The New Hampshire gazette — Portsmouth [N.H.], 1810-09-04 00:00:00, page 1

RL o T S A Aoy, it SR S SIS,
Laws of the U, States
e et et e e S O
- [Br savrHORITTY.] |
: & AN ACT
Regulating the Pot Ofice Efablifiment.
BE IT ENACTED éy the Scnate and House
of Representatives of the United States of
America in Comgrefi assembled, That there be
eftablithed at the feat of goverament of the
.Uaited States, 2 Geacral Post .office, under
the dice@ion of 2 Polt master General The
Polt Mafttr General shall appoint two es
- B@ants, and such clerks as may be neceflary
- for performing the bufieefs of his office.
He {hall establish polt noffices 2nd appoint
Post Malters, at dll such places as gnall ap
v toshim expedient, on thé post roads
ﬁle:t a?; or miy be cftablithed by law He
-shall give his afliftants, the post malfers, ané
_ allather persons wh%c shall employ, or
“who may be employ®B in any of the
departmeats of the general post office, in-
Mftractions relative to their duty, he shall
provide for the carriage of the mail on
-all post roads that are or may be eftablith
<d by law, and 23 often as he, having regard
to the produtivenels thereof; and. other
circumstances shall think proper, he may
direct the rouge or road, where there are ,
tore then one between places -designated
by law for a post road, which route {hall be
conlidered the post road. He shall obtain
from the polt masters their accounts and
voucher for their receipts and cxpediturcs
once in three months, or oftener. with the
balances thereon arising in favor of ‘ghc gen
eral polt office He shall pay all expemces
which may arite in enndulting the polc
©office, and in the coaveysnce of the mail,
and all other necessary edpences arising on
the colleétion of the revenue and manage
ment of the general poft-office. *He shall
profccute offznces againlt the post office -
eftablithment. He shall once in three
months render to the Secretary of the Trea
sury a quarterly account of all the receipts
and expenditures in the said departmeat, to
be adjusted and fettled as other public ac
couats. .He shall also superintend the busi
ness of the department in all the dutics that
are or may be assigned to it, Provided, That
in case of dcath, resignation, or removal .
from office of the Polt Master General, all
his duties shall be performed by bis senior
afliltanc, yntil a fucceflor thall be appointed
and acrive at the General Post office to per
forpa the business. ' iy
. Sec. 2.-And be it further enafted, That
the Polt Master General, and all other per
{ons employed in the General Polt office, ot
An the care, custody or conveyanoe of tha
mail, shall, previous to emtering upon the.
dutics afligned to them, or the execution of
their trufls, and before they thall be entitled -
%o receive any emolument therefor, refpee
“tively, take and subscribe the following oath
or affirmation before some magistrate, and
cause a certificate thereof be filed in the
Geaeral Post Office; “ 1. A. B do swear
-or affirm (as the case may be) that | will
faithfully perform all the duties required of
ane, and abfain from every thing forbidden
by the lJaws in relation to' the eftablithment
of the Polt office and post roads within the
United States.” Every person who thall be
<mployed in the eare, custody, conveyance,
or managemeat of the mail, thall be fubjed
»to all pains,penalties and forferitures for vi_q
lating the injun®ions or pegle@ing the du
ites required of him by the laws relating to
the establishment ‘of the post office and
Ppoft roads, whether such person shall have
taken the oath or affirmation here preferib
ed or not, Bk R
. Sec. 3. And be it further enalled, That
it hall be lawful for the Post master gene
ral te provide by contra&, for the car.
