Published letter from the Postmaster General
Collection: National Postal Museum
Object type: Archival Material
Date: January 8, 1799
Writer: Joseph Habersham, American, 1751 - 1815
Place: United States of America
Medium: paper; ink
Dimensions: Height x Width (8 volumes, 48 pages): 8 3/4 × 5 1/4 in. (22.23 × 13.34 cm)
Topics: Postal Administration
Early Nation's Period (1776-1800)
Description: Printing of "Letter from Postmaster General [Joseph Habersham] accompaning draughts of two bills with explanitory remarks relative to the post office and post roads within the United States."
['LETTER FROM THE Post-Master-General, ACCOMPANYING DRAUGHTS OF TWO BILLS, WITH EXPLANATORY REMARKS, RELATIVE TO THE POST-OFFICE AND POST ROADS WITHIN THE UNITED STATES,\nPURSUANT TO A RESOLUTION OF THIS HOUSE OF THE FOURTEENTH OF JUNE, 1798;—\nALSO, HIS REPORT ON THE PETITION OF EZEKIEL WILLIAMS, REFERRED TO HIM BY ORDER OF THE HOUSE, ON THE SAME DAY.\n8th January, 1799,\nReferred to the committee appointed on the 24th ultimo, to enquire whether any, and what amendments are necessary to be made in the act, intitled “An act to establish the post-office and post-roads within the United States.”\n[ Published by order of the House of Representatives. ]'
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 'LETTER.\nGENERAL POST-OFFICE, Philadelphia, January 8th, 1799.\nThe Honorable the Speaker of the House of Representatives,\nS I R,\nIN compliance with the resolution of the House of Representatives of the 14th of June last, I have the honor to lay before them—\nFirst—The draught of an act for establishing the post-office, with a report, explanatory of the alteration of the former acts upon that subject, and of the amendments now offered, with a view of rendering the system more complete.\nSecondly—The draught of an act relative to the post-roads, in which the establishment of several new post-roads, and the alteration and discontinuance of others, is proposed, with remarks on a number of petitions, and a relation of the motives for the establishment of the new roads, and the discontinuance or alteration of others.\nAnd lastly.—A report on the petition of Ezekiel Williams.\nThe regulations relative to the general-post office, and the establishment of post-roads, have hitherto been comprehended in one act, but no advantage is derived from the connection of them—the latter is subject to frequent encrease and alteration, is very lengthy, and is of no use to any part of the department, other than the general-post-office, while the former affects every person employ-'
 'ed in it, and ought to be furnished them as little encumbered as possible—On that account I have deemed it most useful to present the business to Congress in separate acts.\nI have the honor to be, with great respect,\nSIR,\nyour obedient servant,\nJOSEPH HABERSHAM, Post-Master-General.\nThe Honorable Jonathan Dayton, Esquire.'
 'An ACT to establish the Post-Office of the United States.\n1 SEC. 1. B E it enacted by the Senate and House 2 of Representatives of the United States of America, in 3 Congress Assembled, That there be established at the 4 seat of government of the United States, a general 5 post-office, under the direction of a Post-Master Ge- 6 neral. The Post-Master-General shall appoint an 7 assistant, a solicitor, a first clerk, a book-keeper, and 8 such other clerks as may be necessary for performing 9 the business of his office: He shall establish post-offices, 10 and appoint post-masters, at all such places as shall 11 appear to him expedient, on the post-roads that are 12 or may be established by law—He shall give his as- 13 sistant, the post masters, and all other persons whom 14 he shall employ, or who may be employed in any of 15 the departments of the General-Post Office, instruc- 16 tions relative to their duty—He shall provide for the 17 carriage of the mail on all post-roads that are or may 18 be established by law, and as often as he, having re- 19 gard to the productiveness thereof, and other circum- 20 stances, shall think proper—He may direct the route 21 or road where there are more than one between places 22 designated by law for a post-road, which route shall 23 be considered the post-road—He shall obtain from 24 the post-masters their accounts and vouchers for their 25 receipts and expenditures once in three months, or 26 oftener, with the balances thereon arising in favour 27 of the general-post-office—He shall pay all expenses 28 which may arise in conducting the post office, and in 29 the conveyance of the mail, and all other necessary 30 expenses arising on the collection of the revenue, and 31 management of the general-post-office—He shall pro- 32 secute offences against the post-office establishment— 33 He shall once in three months render to the Secretary'
