# United States Statutes at Large/Volume 5/28th Congress/2nd Session/Chapter 69

Chap. LXIX.—An Act to provide for the transportation of the mail between the United States and foreign countries, and for other purposes.
1848, ch. 79. Postmaster General to make contracts.Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Postmaster General of the United States be, and he is hereby authorized, under the restrictions and provisions of the existing laws, to contract for the ​transportation of the United States’ mail between any of the ports of the United States and a port or ports of any foreign power, whenever, in his opinion, the public interest will thereby be promoted;To report the same to Congress. Time for which may be made. and it shall be his duty to report to the next ensuing Congress a copy of each of said contracts, with a statement of the amount of postage derived under the same, as far as the returns of the department will enable him to do. And such contracts may be made, if it shall appear to the Postmaster General to be required by the public interest, for any greater period than four years, and not exceeding ten years.
Contracts to be made with American citizens, &c. May be discontinued by joint resolutions of Congress.Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That all such contracts shall be made with citizens of the United States, and the mail to be transported in American vessels, by American citizens. Each contract entered into under the provisions of this act, besides the usual stipulations for the right of the Postmaster General to discontinue the same, shall contain the further stipulation that it may, at any time, be terminated by a joint resolution of the two houses of Congress.
Rates of postage.Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That the rates of postage to be charged and collected from all letters, packages, newspapers, and pamphlets, or other printed matter, between the ports of the United States and the ports of foreign governments enumerated herein, transported in the United States mail under the provisions of this act, shall be as follows:Between the U. S. and England or France. Upon all letters and packets not exceeding one-half ounce in weight, between any of the ports of the United States and the ports of England or France, or any other foreign port not less than three thousand miles distant, twenty-four cents, with the inland postage of the United States added, when sent through the United States mail to or from the post office at a port of the United States; upon letters and packets over one-half an ounce in weight, and not exceeding one ounce, forty-eight cents; and for every additional half ounce or fraction of an ounce, fifteen cents;Between the U. S. and the West India island and Gulf of Mexico. upon all letters and packets not exceeding one-half ounce, sent through the United States mail between the ports of the United States and any of the West India islands, or islands in the gulf of Mexico, ten cents; and twenty cents upon letters and packets not exceeding one ounce; and five cents for every additional half ounce or fraction of an ounce; upon each newspaper, pamphlet and price current, sent in the mail between the United States and any of the ports and places above enumerated, three cents, with inland United States postage added when the same is transported to or from said port of the United States in the United States mail.
Persons not allowed to carry letters, &c. in vessels employed to transport the mail. Penalty.Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That it shall not be lawful for any person to carry or transport any letter, packet, newspaper, or printed circular or price current, (except newspapers in use, and not intended for circulation in the country to which such vessel may be bound,) on board the vessels that may hereafter transport the United States mail, as provided for in this act; and for every violation of this provision, a penalty of five hundred dollars is hereby imposed, to be recovered by presentment, by information, or qui tam action―one half for the use of the informer, and the other half for the use of the Post Office Department.
Penalty for counterfeiting the post office stamp.Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, That if any person or persons shall forge or counterfeit, or shall utter or use knowingly, any counterfeit stamp of the Post Office Department of the United States issued by authority of this act, or by any other act of Congress, within the United States, or the post office stamp of any foreign Government, he shall be adjudged guilty of felony, and, on conviction thereof in any court having jurisdiction of the same, shall undergo a confinement at hard labor for any length of time not less than two years, nor more than ten, at the discretion of the court.
Sec. 6. And be it further enacted, That the Postmaster General, or ​Consuls in foreign countries to pay postage on letters for the U. S. To be collected in U. S. and repaid to said consuls.the Secretary of State be, and he is hereby, authorized to empower the consuls of the United States to pay the foreign postage of such letters, destined for the United States, as may be detained at the ports of foreign countries for the non-payment of postage; which postage shall be by the consul marked as paid by him, and the amount thereof shall be collected in the United States, as other postage, on the delivery of the letters, and repaid to said consul, or credited on his account at the State Department.
Preference to be given to steam-ships in making contracts. Steamships to be delivered on demand to the United States. The owners to receive full value thereof. Value, how to be ascertained.Sec. 7. And be it further enacted, That the Postmaster General shall, in all cases of offers to contract for carrying the mail between any of the ports of the United States and any foreign port or place, give the preference to such bidder for the contract as shall propose to carry the mail in a steam ship or ships, and the said contractor stipulating to deliver said ship or ships to the United States, or to their proper officer, upon demand made, for the purpose of being converted into a vessel or vessels of war; the United States being bound, on their part, to pay to said owner or owners the fair full value of every such ship or vessel at the time of such delivery; said value to be ascertained by four appraisers to be appointed two by the President of the United States, and two by the owner or owners; and in case of disagreement among said appraisers, the President of the United States to select and appoint an umpire, who shall fix the value.
Transportation of the mail in the Gulf of Mexico, in steamers.Sec. 8. And be it further enacted, That the Postmaster General may, if he shall deem it to be for the public interest, make contracts to continue not exceeding ten years, for the transportation of the mail from place to place in the United States in steamboats by sea and on the Gulf of Mexico and on the Mississippi river from the mouth thereof up to the city of New Orleans, on the conditions specified in the last preceding section of this act.
Approved, March 3, 1845.