# United States Statutes at Large/Volume 2/7th Congress/1st Session/Chapter 48

Chap. XLVIII.—An Act further to alter and establish certain Post Roads; and for the more secure carriage of the Mail of the United States.
Post roads discontinued.Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the following post roads be discontinued:
From Pelham to Nottingham West, in New Hampshire.
From Hanover to Scituate, in Massachusetts.
From Bridgewater to Taunton.
From New York to Saggharbor, in the state of New York.
From Schenectady to Sandy-hill.
From Salem to Bridgetown, in New Jersey.
From Lumberton, by Elizabethtown, to Andersville, in North Carolina.
From Rockford, by Scull Camp, to Grayson Courthouse.
From Amelia Courthouse, by Pridesville, to Paynsville, in Virginia.
From Washington to Cincinnati.
From Franklin Courthouse to Jackson Courthouse, in Georgia.
From Goldson’s, by Geesbridge, St. Tammany’s, Mecklenburgh Courthouse, Marshall’s store, Christian’s store, Lunenburg Courthouse and Edmund’s store, to Goldson’s.
New post roads established.Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That the following post roads be established:
In Maine.—From Dennysville to Eastport.
From Machias, by Dennysville, to Scodiac.
In New Hampshire.—From Pelham, by Windham, to Londonderry.
From Haverhill, by Bath and Littleton, to Lancaster.
In Massachusetts.—From Boston, by Easton, to Taunton.
From Hingham, by Cohasset, to Scituate.
From Springfield, by South Hadley, to Northampton.
From Salem, by Topsfield, to Haverhill.
In Vermont.—From Middlebury, by New Haven, Moncton, Hinesburg, Williston, Jericho, Essex, Westford, Fairfax and Sheldon, to Huntsburg; to return from Huntsburg, by Berkshire, Enosburg, Bakersfield, Cambridge, Underhill, Jericho, Richmond, Huntington, Starksborough and Bristol, to Middlebury.
From Danville, by St. Johnsbury, through Barnet, to return to Ryegate.
In Connecticut.—From Hartford, by Coventry, Windham and Canterbury, to Plainfield.
From Middletown, by Haddam, to Saybrook.
From New Haven, by Woodbridge, Waterbury and Watertown, to Litchfield.
From Norwich, by Lisbon, Canterbury, and Brooklyn, to Pomfret.
In New York.—From New York, by Brooklyn, Jamaica, Hampstead, Merrick, Oysterbay South, Huntington South, Islip, Patchauge Fireplace, Moriches, West Hampton, Southampton and Bridgehampton, to Saggharbor.
From Hampstead, by Huntington, Smithtown, Brookhaven, and Riverhead, to Southhold.
From Newtown, in the county of Tioga, by Catharinetown, to Geneva.
From Schenectady to Ballstown Springs, Milton, Saratoga Springs, Greenfield, Hadley, Galloway, Charleton, and again to Schenctady.
From Sandy-hill to Fort George, and through the towns of Thermon and Jay, to Plattsburg, and thence to the northern line of said state.
In New Jersey.—From Woodbury, by Bridgetown, Milville, Port Elizabeth, and Cape May Courthouse, to Cape Island.
From Somerset Courthouse, by Baskenridge, to Morristown.
​New post roads established.From New Germantown, by David Miller’s in Washington township, and New Hampton, to Pittstown.
In Pennsylvania.—From Lancaster, by Reading, Allentown, Bethlehem and Stroud’s, to Milford.
From Lebanon to Jonestown.
From Jenkintown, by the Cross-roads and New Hope, to Flemington, New Jersey.
From Chambersburg, by Messersburg, to Bedford.
From Downingtown, by West Chester, Kennet’s Square, and New London Cross-roads, to the Brick Meeting-house, in Maryland.
In Maryland.—From Reisterstown, by M‘Allisterstown, Abbotstown, and Berlin, to Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
From Elkton, by the Brick Meeting-house, to the Rising Sun, Black Horse and Sorrel Horse Taverns, to Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
From Westminster, in Maryland, by Union Mills, Petersburgh and Gettysburgh, to Chambersburg, in Pennsylvania.
From Boonesborough, by Sharpsburg and Hagerstown, to Messersburg, Pennsylvania. The mail from Ellicott’s Mills to Montgomery Courthouse, shall pass by Brookville.
In Delaware.—From Georgetown, by Broadkiln Landing, to Lewistown.
From Newport, by Chatham, Cochran’s and Strasburg, to Lancaster, in Pennsylvania.
From Whitelysburg to Frederica.
From Georgetown, by Bridge Branch, and Northwest Fork Bridge, to Hunting Creek or New Market, Maryland, as the postmaster may direct.
In Virginia.—From Leesburg to Centreville.
From New Dublin, by Tazewell Courthouse, Russel Courthouse, and Lee Courthouse, to Robinson’s Mills, at the foot of Cumberland Mountain.
From Cumberland Courthouse to Ca Ira.
From Culpepper Courthouse, by Woodville and Mundell’s store, to New Market, in Shenandoah county.
From Fauquier Courthouse, by Aquia, to King George Courthouse.
From Winchester, by Front-Royal, to Culpepper Courthouse.
From Brooke Courthouse to Steubenville, in the Northwestern Territory.