 '34 of the Treasury a quarterly account of all the receipts 35 and expenditures in the said department, to be ad- 36 justed and settled as other public accounts—He shall 37 also superintend the business of the department in all 38 the duties that are or may be assigned to it. Provided , 39 that in case of the death, resignation, or removal from 40 office of the Post-Master-General, all his duties shall 41 be performed by his assistant, until a successor shall be 42 appointed and arrive at the general-post-office to per- 43 form the business.\n1 SEC. 2. And be it further enacted , That the Post- 2 Master-General, and all other persons employed in 3 the general-post-office, or in the care, custody or 4 conveyance of the mail, shall, previous to entering 5 upon the duties assigned to them, or the execution of 6 their trusts, and before they shall be entitled to re- 7 ceive any emolument therefor, respectively take and 8 subscribe the following oath or affirmation, before 9 some magistrate, and cause a certificate thereof to be 10 filed in the general-post-office, “I, A. B. do swear 11 “ (or affirm, as the case may be) that I will faithfully 12 “ perform all the duties required of me, and abstain 13 “ from every thing forbidden by the laws in relation 14 “ to the establishment of the post-office and post-roads 15 “ within the United States.” Every person who 16 shall be in any manner employed in the care, custo- 17 dy, conveyance or management of the mail, shall be 18 subject to all pains, penalties and forfeitures for vio- 19 lating the injunctions, or neglecting the duties requi- 20 ed of him by the laws relating to the establishment of 21 the post-office and post-roads, whether such person 22 shall have taken the oath or affirmation above pre- 23 scribed or not.\n1 SEC. 3. And be it futher enacted , That if any per- 2 son shall obstruct or retard the passage of the mail, 3 or of any driver or carrier, or of any horse or carriage 4 carrying the same, he shall, upon conviction, for eve- 5 ry such offence, pay a fine not exceeding one hun- 6 dred dollars: And if any ferryman shall, by wilful'
 '7 negligence or refusal to transport the mail across any 8 ferry, delay the same, he shall forfeit and pay for 9 each half hour that the same shall be so delayed, a 10 sum not exceeding ten dollars.\n1 SEC. 4. And be it further enacted , That it shall be 2 the duty of the Post-Master-General to give public 3 notice, in one or more of the newspapers published 4 at the seat of government of the United States, and in 5 one or more of the newspapers published in the state 6 or states where the contract is to be performed, for at 7 least six weeks before entering into any contract for 8 carrying the mail, that such contract is intended to be 9 made, and the day on which it is to be concluded, 10 describing the places from and to which such mail is 11 to be conveyed, the time at which it is to be made up, 12 and the day and hour at which it is to be delivered: 13 He shall, moreover, within ninety days after the mak- 14 ing of any contract, lodge a duplicate thereof, toge- 15 ther with the proposals which he shall have received 16 respecting it, in the office of the Comptroller of the 17 Treasury of the United States— Provided , That no 18 contract shall be entered into for a longer term than 19 four years.\n1 SEC. 5. And be it further enacted , That every post- 2 master shall keep an office, in which one or more 3 persons shall attend at such hours as the Post-Master- 4 General shall direct, for the purpose of performing 5 the duties thereof, and all letters brought to any post- 6 office half an hour before the time of making up the 7 mail at such office, shall be forwarded therein; ex- 8 cept at such post-offices, where, in the opinion of the 9 Post Master-General, it requires more time for mak- 10 ing up the mail, and which he shall accordingly pre- 11 scribe, but this shall in no case exceed one hour.\n1 SEC. 6. And be it further enacted , That the Post- 2 Master-General shall be allowed for his services at the 3 rate of two thousand four hundred dollars a year; the 4 assistant post-master-general, at the rate of one thou- 5 sand six hundred dollars a year; the solicitor at the'
 '6 rate of one thousand two hundred dollars a year ; 7 the first clerk at the rate of eight hundred dollars a 8 year ; the book-keeper at the rate of eight hundred 9 dollars a year ; and the other clerks such sum as the 10 Post-Master-General shall think fit, which, on the 11 average, shall not exceed five hundred dollars a year 12 to each, to be paid quarterly out of the revenues of 13 the post-office ; and no fees or perquisites shall be re- 14 ceived by any person employed in the general-post- 15 office on account of the duties to be performed by vir- 16 tue of his appointment.\n1 SEC. 7. And be it further enacted , That the fol- 2 lowing rates of postage shall be charged on all letters 3 and packets (excepting such as herein after exempt- 4 ed) conveyed by the posts of the United States, viz. 5 For every letter composed of a single sheet of paper, 6 conveyed not exceeding forty miles, eight cents.\n7 Over forty, and not exceeding ninety miles, ten 8 cents.\n9 Over ninety, and not exceeding two hundred and 10 fifty miles, twelve and an half cents.\n11 Over two hundred and fifty, and not exceeding 12 four hundred and fifty, seventeen cents.\n13 Over four hundred and fifty, and not exceeding 14 six hundred and fifty, twenty cents.\n15 Over six hundred and fifty miles, twenty-five cents.\n16 And for every double letter, or one composed of 17 two pieces of paper, double those rates ; and for every 18 triple letter, or one composed of three pieces of paper, 19 triple those rates ; and for every packet composed of 20 four or more pieces of paper, or other thing, and 21 weighing one ounce avoirdupois, quadruple those 22 rates, and in that proportion for all greater weight : 23 Provided , that no packet of letters conveyed by the 24 water mails shall be charged with more than quadruple 25 postage, unless the same shall actually contain 26 more than four distinct letters. No post-master shall 27 be obliged to receive, to be conveyed by the mail, any 28 packet which shall weigh more than three pounds.'
