafter the Poftmafter-General and his deputies, to general and deputies to keep a separate account for the newspapers, keep fepamagazines and pamphlets; and the deputy- rate acpoftmasters fhall receive fifty per cent on the them. poftage thereof, exclufively of their other allowances: And if any letter, memorandum in writing, or other thing be inclofed in, or placed among fuch newfpaper, or if any note or memorandum, other than the name of the perfon to whom it is addreffed, be written upon any fuch newfpaper, the letter, memorandum, or other thing fo inclofed or placed, and the newspaper on which fuch memorandum fhall be written, fhall be detained by the deputy. postmaster, until a fum fhall be paid him equal to the poftage of the whole packet in which they fhall be found, calculating fuch postage, at the rates established by this act for letters Fine on enand packets. And that any printer, or other closing letperfon, who shall conceal a letter, or any meter, & in newspa morandum in writing, in a newspaper, or pers. among any package of newfpapers, fhall be liable, on conviction, to a fine for each offence, not exceeding five dollars. And if any of the perfons employed in any department of the poft-office, fhall unlawfully detain, delay, ein- on emberbezzle or deftroy any newspaper, magazine or pamphlet, with which he thall be entrusted, fuch offenders, for every fuch offence, fhall for feit a fum, not exceeding fifty dollars: Proided, That the Poftmaster-General, in any

&c.

zling newf

papers.

may per

Postmaster- contract he may enter into, for the conveygeneral ance of the mail, may authorize the perfon with whom fuch contract is made, to carry carry newf newspapers, magazines and pamphlets, other

mit con

tractors to

papers.

And allow

ceed 20 per

cent.

than thofe carried in the mail.

Sec. 23. And be it further enacted, That the commiffion Poftmaster-General be, and he is hereby auto deputies. thorized to allow to the deputy-poftmasters, respectively, fuch commiffion on the monies arifing from the postage of letters and packets, as he fhall think adequate to their respective services and expenses: Provided, The faid Not to ex- commiffion fhall not exceed twenty per cent. to any one deputy, except the postmaster at the port where the European packets do or fhall arrive, to whom fuch farther allowance, port where in addition to the emoluments of his office, packets arfhall be made, as the Poftmafter-General fhall deem a reasonable compenfation for his extrafervices, in the receipt and dispatch of letters originally received into his office, from on board fuch packets, and by him forwarded to other offices: And except the deputy-poftBurlington mafter at Burlington, on Lake Champlain, Champlain, whofe compenfation the Postmaster-General

rive.

And at

on Lake

to certain

deputies

is hereby authorized to augment, on account of his extra-trouble in receiving mails paffing to and from Canada, to a fum, not exceeding one hundred dollars per annum: And except Allowance certain deputy-poftmafters who are obliged to rife in the night to receive mails, whofe comwho rife in penfations the Poftmafter-General is hereby the night, authorized to increase, not exceeding forty per cent. on the amount of monies arifing on the poftage of letters and packets: And pronot to ex- vided alfo, That the compenfations aforefaid ceed 1,800 fhall not exceed one thoufand eight hundred dollars per dollars per annum to any one poftmafter, ex

annum.

Philadel

New-York.

Allowance of ftationa

cepting the deputy-poftmafter at Philadelphia, Except des who fhall be allowed a compenfation, not ex- puty-poft-. ceeding the fum of three thoufand five hun maiers at dred dollars a year, including all perquifites phia and and emoluments, of which a regular account fhall be rendered to the Poftmafter-General: And excepting the deputy-poftmafter at NewYork, who fhall be allowed a compenfation, not exceeding two thoufand feven hundred dollars a year, including all perquifites and emoluments, of which a regular account fhall be rendered, as aforefaid: Provided alf, That the reafonable charges of the deputy-poftmal ters for stationary, for cafes neceffary for the fafe-keeping and convenient diftribution of let- ry, &c. ters, and for advertising the lifts of letters, from time to time, remaining in their offices, accompanied with proper vouchers, fhall be admitted by the Poftmafter-General, and placed to their credit: And there fhall alfo be allowed to the deputy-poftmafter of Philadel- Extra alphia, for his extraordinary expenfes incurred lowance to poftmafter in the execution of his office, under the ex- of Phila ifting law, an additional compenfation, at the rate of eight hundred and fifty dollars a year, to be computed from the first day of July, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-two, to the first day of June next.

delphia.

general to

to fettle

and

Sec. 24. And be it further enacled, That if any deputy-poftmafter, or other perfon autho- Poftmafterrized to receive the poftage of letters and pac- profecute kets, fhall neglect or refule to render his ac- deputies neglecting counts, and pay over to the Poftmafter-General o the balance by him due, at the end of every three months, it fhall be the duty of the Poftmafter-General to caufe a fuit to be commenced against the perfon or perfons fo neglecting or refufing and if the Poftmafter-General VOL. III,

H

his neglect thereof.

penalty on fhall not caufe fuch fuit to be commenced within fix months from the end of every fuch three months, the balances due from every fuch delinquent, fhall be charged to, and recoverable from, the Postmaster-General.

tion of pe

Sec. 25. And be it further enacted, That all Appropria- pecuniary penalties and forfeitures incurred malties, &c. under this act, shall be, one-half for the use of the perfon or perfons informing and profecuting for the fame, and the other half to the use of the United States.

Sec. 26. And be it further enacted, That it Poftmafter- fhall be lawful for the Poftmafter-General, to general to make pro- make provifion, where it may be neceffary, for the receipt of all letters and packets intended ance of let to be conveyed by any fhip or vessel, beyond ters by fea, fea, or from any port of the United States to

vision for

the convey

&c. exempt

another port therein; and the letters fo received fhall be formed into a mail, fealed up, and directed to the poftmafter of the port, to which fuch fhip or veffel fhall be bound. And for every letter or packet, fo received, there fhall be paid, at the time of its reception, a poflage of one cent, which fhall be for the ufe of the poftmafters, refpectively, receiving the fame. And the Poftmafter-General may make arrangements with the poftmasters in any foreign country, for the reciprocal receipt and delivery of letters and packets, through the poft-offices.

Sec. 27. And be it further enacted, That the Poftmafters deputy-poftmafters, and the perfons employed from mili in the transportation of the mail, fhall be exempt from militia duties, or any fine or penalfor neglect thereof.

aia duty.

ty

Sec. 28. And be it further enacted, That letLetter-car- ter-carriers thall be employed at fuch post

riers

offices as the Poftmaster-General shall direct, for