riage of the mail on any road ‘on which
A 3 Rage waggon or other itage carriage shall
be cltablithed, on condition that the cxpence
thercof shall nor exceed the revenue thence
arising 1t fhail also be lawful for the post
master gemeral $0 entér into contrad&s for a
- termmot cxceeding eight years, for extend
ing the line of posts, and to authorife the
perioas so contracting,as a compen(ation for -
their expences, to reccive during ‘the
continvance of such contradls, at rates
‘mot -cxceeding those for- like distances
et Do des oo o oces i
tage which fha /?2‘9""-*‘;““"‘L":"fm?‘?‘?:
" magazines,pamphlets. and packets, convey
ed by aayg'ae‘h%oﬁs"; and the roads defig
~mated in such contra@s shall during the
“eontinuance thereof, be dcemed and confi -
‘dered as polt roads within the provision of
_ this a& : And a duplicate ’nfmz such
~contra@t shall within fi-ty days after the
cxccution thereof, be lodged in the office of -
““the comptrolier of the treasury of the Unit
-3 WO sl e e e
'ds&m 4. And ke it further eiaéled, < That
50 otficr than afre€ whiteperfou shall be
_employed in carrying the mail of the United
States, on any ot the polt roads, cither asa
“polt rider or driver of a carriage cartying
the mail ; and every. coatradtor or person
who shall have fipulated or may hereafter
flipulite to carry the mail, or whofc daty it
“thall be to caule the fame to be conveyed on.
“any of the post roads, aforefaid, ahd who
“shall contrary to this a cmploy any other
“than a free white perion.as a post-rider, or
- driver, or in any other way to carey the
“amail on the fame, shall for evety fach of-
Tonce fortet and pay the fam of Sty dol
kn&mtytwf 10104 Lo pLaM
* Uaited States, and the other moiety thereof
“tothe WM%WWW‘
eRS oSy Ao By ﬂf*""' ;
eRy e ootualicey at che fcveEMAITIEL
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CORTSMIUTE : FNw-Haupeniss) Diaiiokor aoiilr P OBEKe Piilbis chee . eame L T v s g
——_:_v—\::_::—-——*—w( o Aurca‘u:)“livn’biff*w BY W ;LV fgfj:f’:’i’f‘jjo THE STATE, awp Paintez or Tug LAWS or tae Uwited Stares.
newlpapers received for distribution ;' Pro
vided 2aifo, That if the humber of mails,
reccived at and dispatched from any fueh
°f,s°°', 1s mot actually incrcafi@~~,:[sy the dif
tributiog {Ytem, then no additional allow
ance (hall be made to the pofimalter.
~Sec, 6 And beit furtber Benalledy That
Wh_ﬂ“f"f'rlt shall be-made to appear to the
'f“leﬁ&mn of the postmaster general that
any road cltablifhed, or which may hereaf
ter be eltabiifhed as a post road, is obftruck.
ed by fegees, gates .or bars or other than
thOfc'la_wfully“ufcd o 0 turnpike roads to col-
JeC ticir toll, and not keep in good repair,
with proper bridges and ferries where the
fame may be necessary, it shall be the duty
of the poftmatter gencral to report the fime
to Congfcfa with such information as can
be obtained, to enable Congress to establish
some other road inflead of it in the fame
maﬁl direGtion. s Se
SBRC pv dnd be it forther emadied, That if
any person shall knowingly aad wilfully
Obstruct orretard the paflage of the mail,
or ofany driver or carricr, or of any horse
or carriage carrying the fam'e, he thall up
on convi&tion, for.every such offence, pay a
fine not cxceeding one hundred dollars : and
if any ferry man shall by wilful negligence
or refufal to transport the mail acvofs any
ferry,delay the fame, he shall forfeit and
pay for cvery ten minutes that the fame
shall be so delayed, a sum net exceeding
ten dollars, : :
»Bec,B. dnd be it further enafled, That
it {hail be the duty of the postmaster gene
ral to give public norice in one or more
of the newspapers published at the feat of
government of the United States, and in
one or more of the newlpapers publithed ia
the state or states or territory, where the
contract is to bs performed, for at leall fix
weeks before entering into any contract for
carrying the mails, that such contra& is in
tended to be made, and the day on which
it is to be concluded, deferibing the places
from and to which such mail is to be con
veyed, the time at which it is to be made up
and the day and?our at which itisto be
delivered He (hall moreover within nine-.