 '1 SEC. 8. And be it further enacted , That every let- 2 ter or packet brought into the United States, or car- 3 ried from one port therein to another, in any private 4 ship or vessel, shall be charged with six cents, if de- 5 livered at the post-office where the same shall arrive, 6 and if destined to be conveyed by post to any other 7 place, with two cents added to the ordinary rates of 8 postage.\n1 SEC. 9. And be it further enacted , That if any 2 post-master, or other person authorized by the Post- 3 Master-General to receive the postages of letters, shall 4 fraudulently demand or receive any rate of postage, 5 or gratuity, or reward, other than is provided by this 6 act, for the postage of letters or packets, on conviction 7 thereof, he shall forfeit, for every such offence, one 8 hundred dollars, and shall be rendered incapable of 9 holding any office or appointment under the United 10 States.\n1 SEC. 10. And be it further enacted , That no ship 2 or vessel arriving at any port within the United States, 3 where a post-office is established, shall be permitted 4 to report, make entry, or break bulk, until the mas- 5 ter or commander shall have delivered to the post mas- 6 ter, all letters directed to any person or persons within 7 the United States, which under his care, or within 8 his power, shall be brought in such ship or vessel, ex- 9 cept such as are directed to the owner or consignee of 10 the ship or vessel, and except also such as are directed 11 to be delivered at the port of delivery, to which such 12 ship or vessel may be bound. And it shall be the 13 duty of the collector, or other officer of the port em- 14 powered to receive entries of ships or vessels, to re- 15 quire from every master or commander of such ship 16 or vessel, an oath or affirmation, purporting that he 17 has delivered all such letters except as aforesaid.\n1 SEC. 11. And be it further enacted , That the post- 2 masters to whom such letters may be delivered, shall 3 pay to the master, commander, or other person de-'
 '4 livering the same, except the commanders of foreign 5 packets, two cents for each letter or packet, and shall 6 obtain from the person delivering the same, a certifi- 7 cate specifying the number of letters and packets, with 8 the name of the ship or vessel, and the place from 9 whence she last sailed; which certificate, together 10 with a receipt for the money, shall be with his quarter- 11 ly accounts, transmitted to the Post-Master-General, 12 who shall credit him with the amount.\n1 SEC. 12. And be it further enacted , That if any per- 2 son, other than the Post-Master General, or his depu- 3 ties, or persons by them employed, shall be concerned 4 in setting up or maintaining any foot or horse post, 5 stage waggon, or other stage carriage, on any establish- 6 ed post-road, or from one post-town to another post- 7 town on any road adjacent or parrallel to an establish- 8 ed post-road, or any packet boat or other vessel, to ply 9 regularly from one place to another between which 10 a regular communication by water shall be established 11 by the United States, and shall receive any letter or 12 packet, other than newspapers, magazines, or pamph- 13 lets, and carry the same by such foot or horse post, 14 stage waggon, or other stage carriage, packet boat, or 15 vessel, (excepting only such letter or letters, as may 16 be directed to the owner or owners of such convey- 17 ance, and relating to the same, or to the person to 18 whom any package or bundle in such conveyance is 19 intended to be delivered) every person so offending, 20 shall forfeit, for every such offence, the sum of fifty 21 dollars: Provided , that it shall be lawful for any per- 22 son to send letters or packets by a special messenger.\n1 SEC. 13. And be it further enacted , That the depu- 2 ty post-masters, and other agents of the Post-Master- 3 General, shall duly account and answer to him, for 4 all way letters which shall come to their hands; and 5 for this purpose, the post riders, and other carriers of 6 the mail, receiving any way letter or letters, (and it 7 shall be their duty to receive them, if presented more 8 than two miles from a post-office) shall deliver the'
 '9 same, together with the postage, if paid, at the first 10 post office to which they shall afterwards arrive, where 11 the post-master shall duly enter the same, and specify 12 the number, and rate or rates in the post-bill, adding 13 to the rate of each way letter, one cent, which shall 14 be paid by the post master to the mail-carrier from 15 whom such way letter shall be received. And that 16 letters directed to persons living between post-offices 17 may be delivered, and the postage thereof duly col- 18 lected, it shall be the duty of the carriers of the mail 19 to take charge of, and deliver all such letters as shall, 20 for that purpose, be committed to them, by any post- 21 master, and collect the postage thereof, which shall 22 be paid over to such post-master on demand. And 23 for every letter so delivered, the mail carrier deliver- 24 ing the same, shall be allowed to demand and receive 25 two cents, to his own use. besides the ordinary post- 26 age. And if any post-master, or other agent of the 27 Post Master-General, shall neglect so to account, he 28 or they so offending, shall, on conviction thereof, 29 forfeit, for every such offence, a sum not exceeding 30 fifty dollars: Provided , that no mail carriers shall 31 make such deliveries at any place not on the post road: 32 Provided also , that the receipt and delivery of letters 33 on the way, between post-offices, shall not be requir- 34 ed of the mail carriers in cases where, in the opinion 35 of the Post Master-General, the time or manner of 36 carrying the mail, or the speed of conveyance, is in- 37 compatible with such receipts and deliveries.\n1 SEC. 14. And be it further enacted , That if any 2 person employed in any of the departments of the 3 general-post-office, shall unlawfully detain, delay or 4 open any letter, packet, bag or mail of letters, with 5 which he shall be entrusted, or which shall have come 6 to his possession, and which are intended to be con- 7 veyed by post, or if any such person shall secrete, 8 embezzle or destroy any letter or packet entrusted to 9 him as aforesaid, and which shall not contain any se- 10 curity for, or assurance relating to money, as herein-'
