and from the State of Iowa, its successors and assigns, to build, main- bridge at Nebraska tain, and operate a ponton railway-transit and wagon-bridge across the City may be constructed by bridge Missouri River at Nebraska City, in the county of Otoe, and State of company. Nebraska : And said company, its successors or assigns, shall keep up or maintain a suitable ponton-draw of not less than three hundred feet in length; and that said draw shall be opened promptly, upon reasonable signal, for the passage of boats or rafts; but in no case shall unreasonable delay occur in the opening of said draw before or after the passage of trains; - Draw in. And the company, corporation, or individuals having the charge or Lights upon. control of said bridge shall, for the security of navigation, maintain, from sunset to sunrise, throughout the year, such lights on said bridge as may be required by the Light-House Board. SEC. 2. That all railway-companies desiring to use said ponton-bridge All railway comshall have, and be entitled to, equal rights and privileges in the use of panies may use the bridge. the same, and in the use of the machinery and fixtures thereof, and of all approaches thereto, under and upon such terms and conditions as shall be prescribed by the Secretary of War, upon hearing the allegations and proofs of the parties in case they shall not agree; And the United States shall have the right of way for postal and telegraphic purposes across said bridge; and no greater charge shall be made for the transmission over the same of the mails, the troops, and munitions of war of the United States than the rate per mile paid for the transportation over the railroads or public highways leading to said bridge; And in case of any litigation arising from any obstruction, or alleged obstruction, to the navigation of the said Missouri River, created by the construction of said bridge under this act, the cause or question arising may be tried before the district or circuit court of the United States of any State wherein the obstruction exists. United States to have right of way for postal service, &c. Suits for obstruction of river; where to be tried. SEC. 3. That the right to alter or amend this act so as to prevent or Act may be remove all material obstructions to the navigation of said Missouri amended, &c. River is hereby expressly reserved, without any liability to the Government for damages on account of the alteration or amendment of this act, or on account of the prevention or requiring the removal of any such obstructions; And if any change be made in the plan of construction of said ponton-bridge, such change shall be subject to the approval of the Secretary of War; and any change in the construction or any alteration of said bridge that may be directed at any time by Congress or the Secretary of War shall be at the cost and expense of the owners thereof. Said bridge shall be constructed, as near as may be practicable, upon the line heretofore surveyed and established by the Nebraska City Bridge Company. Alterations; when and how may be made. Location. Regulations for tion. SEC. 4. That any bridge authorized to be constructed under this act shall be built and located under and subject to such regulations for the security of navigasecurity of navigation of said river as the Secretary of War shall prescribe; And to secure that object, the said company or corporation shall sub- Plans. mit to the Secretary of War, for his examination and approval, a design and drawings of the bridge, and a map of the location, giving, for the space of one mile above and one mile below the proposed location, the topography of the banks of the river, the shore-lines at high and low water, the direction and strength of the currents at all stages, and the soundings, accurately showing the bed of the stream, the location of any other bridge or bridges, and shall furnish such other information as may be required for a full and satisfactory understanding of the subject; And until the said plan and location of the bridge are approved by the Secretary of War, the bridge shall not be built [July 8, 1876.] CHAPTER 179. AN ACT MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE SERVICE OF THE POST-OFFICE DEPART- July 12, 1876. 19 Stat. L., 78. SECTION Advertisements SECTION 9. Biennial readjustment of salaries of first three classes. 10. Assignment of salaries to be in writing; when to take effect. 11. Distributing and separating offices, and additional pay allowed to postmasters. 12. No salary to exceed $4,000, except that at New York, which remains at $6,000. 13. Land-grant railroads to receive only 80 per 14. Stamped envelopes and newspaper-wrappers 15. [Par. 1.] That the Postmaster General shall cause advertisements of of general mail-let- all general mail- lettings of each State and Territory to be conspicuously tings to be posted, &c., and no others posted up in each post office in the State and Territory embraced in said advertisements for at least sixty days before the time of such general R. S., §§ 3826- letting; and no other advertisement of such lettings shall be required; 3828, 3941. but this provision shall not apply to any other than general mail-lettings.