ty days after the making of any contrat,
lodge a duplicate thereof togethicr with The
propefal which he shall have reccived re
fpeéﬁng it, in the ‘office’ of comptrolicr of
the trealury of the Uaited States : Provid
ed,that no contra& (hail be entered into for
a longer term than four years,
. See. 9. Aud be it further' enafled, That
every post-master shall keep an office in
which oneor more ‘perfons shall attend on
every day on which a mail, or bag or other
packet or parcel of letters thall arrive by
land or witer, as well as on other days, at
such hours as the postmaster gencral (hall
direct. for the purpose of performing the
‘dutics thercof ; and it {hall be the duty of
the post-master at all reasonable hours, on
every day of the week, to deliver on de
mand any letter, paper or packet, to the
person entitled 10 or authorifed to receive
the fame ; and all letters brought to -any
post office half an hour before the time of
making up the mail at such offices thall be
forwarded therein; except at such post offic
ces where, in the opinion of the post master
geaeral it requires more time for making up
the mail, and which he shall accordingly
preferibe; but this shall in no cale exceed
one hour. : :
“Sec . 10. And be it furtler enafled, That
no fces or perquisites shall be received b
any person employed in the 'general pol{
office on account of the duties to be per
formed by virtue of his appointment
' Sgc, It. - And “be it furtber enaéted, That
the tollowing rates of postage thall be charg
ed on all fetters anc .\ ckages (cxcepting such
as are hereinafter cxemptéd) conveyed by
the posts of the United States, viz. for ev
ery letter composed of a single fhect of- pa
per, conveyed not excecding forty miles,
cight-cents ; over forty and oot exceeding
ninety miles, ted cents ;. over ninety and
not cxcceding one hundred and fifty miles,
twelve and a half cents = over one hundred
and fifty and not exceeding three bundred
miles. feventcen cents ; over three hundred
and not exceeding five hundred miles; twewe
ty ceats; over five hundred miles, twen
ty‘five cents; and for every double letter,
-orone composed of two picces of paper
double those rates ; and for every triple let
ter; or one composed of three pieces of pa
per triple those rdtes ; and for every pack
et compoled of four or niore picees of pas
per, or other thing, and weighing one dunce
avoirdupois, quadruple those rates, and in
that proportion for all gredter weight. Pro
~wided, That no packet of letters conveyed
by the water mails shall be: charged with
more than quadruple postage, unless the
fame shall acually contain more than four
diftinét letters. No post-master shall be o
::;‘Jd to receive, to' be conveyed by the
‘mail, any packet which shall weigh more
than three pounds - and the postage marked
‘on any letter or package and charged on the
poitult which mg' _accompany the fame,
Ahatl in favor of the postmaster who deliy
“of ‘the lawful postage thercon, unless faie
et Dl b cpenea i the prebace of ehe
ud pofimatier o hi cerk.
- Sec. 12. " dud be it further enofled, That
-every letter or packet bropght into.
&w&wwmfwﬁommgn
therein to another, io any private (hip
orvqﬂ'ehﬁvm&efﬁﬁg-d ith fix
cents, if delivered at the pof office
ﬁ"thmfﬁm
‘tined t 6 be conveyed by polt toany.
place, with two cents, added to the:
S e e AT
er, or other p
AT e plimaesmsiont 16
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, ißio.