 '11 after described, every such offender, being thereof 12 duly convicted, shall, for every such offence, be fined, 13 not exceeding three hundred dollars, or imprisoned, 14 not exceeding six months, or both, according to the 15 circumstances and aggravations of the offence. And 16 if any person employed as aforesaid, shall secrete, 17 embezzle or destroy any letter, packet, bag or mail 18 of letters, with which he shall be entrusted, or which 19 shall have come to his possession, and are intended to 20 be conveyed by post, containing any bank note, or 21 bank post-bill, bill of exchange, warrant of the Treas- 22 ury of the United States, note of assignment of stock 23 in the funds, letters of attorney for receiving annui- 24 ties or dividends, or for selling stock in the funds, or 25 for receiving the interest thereof, or any letter of cre- 26 dit, or note for, or relating to the payment of money, 27 or any bond or warrant, draft, bill or promissary note 28 whatsoever, for the payment of money ; or if any 29 such person, employed as aforesaid, shall steal or take 30 any of the same out of any letter, packet, bag or mail 31 of letters, that shall come to his possession, he shall, 32 on conviction for any such offence, be publicly whip- 33 ped, not exceeding forty stripes, and be imprisoned 34 not exceeding ten years. And if any person, who 35 shall have taken charge of the mail of the United 36 States, shall quit or desert the same, before his arri- 37 val at the next post-office, every such person so offend- 38 ing, shall forfeit and pay a sum not exceeding five 39 hundred dollars for every such offence. And if any 40 person, concerned in carrying the mail of the United 41 States, shall collect, receive or carry any letter or 42 packet, or shall cause or procure the same to be done, 43 contrary to this act, every such offender shall forfeit 44 and pay, for every such offence, a sum not exceeding 45 fifty dollars.\n1 SEC. 15. And be it further enacted , That if any 2 person shall rob any carrier of the mail of the United 3 States, or other person entrusted therewith, of such 4 mail, or of part thereof, such offender or offenders'
 '5 shall, on conviction, be publicly whipped, not ex- 6 ceeding forty lashes, and be imprisoned not exceed- 7 ing ten years; and if convicted a second time of a like 8 offence, he or they shall suffer death: Or if in effect- 9 ing such robbery of the mail the first time, the offend- 10 er shall much wound the person having custody there- 11 of, or put his life in jeopardy by the use of dangerous 12 weapons, such offender or offenders shall suffer death. 13 And if any person shall attempt to rob the mail of the 14 United States, by falling upon the person having 15 custody thereof, shooting at him or his horses, or 16 threatening him with dangerous weapons, and the 17 robbery is not effected, every such offender, on con- 18 viction thereof, shall be punished by whipping, not 19 exceeding thirty lashes, or with imprisonment, not 20 exceeding two years, or with both, according to the 21 discretion of the court before whom such conviction 22 is had. And if any person shall steal the mail, or shall 23 steal or take from or out of any mail, or from or out 24 of any post-office, any letter or packet, or if any per- 25 son shall take the mail, or any letter or packet there- 26 from, or from any post-office, whether with or with- 27 out the consent of the person having custody thereof, 28 and shall open, embezzle, or destroy any such mail 29 letter or packet, the same containing any article of 30 value, or evidence of any debt, due, demand, right or 31 claim, or if any person shall, by fraud or deception, 32 obtain from any person having custody thereof, any 33 mail letter or packet, containing any article of value, 34 or evidence thereof, such offender or offenders, on 35 conviction thereof, shall be whipped, not exceeding 36 thirty lashes, or imprisoned, at hard labour, not ex- 37 ceeding two years, or both, at the discretion of the 38 court before whom such conviction is had. And if 39 any person shall take any letter or packet, not contain- 40 ing any article of value or evidence thereof out of a 41 post-office, or shall open any letter or packet which 42 shall have been in a post-office, or in the custody of a 43 mail carrier, before it shall have been delivered to the'