(1) required. 1875, March 3, ch. 128. 1878, May 17, ch. 107. 1879, March 3, ch. 180, § 1, par. 2. 1881, March 1, ch. 96, § 1, par. 1. Compensation to duced. R. S., § 4002. ch. 128. [Par. 2.] That the Postmaster General be, and he is hereby, authorrailroads for carry- ized and directed to readjust the compensation to be paid from and ing mail to be re- after the first day of July, eighteen hundred and seventy-six, for transportation of mails on railroad-routes by reducing the compensation to 1875, March 3, all railroad companies for the transportation of mails ten per centum 1878, June 17, ch. per annum from the rates fixed and allowed by the first section of an act entitled "An act making appropriations for the service of the Post15 Opin. Att'y- Office Department for the fiscal year ending June thirtieth, eighteen Gen., 169, 182, 482, hundred and seventy-four, and for other purposes," approved March third, eighteen hundred and seventy-three, for the transportation of 16 Opin. Att'y-mails on the basis of the average weight.(2) 259, § 1. 610. Report of Sixth SEC. 4. That the annual reports of the Auditor of the Treasury for the Auditor; what to Post-Office Department to the Postmaster General shall show the finanshow, and to be cial condition of the Post-Office Department at the close of each fiscal sent to Congress. R.S., §§ 196, 277, year, and be made a part of the Postmaster-General's annual report to Congress for that fiscal year. par. 7. Repeal of. That section eleven of the act approved June twenty-third, eighteen 1874, June 23, ch. hundred and seventy-four, be, and is hereby, repealed, and that the fol456, § 11. lowing be enacted in lieu thereof. Postmasters to SEC. 5. That the postmasters shall be divided into four classes, as fol be divided into lows: four classes. The first class shall embrace all those whose annual salaries are three thousand dollars or more than three thousand dollars; The second class shall embrace all those whose annual salaries are less NOTES.-(1) This provision is repeated in the act of 1877, ch. 110 (19 Stat. L., 383), and 1878, ch. 259 (20 (2) The provisions of the act of 1873, ch. 231, § 1 (17 Stat. L., 556), here referred to, are incorporated into Revised Statutes in § 4002. sation, exclusive of their commissions on the money-order business of their offices, amounts to less than one thousand dollars. Postmasters; ap office of. SEC. 6. Postmasters of the first, second, and third classes shall be appointed and may he removed by the President by and with the advice pointment, re and consent of the Senate, and shall hold their offices for four years moval, and term of unless sooner removed or suspended according to law; and postmasters of the fourth class shall be appointed and may be removed by the Postmaster-General, by whom all appointments and removals shall be noti fied to the Auditor for the Post-Office Department. how SEC. 7. That the respective compensations of postmasters of the first, Salaries of postsecond, and third classes shall be annual salaries, assigned in even hun- masters of first dreds of dollars, and payable in quarterly payments, to be ascertained three classes; fixed and paid. and fixed by the Postmaster General from their respective quarterly re- R. S., § 3852turns to the Auditor for the Post-Office Department, or copies or dupli- 3860. cates thereof, for four quarters immediately preceding the adjustment or re-adjustment, by adding to an amount of the box-rents of the office received or estimated not exceeding thirteen hundred and fifty dollars when the boxes are supplied and owned by the postmaster, and two thirds of the box-rents, and not to exceed one thousand dollars when the boxes are not supplied and owned by the postmaster, commissions on all other postal revenues of the office to an amount not exceeding thirteen hundred and fifty dollars, at the following rates, namely: On the first one hundred dollars per quarter, sixty per centum; On all over one hundred dollars and not over three hundred dollars per quarter, fifty per centum; On all over three hundred dollars and not over seven hundred dollars per quarter, forty per centum; And thirty per centum on all revenues exceeding seven hundred dollars per quarter, But the aggregate of the said commissions not to exceed thirteen hundred and fifty dollars; And at all offices where the total revenues exceed, respectively, four thousand dollars per annum, there shall be added to the compensation herein before provided from box-rents and commissions a percentage of the gross revenues at the following rates, namely: One per centum on all sums over four thousand dollars and not exceeding ten thousand dollars; Nine-tenths of one per centum on