'L provided by thisad for the poltageof
letters or packets : on conviftion
‘thereof he fhull fotfeit for every such
‘offence, one huandred dollars, and
~ shall be rendered incapable of holding
any office of appointment gnder the
the government of the Unitzgd States
Sec. 14. Lud be it further enafted,
That no thip or vefl:l arriving at a
ny port- within the U. Srates, wherk
a poft-office is eflablifhed, thall be per
mitted to report, make entry, or break
_buik, until the maller or commander
{hall have delivered to the poftmafier
all letters dizefled to any person or
persons within the United States, or
the territories thereof, which upder
his_care; .or within: his power; shall
be brought in such ship or veff], ex.
cept such as are direted to the owner
or consignee of the ship or vef®, and
except also such as are diredted 1o be
delivered at the port of delivery to
which such “ship or vessel may be
bound. Andit shall be the duty of
the colle&or, or other cfficer of the
pert, empowered to receive entries of
thips or veflils, to- require, from’ev
ery malter or communder of such
ship or veflel, an oath or affirmation,
purporting that he has delivered all
such letters, except as aforefaid—And
if any commander or master of any.
such ship or vessel thall break bulk be.-
fore be thall have complied with the
requirements of this a&, every such
offender shall on conviétion theredf
forfeit for every such offsnce a sum
not exceéeding one hundred dollars.
Sec. 15, And be it further enaéted,
That the poftmulters to whom such
letters may be delivered, shall pay to
the master or commander, or other
person, delivering the fame except the
commanders of foreign packets, two
cents for each letter or packet, and
shall obtain, from the person deliver
ing the fame, g certificate fpecifying
the namber of letters and packets, with
the name of the ship or veflel, and
the place from whence she last 'failed ;
which ceriificate, together with a re
ceipt for the manky, thall be wiih his
quarterly accounts transmitted to the
postmaster gensral, who shall credit
him with the amount. ..
Bec. 16. And be it further enacied,
That if any person cther than the
poltmalter genezal or ‘his deputies,
or persons by them employed, thalibe
concerned ia feiting up or maintain
ing any foot or hoile post stage, wag
gon, or other stage carriage or sleigh
on any eftablithed post road, or from
one post town to znother post town,
on any road adjacent or parrallel to
an established post road, or any pack
et, boat or other vefll to ply regular
ly from one place to another, between
which a regular communication by
witer thall be eltablithed by the
United States, and shall leceive any
Jetteror packet,other than newipapers,
magazines or patmphlets, and canry
the fame by fach' foot or horse post;
stage, waggon or other carriage, or
flzigh, packet, boat or vessel, (except
ing only such letter or lerters as may.
be direfted to the owner or owners of
fach conveyance, and relating to the
fame, or the person to whom any pack:-
&t or bundle in futh conveyance is
intended to be delivered) every person
so offeading shall forfeit for every fuch’
offence the sum of fifty dollars; Pro. -
-vided, That it shall be lawful for any.
perion to fend letters or packets by a
special meflenger, ST
- Bec. 17 4nd be it further enafled,
That the deputy postmasters and oth
er agents of the. poßmafier general
shall duly - account and answer to
‘him, for all way letters which shall
come to their hands ; and for-this pur
pose the polt riders and other carriers.
‘of the mail, receiving ‘any way lettér
or letters (and it fliall ‘be their doty
‘toreceive them, if presented more than’
two miles from a poft-office) shall de
liver the fame togecher wilh the poll
2ge,if pdtd, at the firft post offize to
which they fliall afterwards arrive,
‘where the postmaster shall duly enter
the fame and fpecify the fame and fpe
ﬁitlm pumber and rate or rates in
the post-bill, adding to the rate ofeach
&Iﬁ serfons living beyond post” offi-
SECYES T ey o
“letters as shall for that/purpofe be com.
“iolied the palifie tsements hich It
be paid over to such poltmafter on de.