 "44 person to whom it is directed, with design to obstruct 45 the correspondence, to pry into another's business or 46 secrets, or shall secrete, embezzle or destroy any such 47 mail letter or packet, such offender, upon conviction, 48 shall pay for every such offence a sum not exceeding 49 one hundred dollars.\n1 SEC. 16. And be it further enacted , That the post- 2 master shall, respectively, publish at the expiration of 3 every three months, or oftener, when the Post Master- 4 General shall so direct, in one of the newspapers 5 published at or nearest the place of his residence, for 6 three successive weeks, a list of all the letters remain- 7 ing in their respective offices, or instead thereof, shall 8 make out a number of such lists, and cause them to be 9 posted at such public places in their vicinity, as shall 10 appear to them best adopted for the information of the 11 parties concerned; and at the expiration of the next 12 three months, shall send such of the said letters, as 13 then remain on hand, as dead letters, to the general- 14 post-office, where the same shall be opened and in- 15 spected; and if any valuable papers or matter of con- 16 sequence shall be found therein, it shall be the duty 17 of the Post Master-General to return such letter to the 18 writer thereof, or cause a descriptive list thereof to be 19 inserted in one of the newspapers published at the 20 place most convenient to the supposed residence of the 21 owner, if within the United States; and such letter, 22 and the contents, shall be preserved, to be delivered 23 to the person to whom the same shall be addressed, 24 upon payment of the postage, and the expense of 25 publication. And if such letter, with its contents, 26 be not demanded by the person to whom it is address- 27 ed, or the owner thereof, or his lawful agent, within 28 two years after the advertisement thereof as aforesaid, 29 the said contents shall be applied to the use of the U- 30 nited States, until the same shall be reclaimed by the 31 proprietor thereof. The manner of such application 32 to be specially stated by the Post Master-General to 33 the Secretary of the Treasury."
 '1 SEC. 17. And be it further enacted , That letters 2 and packets to and from the following officers of the 3 United States, shall be received and conveyed by post, 4 free of postage. The President of the United States, 5 Vice-President of the United States, Members of the 6 Senate and of the House of Representatives, the Se- 7 cretary of the Senate, and Clerk of the House of Re- 8 presentatives, when their letters or packets shall not 9 exceed two ounces in weight, and during their actual 10 attendance in any session of Congress, and twenty days 11 after such session. The Secretary of the Treasury, 12 Comptroller, Auditor, Register, Treasurer, Com- 13 missioner of the Revenue, Supervisors of the Reve- 14 nue, Inspector of the Revenue, Commissioner for di- 15 rect taxes, Purveyor; the Secretary of State, the 16 Secretary of War, Accomptant of the War-Office, 17 the Secretary of the Navy, Accomptant of the Navy- 18 office, the Post-Master-General, Assistant Post-Ma- 19 ster-General, Solicitor, and each Post-Master, when 20 his letters shall not exceed half an ounce in weight, 21 and they may also receive their newspapers free of 22 postage— Provided , that no letter or packet from any 23 public officer shall be conveyed by post free of post- 24 age, unless he shall frank the same by writing his 25 name and office on the outside of such letter or packet, 26 and until he has previously furnished the post-mas- 27 ter of the office where he shall deposit the same, with 28 a specimen of his signature. Provided also , that all 29 letters and packages to and from George Washing- 30 ton, late President of the United States, shall conti- 31 nue to be received and conveyed by post, free of post- 32 age.\n1 SEC. 18. And be it further enacted , That if any 2 person shall frank letters other than those written by 3 himself, or by his order, on the business of his office, 4 he shall, on conviction thereof, pay a fine of ten dol- 5 lars: Provided , that the Secretary of the Treasury, 6 Secretary of State, Secretary of War, Secretary of the 7 Navy, and Post-Master-General may frank letters or'
 "8 packets on official business prepared in any other 9 public office in the absence of the principal thereof. 10 And if any person having the right to receive his let- 11 ters free of postage, shall receive enclosed to him any 12 letter or packet addressed to a person not having that 13 right, it shall be his duty to return the same to the 14 post-office, marking thereon the place from whence 15 it came, that it may be charged with postage. And 16 if any person shall counterfeit the hand writing or 17 frank of any other person, or cause the same to be 18 done, in order to evade the payment of postage, each 19 person so offending, shall pay for every such offence 20 fifty dollars.\n1 SEC. 19. And be it further enacted , That every 2 printer of newspapers may send one paper to each and 3 every other printer of newspapers within the United 4 States, free of postage, under such regulations as the 5 Post-Master-General shall provide.\n1 SEC. 20. And be it further enacted , That all news- 2 papers conveyed in the mail shall be under cover, 3 open at one end, and charged with a postage of one 4 cent each for any distance not more than one hundred 5 miles, and one and an half cents for any greater dis- 6 tance: Provided , that the postage of a single newspa- 7 per from any one place to another in the same state, 8 shall not exceed one cent; and that the Post-Master- 9 General may make such regulations as to require those 10 who receive newspapers by post, to pay always the 11 amount of one quarter's postage in advance.\n12 If any person employed in any department of the 13 post-office shall improperly detain, delay, embezzle 14 or destroy any newspaper, or shall permit any other 15 person to do the like, or shall open or permit any 16 other to open any mail or packet of newspapers not 17 directed to the office where he is employed, he shall, 18 on conviction thereof, forfeit a sum not exceeding fif- 19 ty dollars for every such offence. And if any other 20 person shall open any mail or packet of newspapers, 21 or shall embezzle or destroy the same, not being di-"