all sums over ten thousand dollars and not exceeding twenty thousand dollars; Eight-tenths of one per centum on all sums over twenty thousand dollars and not exceeding forty thousand dollars; Six-tenths of one per centum on all sums over forty thousand dollars and not exceeding eighty thousand dollars; Five-tenths of one per centum on all sums over eighty thousand dollars and not exceeding one hundred and sixty thousand dollars; Four-tenths of one per centum on all sums over one hundred and sixty thousand dollars and not exceeding three hundred and twenty thousand dollars; Three-tenths of one per centum on all sums over three hundred and twenty thousand dollars and not exceeding six hundred and forty thousand dollars; "Not" stricken Two-tenths of one per centum on all sums [not] over six hundred and forty thousand dollars and not exceeding one million two hundred and out by resolution of 1876, July 25, No. eighty thousand dollars; 18, p. 255. And one-tenth of one per centum on all sums exceeding one million two hundred and eighty thousand dollars; And in order to ascertain the amount of the postal receipts of each office, the Postmaster-General may require postmasters to furnish duplicates of their quarterly returns to the Auditor at such times and for such periods as he may deem necessary in each case: Duplicate returns of postmasters may be required. Box-rents; how Provided, That at offices where the letter-carrier system is now, or may hereafter be, established, the box-rents, in fixing the compensation estimated. Salaries of post of the respective postmasters at such offices, shall be estimated at not less than one thousand dollars per annum; But at all such offices where the compensation is now four thousand dollars, they shall be estimated at an amount which, with the commissions and percentages hereby allowed, will make the salaries of the postmasters thereat not less than three thousand dollars. SEC. 8. That the compensation of postmasters of the fourth class shall masters of fourth be the box-rents collected at their offices, and commissions on other postal revenues of their offices at the following rate, namely: class. R. S., §§ 3852 3860. 1878, June 17, ch. 259, § 1. Auditor to report On the first one hundred dollars or less per quarter, sixty per centum ; per quarter, fifty per centum; And all over three hundred dollars per quarter, forty per centum ; The same to be ascertained and allowed by the Auditor in the settlement of the quarterly accounts of such postmasters: Provided, That when the aggregate annual compensation, exclusive of when compensa- commissions on money-order business, of any postmaster of this class tion amounts to shall amount to one thousand dollars, the Auditor shall report such fact $1,000. to the Postmaster-General, in order that such postmaster may be assigned to his proper class, and his salary fixed as heretofore provided. SEC. 9. That the salaries of postmasters of the first, second, and third justment of sala- classes shall be re-adjusted by the Postmaster-General once in two years, ries of first three and in special cases, on the application of the postmaster, as much oftener R. S., §§ 3854- as the Postmaster-General may deem expedient. Biennial re-ad classes. 3857. Assignment of SEC. 10. That the Postmaster-General shall make all orders assigning salaries to be in or changing the salaries of postmasters in writing, and record them in writing; when to his journal, and notify the change to the Auditor; and any change made in such salaries shall not take effect until the first day of the quarter next following such order: take effect. R. S., § 3856. Provided, That in cases of not less than fifty per centum increase or decrease in the business of any post-office, the Postmaster-General may adjust the salary of the postmaster at such office to take effect from the first day of the quarter or period the returns for which form the basis of re-adjustment. Distributing and SEC. 11. That the Postmaster-General may designate offices at the inseparating offices; tersection of mail routes as distributing or separating offices; and where additional pay any such office is of the third or fourth class, he may make a reasonable allowed to post- allowance to the postmaster for the necessary cost of clerical services masters. No salary to exceed $4,000, except that at New York, which remains at $6,000. 1875, June 23, ch. 456, § 11, sub 81. Land-graut rail arising from such duties, and the provisions of this act relating to and fixing the compensation or salaries of postmasters shall take effect on the first day of October next. SEC. 12. No salary of any postmaster under this act shall exceed the sum of four thousand dollars per annum, except in the city of New York, which salary shall remain as now fixed by law; and no salary of any postmaster where the appointment is now presidential shall be reduced by the compensation herein established until the next re-adjustment below the sum of one thousand dollars per annum. SEC. 13. That rail-road-companies whose railroad was constructed in roads to receive whole or in part by a land-grant made by Congress on the condition only 80 per cent, as that the mails should be transported over their road at such price as Congress should by law direct shall receive only eighty per centum of the compensation authorized by this act. much as other roads. R. S., § 4002. 