I mand. And for every lecter {o deliv
ered, the mail carrier delivering the
fame shall be allowed to demand and
_ Teceive two cents to his own use belides
~the ordinary postage. And. if any
poltmaller, or otheragent of the poft
malter general shall negle& so to ac
count, he or they so offending, shall,
on conviftion thersof, forfeir for ev
ery fucli offence a sum’ not exceeding
fiity dollars : Provided, That no mail
carriers shall make fich deliveries at
any place not en the-post yoad : Pro
vided also, That the delivery of letterg
on the way, between post offices, shall
not be required of the mail carriers
in cale. where, in the opision of tke
pofimafter general,the time or manner
of carrying the mail, or speed of cor
veyance, is inconpatible with fich.
receipts and deliveries. _
Sec. 18. And bz it firther enati:
That if any person, employed in an‘
of the departments of the Genera
Polt office, thall unlawfally detain, de
lay, or cpen any letter, packet, bag;
or mail of letters, with which he shall
be entrulted, or which shall have come
to his poffeflion, and which are intend
ed to be covveyed by post, or if any
such person fh:ll secret, embezile, or
Celtroy any letter or packet, entrusted
.to him as aforefaid, and which shall
not contain any security for, or afle
' rance relating te money, as hereinaf
ter described, every such cffender, be
ing- thereof duly convifled shall for
every such offence be fined, not exceed
ing three,hundred dollars, or impris
oned not exceeding fix months, or both
according to the circumstances and
aggravations of the cffence. And if
any person employed as aforefaid, shall
Aectet, embezzle or defkroy any letter,
packet,bag, mail of letters, with which
he shall be entrusted, or which fhail
havecome tohispofleflion,& areintend
ed to be conveyed by post, containing
any bank note or bank poft-biil, b#l of
-exchange, warrant of the Trealury of
the United States, note of zflignment;
ot Rtock in the funds,letter of attorney
for receiving anmuities or dividends,or
for felling stock io the funds,or for re
ceiving the intereftthereof,or anylefter
of credit,or note for or relating to pay
ment of monies,or any bondor warrant,
draft ,bill,or promissory note,covenant,
contraét or agreement whatsoever, for
or relating to the payment of money,
or the delivery of any article of value;-
or the performarncecf any aé, matter
or thing, or any receipt, releafe,acquit
ance,m difchargeof or from any debt,
covenant, or demand, or any part
thereof, or any copy of any record
of any judgment, or decree, in any
court of law or chiancery, or any ex
ecution which may have iffaed there
on, of any copy of any other record,
or any other article of valde, or any.
wtiting representing the fame ; or if
any f{uch person, employed as
aforefaid, shall steal or take any of the
fame out of fetter, packet, bag, or
mail of letters, that thall come to his
pofleflion he shall, oa convi&tion for:
-any such offence be imprisoned not ex
ceeding ten years. And if any, who
shall-have taken chadrge of the ‘mail
of the United States, fball quit
or desert the fame; before he delivers
itinto the post office kept at the ter
-minatior of his route,or to some knowp
mail carrier, or ageft of the general
polt office authorifed to receive the
fame, every such person so offending,
shall forfeit and pay 2 sum not exceed
-ing five hundred dollars for every
such offence. And if any person,
toncerned in carrying the. mail of the
United States shall colle®, receive, or
carry any letter or packet,or fhallcaufe
‘or procure the fame to be done, con
trary to this a&, every such offender
“shall forfeit and pay, for every such
~offence a sum not exceeding - fifty dol
oy st, Ig. And be it furthet enadléd,
~That if any peifon shall rob the car
vier of thamﬂtfthcﬂ!:w Sv;te;
~or other person entrusted therewith o
fich mal, o of part héreof, ach of
beimptifoned noe gxeeding lens,
_and if convifted a second. mﬁn
like offence, he or they shall fuffer
~death ¢or if in effecting such robbery
mmmmtmwﬁm
“fhal mnditmmhfﬂsw
- thereof, or pit bislife in jeopardy, by
mﬂ‘wﬁma
eLtop e mﬁ{;ﬁfﬁ
B S LSRRI R TR i
{ TWO DOLLS. PEz ANNUM |
.. SeC. 21. And be it further enatied,
That every person who from and af