 '22 rected to himself, or not being authorised to receive 23 and open the same, he shall, on conviction thereof, 24 pay a sum not exceeding twenty dollars for every such 25 offence. And if any person shall take or steal any 26 packet, bag or mail of newspapers from or out of any 27 post-office, or from any person having custody there- 28 of, such person shall, on conviction, be imprisoned, 29 not exceeding three months for every such offence.\n30 If any person shall enclose or conceal a letter or other 31 thing, or any memorandum in writing in a newspa- 32 per, or among any package of newspapers which he 33 shall have delivered into any post-office, or to any 34 person for that purpose, in order that the same may be 35 carried by post, free of letter postage, he shall forfeit 36 the sum of five dollars for every such offence : and 37 the letter, newspaper package, memorandum, or 38 other thing, shall not be delivered to the person to 39 whom it is directed until the amount of single letter 40 postage is paid for each article of which the package 41 shall be composed.\n42 No newspapers shall be received by the post-masters 43 to be conveyed by post unless they are sufficiently 44 dried and enclosed in proper wrappers, on which, 45 beside the direction, shall be noted the number of pa- 46 pers which are enclosed for subscribers, and the num- 47 ber for printers.\n48 The Post-Master-General in any contract he may 49 enter into for the conveyance of the mail, may au- 50 thorise the person with whom such contract is to be 51 made, to carry newspapers, magazines and pamphlets 52 other than those conveyed in the mail.\n53 When the mode of conveyance, and the size of the 54 mails will admit of it, magazines and pamphlets may 55 be transported in the mail at one cent a sheet for any 56 distance not exceeding fifty miles, at one cent and a 57 half for any distance over fifty and not exceeding one 58 hundred miles, and two cents for any greater dis- 59 tance.'
 "1 SEC. 21 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34  1 SEC. 21. And be it further enacted , That the Post- 2 Master-General be authorised to allow to the post- 3 masters, respectively, such commission on the monies 4 arising from the postages of letters and packets, as 5 shall be adequate to their respective services and ex- 6 penses: Provided , that the said commission shall not 7 exceed thirty per cent. on the first hundred dollars 8 collected in one quarter, and twenty five per cent. on 9 a sum over one hundred, and not more than three 10 hundred; and twenty per cent. on any sum over 11 four hundred and not exceeding two thousand dol- 12 lars; and eight per cent. on any sum collected, be- 13 ing over two thousand, four hundred dollars; ex- 14 cept to the post-masters, who may be employed in 15 receiving and dispatching foreign mails, whose com- 16 pensation may be augmented, not exceeding twenty 17 five dollars, in one quarter, and excepting to the 18 post-masters, at offices where the mail is regularly to 19 arrive between the hours of nine o'clock at night, and 20 five o'clock in the morning; whose commission on 21 the first hundred dollars, collected in one quarter, 22 may be increased to a sum not exceeding fifty per 23 cent. The Post-Master-General may allow to the 24 post-masters, respectively, a commission of fifty per 25 cent. on the monies arising from the postages of 26 newspapers, magazines and pamphlets; and to the 27 post-masters, whose compensation shall not exceed 28 five hundred dollars, in one quarter, two cents for 29 every free letter delivered out of the office, excepting 30 such as are for the post-master himself; and each 31 post master, who shall be required to keep a register 32 of the arrival and departure of the mails, shall be al- 33 lowed ten cents for each monthly return which he 34 makes thereof to the general post-office.\n1 SEC. 22. And be it further enacted , That any post- 2 master, or other person authorised to receive the post- 3 age of letters and packets, shall neglect or refuse to 4 render his accounts, and pay over to the Post-Master- 5 General the balance by him due at the end of every"
 '6 three months, it shall be the duty of the Post-master- 7 General to cause a suit to be commenced against the 8 person or persons so neglecting or refusing : and if 9 the Post-Master-General shall not cause such suit to 10 be commenced within six months from the end of 11 every such three months, the balances due from every 12 such delinquent shall be charged to and recoverable 13 from the Post-Master-General.\n14 That all suits which shall be hereafter commenced 15 for the recovery of debts or balances due to the gene- 16 ral post-office, whether they appear by bond or obli- 17 gations made in the name of the existing or any pre- 18 ceding Post-Master-General, or otherwise, shall be 19 instituted in the name of the " Post-Master-General 20 of the United States."\n21 That certified copies under the seal of the general 22 post-office, of the accounts current of the several post- 23 masters, after the same shall have been examined and 24 adjusted at that office, shall be admitted as evidence 25 in all suits brought by the Post-Master-General for the 26 recovery of balances or debts due from post masters, 27 and in like manner copies of such accounts current as 28 are lodged in the office of the Register of the Treasu- 29 ry certified by the Register under the seal of his office, 30 shall be admitted as evidence.\n1 SEC. 23. And be it further enacted , That if any 2 post-master, or other person, who shall receive and 3 open, or dispatch mails, shall neglect to render ac- 4 counts thereof for one month after the time, and in 5 the form and manner prescribed by law, and by the 6 Post-Master-General\'s instructions conformable there- 7 with, he shall forfeit double the value of the postages 8 which shall have arisen at the same office in any equal 9 portion of time previous or subsequent thereto; or in 10 case no accounts shall have been rendered at the time 11 of trial of such case, then such sum as the court and 12 jury shall estimate equivalent thereto, to be recovered 13 by the post-master general in an action on the case.'