From Brooke Courthouse to West Liberty.
From Brookington, by Newman’s and Randolph’s taverns, and Dennis’ store, to Henderson and Fitzgerald’s store.
From Amelia Courthouse, by Perkins’ store, to Painesville.
From Wylliesville, in Charlotte county, by Speed and Wilson’s store, Sterling Yancey’s and Norman’s store, to Person Courthouse, in North Carolina.
From Harrisville, by Field’s mill, Quarlesville, M‘Farland’s store, Lunenburg Courthouse, Christiansville, Marshallsville, Mecklenburg Courthouse and St. Tammany’s; and to return by Geesbridge, Edmund’s store, Field’s mill to Harrisville.
From Richmond Courthouse to Tappahannock.
In North Carolina.—From Plymouth to Robert Winn’s, on Scuppernong river.
From Jonesburg to Pasquotank river bridge.
From Rutherfordstown, by John Gowen’s store, to Greenville Courthouse, in South Carolina.
From Wilkes to Ash Courthouse.
The road from Mount Airy to Grayson Courthouse, in Virginia, shall pass by Scull Camp.
In Tennessee.—From Jonesborough to Carter Courthouse.
​New post roads established.From Nashville to Franklin.
From Knoxville to Burville.
In South Carolina.—The road from Edgefield to Cambridge, shall pass by Amos Richardson’s, and return by Northampton.
From Monk’s corner over Biggen bridge, by Pineville, Murray’s ferry, Santee, to Kingstree.
In Georgia.—From Oglethorpe Courthouse, by Athens, through Clarksburg, to Jackson Courthouse.
From Riceburg, by Fort James, to Tatnall Courthouse.
In Kentucky.—From Shelbyville to Louisville.
From Danville, by Pulaski Courthouse, to Wayne Courthouse.
In the Northwestern Territory.—From Marietta, by Chilicothe and Williamsburg, to Cincinnati.
Postmaster General authorized to contract for carrying the mail in coaches from Petersburg to Louisville in Georgia, for a time limited. Additional expense not to exceed a certain amount. He may have the mail from Suffield in Connecticut by Windsor, in Vermont, to Dartmouth College, carried in the same way. Under a limitation of expense. Free white persons to be only employed in carrying the mail. Penalty for not complying with this provision. (a) 1799, ch. 43.Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That for the better and more secure carrying of the mail of the United States, on the main post road between Petersburg, in Virginia, and Louisville, in Georgia, the Postmaster-General shall be, and hereby is authorized and directed to engage and contract with private companies, or adventurers, for carrying the mail of the United States, for a term of time not exceeding five years, in mail coaches or stages, calculated to convey passengers therein: Provided, that the expense thereof shall not exceed a sum equal to one third more than the whole of the present expense incurred for carrying the mail on such road, on horseback. And the said Postmaster-General may, hereafter at his discretion, require as a stipulation in the contract for carrying the mail from Suffield, in Connecticut, by Windsor, in Vermont, to Dartmouth College, in New Hampshire; that the same shall be conveyed in a carriage or line of stages: Provided, the expense thereof shall not exceed more than one third the sum heretofore given for carrying the mail on the last mentioned route by a post rider.
Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That from and after the first day of November next no other than a free white person shall be employed in carrying the mail of the United States, on any of the post roads, either as a post-rider or driver of a carriage carrying the mail: and, every contractor or person who shall have stipulated or may hereafter stipulate to carry the mail, or whose duty it shall be to cause the same to be conveyed, on any of the post roads, as aforesaid, and who shall, contrary to this act, employ any other than a free white person as a post-rider or driver, or in any other way to carry the mail on the same, shall, for every such offence, forfeit and pay the sum of fifty dollars, one moiety thereof to the use of the United States, and the other moiety thereof to the person who shall sue for, and prosecute the same, before any court having competent jurisdiction thereof.
Privilege of franking extended to the Attorney-General, and of receiving letters, &c. free of postage.Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, That all letters, packets and newspapers to and from the Attorney-General of the United States shall be conveyed by post free of postage: Provided, that all letters by him sent be franked in the manner in the manner required by the seventeenth section of the act to establish the post-office.(a)
Allowances may be made to the postmasters at the distributing offices; Limitation thereof. No allowance if the number of mails is not actually increased by the distributing system. An additional compensation to the deputy postmaster at the city of Washington.Sec. 6. And be it further enacted, That the Postmaster-General be authorized to allow the postmasters at the several distributing offices, such compensation as shall be adequate to their several services in that respect: Provided, that the same shall not exceed in the whole five per cent. on the whole amount of postages on letters and newspapers received for distribution, and that the said allowance be made to commence on the first day of June, in the year one thousand eight hundred: Provided also, that if the number of mails received at, and dispatched from, any such office is not actually increased by the distributing system, then no additional allowance shall be made to the postmaster.
Sec. 7. And be it further enacted, That there shall be allowed to the deputy postmaster at the city of Washington, for his extraordinary ​expenses incurred in the discharge of the duties of his office, an additional compensation, at the rate of one thousand dollars per annum, to be computed from the first day of January last.
This act not to affect existing contracts.Sec. 8. And be it further enacted, That this act shall not be so construed as to affect any existing contracts for carrying the mail.
Approved, May 3, 1802.