1875, March 3, ch. 128. 14 Ct. Cl, 125. 15 Ct. Cls., 232. 16 Opin. Att'y-Gen., 481. Stamped en- SEC. 14. No stamped envelopes or newspaper-wrappers shall be sold velopes and news- by the Post-Office Department at less (in addition to the legal postage) not to be sold for than the cost, including all salaries, clerk-hire, and other expenses conless than cost. nected therewith. paper-wrappers R. S., §§ 3914-3917. Rates of postage SEC. 15. That transient newspapers and magazines, regular publicaon newspapers and tions designed primarily for advertising purposes, or for free circulation, or for circulation at nominal rates, and all printed matter of the third matter of third class, except unsealed circulars, shall be admitted to and be transmitted class. in the mails at the rate of one cent for every two ounces or fractional part thereof, and one cent for each two additional ounces or fractional part thereof; R. S., § 3872, 3877, 3878. 1879, March 3, ch. 180, §§ 17, 22. What may be written or printed ou matter of third 3887. And the sender of any article of the third class of mail-matter may write his or her name or address therein, or on the outside thereof, with the word "from" above or preceding the same, or may write briefly or print on any package the number and names of the articles enclosed. Publishers of newspapers and periodicals may print on the wrappers of newspapers or magazines sent from the office of publication to regular subscribers the time to which subscription therefor has been paid. And addresses upon postal cards and unsealed circulars may be either postal cards and written, printed, or affixed thereto, at the option of the sender. SEC. 16. That all acts or parts of acts in conflict with the provisions of this act are hereby repealed [July 12, 1876.] Addresses on circulars. Repeal. CHAPTER 180. AN ACT FOR THE SUPPORT OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA FOR 18. Laws of Washington relating to water-taxes, 19. Law levying certain licenses, taxes, &c., re- Be it enacted, &c. (1) * July 12, 1876. 19 Stat. L., 83. Laws of Washwater-taxes, &c., SEC. 18. That all laws and ordinances now in force in the city of Washington, relating to the payment and collection of water-taxes, ington relating to water-rents, and taxation for water mains be, and they are hereby, extended over Disextended to and made operative over all parts of the District of Colum- trict. bia where water taken from the United States aqueduct is used, and said taxes and rents shall be payable and collectible therein in the same manner and at the same rate as in the city of Washington for the year beginning January first eighteen hundred and seventy-six, and for each subsequent year. SEC. 19. That the twenty-third section of the act of the legislative Law levying cerassembly of the District of Columbia, entitled "An act imposing a tain license-taxes, license on trades, business, and professions practiced or carried on in &c., repealed. the District of Columbia," approved August twenty third, eighteen huadred and seventy-one, clauses twenty, and thirty-five of the twenty first section of said act, and clause sixteen of said twenty-first section of said act as amended by the act amendatory thereof, approved June twenty, eighteen hundred and seventy-two, and all other laws and acts, or parts thereof, inconsistent herewith, be, and the same are hereby, repealed.(2) [July 12, 1876.] NOTES (1) Of the omitted sections, those from 1 to 12 provide for taxes for one year. Sections 13 to 16 are identical with those of sections 13 to 16 of the act of 1875, ch. 162, printed herein at page 193. (2) The sections of the acts of the legislative assembly of the District of Columbia repealed by this act fixed the rate of taxation on personal property in the District at seventy cents on a hundred dollars, provided that the tax on bonds and other securities should not exceed five per cent. of the income thereof. They also levied a license-tax on dealers in merchandise of four dollars on each thousand dollars of capital invested; a license-tax of twenty dollars on photographers, and a license-tax of two and four dollars on certain carts, wagons, &c. CHAPTER 181. AN ACT RELATIVE TO THE REDEMPTION OF UNUSED STAMPS. Unused stamps may be redeemed. No allowance for documentary stamps, except two July 12, 1876. 19 Stat. L., 88. Unused stamps Be it enacted, &c., That the fourteenth section of the act passed Feb ruary eighth, eighteen hundred and seventy-five, entitled "An act to may be redeemed; |