 '1 SEC. 24. And be it further enacted , That all pecu- 2 niary penalties and forfeitures incurred under this act, 3 shall be, one half for the use of the person or persons 4 informing and prosecuting for the same, and the other 5 half to the use of the United States.\n1 Sec. 25. And be it further enacted , That it shall be 2 lawful for the Post-Master-General to make provision, 3 where it may be necessary, for the receipt of all letters 4 and packets intended to be conveyed by any ship or 5 vessel beyond sea, or from any port in the United 6 States to another port therein; and the letters so re- 7 ceived shall be formed into a mail, sealed up, and di- 8 rected to the post-master of the port to which such ship 9 or vessel shall be bound. And for every letter or 10 packet so received, there shall be paid, at the time of 11 its reception, a postage of one cent, which shall be for 12 the use of the post-masters respectively receiving the 13 same. And the Post-Master-General may make ar- 14 rangements with the post-masters in any foreign coun- 15 try, for the reciprocal receipt and delivery of letters 16 and packets through the post offices.\n1 Sec. 26. And be it further enacted , That the post- 2 masters, and the persons employed in the transporta- 3 tion of the mail, shall be exempt from militia duties, or 4 any fine or penalty for neglect thereof.\n1 Sec. 27. And be it further enacted , That letter car- 2 riers shall be employed at such post-offices as the Post- 3 Master-General shall direct, for the delivery of letters 4 in the places respectively where such post-offices are 5 established; and for the delivery of each such letter, 6 the letter carrier may receive of the person to whom 7 the delivery is made, two cents: Provided , that no let- 8 ter shall be delivered to such letter carrier for distri- 9 bution, addressed to any person who shall have lodged 10 at the post-office a written request that his letters shall 11 be detained in the office. And for every letter lodg- 12 ed at any post-office, not to be carried by post, but to 13 be delivered at the place where it is to be so lodged,'
 '14 the post-master, shall receive one cent of the person 15 to whom it shall be delivered.\n1 SEC. 28. And be it further enacted , That all causes 2 of action arising under this act may be sued, and all 3 offenders against this act may be prosecuted, before 4 the justices of the peace, magistrates, and other judi- 5 cial courts of the several states, and of the several ter- 6 ritories of the United States, they having competent 7 jurisdiction by the laws of such states or territories, to 8 the trial of claims and demands of as great value, and 9 of prosecutions where the punishments are of as great 10 extent; and such justices, magistrates, or judiciary, 11 shall take cognizance thereof, and proceed to judg- 12 ment and execution as in other cases.\n1 SEC. 29. And be it further enacted , That in all 2 suits for causes arising under this act, the court shall 3 proceed to trial, and render judgment the first term 4 after such suit shall be commenced; Provided always , 5 that whenever service of the process shall not have 6 been made twenty days at least previous to the return 7 day of such term, the defendant shall be entitled to 8 one continuance.\n1 SEC. 30. And be it further enacted , That from and 2 after the last day of February next, the several clauses 3 and provisions, excepting the first and second sections 4 thereof, of an act, entitled "An act to establish the 5 post office and post-roads within the United States," 6 and the several clauses, provisions and sections of an 7 act, (excepting the first and second sections thereof,) 8 entitled "An act, in addition to an act, entitled an 9 act to establish the post-office and post-roads within 10 the United States," approved the third of March, one 11 thousand seven hundred and ninety-seven, shall be, 12 and the same are hereby repealed. Provided , that 13 nothing herein contained shall be construed to exone- 14 rate any person who shall not have performed the du- 15 ty, or who shall have violated any of the prohibitions 16 contained in the said acts, from suits or prosecutions; 17 but as to all bonds, contracts, debts, demands, rights,'
 '18 penalties, punishments which have been made, have 19 arisen, or have been incurred, or which shall be made, 20 arise, or be incurred previous to the first day of March 21 next, the said acts shall have the same force and effect 22 as though this act had not been made. Provided also , 23 that the Post-Master-General, deputy post-masters, 24 contractors for carrying the mail, and others employ- 25 ed under the aforesaid acts, shall continue to hold 26 their several offices, appointments and trusts, until 27 they are otherwise removed; any thing herein con- 28 tained that might be construed to the contrary not- 29 withstanding; and also the bonds which they, or 30 either of them, have or may give for the faithful exe- 31 cution of their several duties and offices, shall conti- 32 nue to have the same force and effect, to all intents 33 and purposes, after the said last day of February next, 34 as though this act had not been made.'