ter the paflage of this a& shall procure,
aid, advise, or aflit in the doing or
perpetration of any of the alls or
crimes by this a& forbidden to be done
or performed, fhall' be fubje& to the
fame pepalties and punishments as the
persons are {ubje& to who shall a&tual
ly do or perpetrate any of the said ads
or crimes according to thé provision
of this a&. St '
. Sec. 22. And be it further enafted,
That_every person who shall be im
prisoned by a judgment of court un
der and by virtoe of the cighteenth,
nineteenth, twentieth or twenty firlk
fe%tions of this aé&, shall be kept at
hard lgbor-during the period of such
-imprisonment. ; it
. Sec. 23. And be it iﬂitber enalled,
That the postmasters shall, refpe&tive-
Iy publish at, the expiration of every
three months, or oftener, when the
polt master general shall so dirett, in
one of the newspapers published at or
nearelt the place of his residence for
three fucceflive weeks, a lift of all the
letters remaining in their refpedtive
offices, or, ialtead theteofy shall make
out a number of {uchlif§s, and cause
them to be polted at such public pla
ces in their vicinity, as thall appear to
them best adapted for thie information
-of the partics concerned ; and at the
expiration of the nett thréé ‘months,
shall ferid such of the said letters, as
then remain on hand, as dead letters,
‘lo the general pofk office; where the
{fame thall be opened and infpedied 5
~and if any valuable papers or matters
“of consequence {hall be found therein
it fhiall be the duty of the post maftet
general to teturg such detter to the
" canvenient o the supposed residence
AR Fin Tl b
GLR B NsLR e
or mule, or threatening him with dan.
gerous weapons, -antd the robbery is
not effected, every such cffender. on
conviction therecf, shall be punithed
by imprisonment pot excee ‘ing three
years. And if any person thall steal
the mail, or shall tieal or take from
or out ¢f ~ny mail, or from or out of
any post office. any letter or packet,
cr it any person thall I:ke the mail,
or any letter or packet therefrom or
from any polt cffice, whether with or
without the consent of the perf A hav.
ing cuflody thereof, and fhail ‘open,
embezzle, or destroy asy such muil,
letter or packet, the fame containing
any article of value, or evidenee of
any debt,due, demand, right or claim,
or any release, receipt, acquittance or
discharge, or any other article, paper
or thing meftioned .or delcribed in
the eighteenth {zétion of this a&, or if
any person fhali.by fiaud or deseption,
obsain from any person having cufto.
dy thereof, any muail, letter or packet *
containing any article of value, or ev
idence thereof,or either of the writihgs
referred to, or next above mentioned,
such offender or offenders, on convic
tion thereof, shall be imprisoned nor
exceeding seven years. And if any
person thall take any letter or packet,
not containing any article-of value or
evidence thereof, out of a post: cffice, -
or shall open any letter or packet
which shall bave been in' a post cffice,
or in the cultody of a mail caﬂicr‘,:bg.-’
fore it shall have been delivered tothe |
person to whom it is dire&ted, with a
design to obfrud@ the correspondence,
to pry into another’s business or se
crets; of shall secrete, embezzle or des
troy any such mail, letter or packet,
such offender, upon convi&ion, shall
pay for every such offence a sum not
exceeding five hundred dollats. ,
Sec. 20. And be it further erialled,
That if any person shall rip, cut, tear;
burn, -or otherwise injure any porte
mautau, valise or other bag, used or
designed to be used by any person aé
ing under the. authority of the polk
master general,or any person in whom
his powers ite velted in the convey
ance of any mail, letter, packet, news
paper or pamphilet; or shall diaw or
break any Raple or loosen any part of
any lock, chain or @rep artached or
belonging to any such valise, ports
mantau or bag, with an intent to rob
or steal any imail, letter, packet, news
paper or pamphlet, or (0 lender eith
er of the fame insecure, every such of-'
fesder, npon convi@ion shall for every
such offence pay a sum not exceeding
five hundred dollars; or be imptifon
ed not exceeding three fgats",‘ at the
discretion of the court before whom
such convi&ion is laid. :