 'REMARKS respectfully submitted to Congress, by the Post-Master-General, on the project of an act "to establish the Post Office of the United States," made out conformably to a resolution of the House of Representatives, passed the 14th of March, 1798.\nSection 1st.\nTHE first section proposes that the Post-office shall be under the direction of a Postmaster General, and points out some of his principal duties. Among other things, it authorises him to appoint an assistant, a solicitor, a first clerk, a book-keeper, and such other clerks as may be found necessary to enable him to perform the duties required of him in the general post office.\nIt has often been imagined, that the duties of the Postmaster general were very trifling and simple, even so much so, that some have considered it rather a sinecure than an office of business; it is presumed that mistake has chiefly arisen from not duly attending to the subject, and from that cause, such a very small allotment of services as has been hitherto provided, was made for the performance of its duties. In other countries, it has been considered an object of more importance, and its execution has been more liberally provided for. The Post office of Great-Britain, is now under the direction of two Post-masters general, a secretary, a surveyor, and a comptroller, besides the necessary clerks; the letter office of London, is in some measure connected with it, but it is managed by head clerks, and a great number of ordinary clerks. That office superintends the other General Post-offices in Scotland, Ireland and the provinces; exclusive of that superintendance, it is supposed from the best information that can be obtained, that its duties are not so great, as those of the General Post-office here, the post roads there not'
 'comprehending half so many miles, and the post-offices not being two thirds so numerous, as those in this country. The post office in Scotland (under the British post-office) is managed by a post master general, a secretary, a solicitor and an accomptant, besides clerks ; the post roads in Scotland, hardly extend 2,000 miles, and there are only 180 post-offices. If experience has shewn the governments of those countries, that such an arrangement is there necessary, to the due execution of the business of the General Post-Office, it is believed, that no one can suppose that the General Post Office here, which superintends nearly seven hundred post-offices, and the transportation of the mail over post roads, that extend more than sixteen thousand miles, can be easily or duly managed, by one Post-Master General, an assistant and the help he can obtain from an allowance too scanty for the employment of four good clerks. The most material parts of the duty have indeed been performed, so as to keep the business in motion, but it is believed, that all the smaller duties have not been properly performed, since the first extension of the post roads, under the present form of government. On the first establishment of the General Post Office, under the former constitution, a Post Master General, and an assistant were provided for its superintendance ; then and for many years afterwards, the whole number of post-offices did not amount to sixty, and the post roads did not extend two thousand miles : one clerk was then also employed. With only the additional aid of three clerks, the same provision has been continued to this time, although the duties have been gradually increased to more than seven fold.\nThese circumstances are mentioned, that the alteration might not appear extravagant ; the Post-Master-General has no disposition to enjoy the emolument the office affords him without rendering his constant services, and no wish to add the least unnecessary expense. It appears to him that additional provision is absolutely necessary in the present state of the office, and that there will be constant employ for all those who are proposed.'
 "In a business so diffusive as the services to be performed in the general-post-office, it is not easy to detail the particulars. The transportation of the mail over post-roads that extend sixteen thousand miles, which have many different branches and connections, and are divided into many small contracts, to be performed at a great distance from the general-post-office, is a considerable object. Notwithstanding large penalties are provided for failures and delays, and much caution is used to contract only with good men, many failures and delays will happen; some through unavoidable causes, and others through the negligence of contractors; on this subject a multitude of letters are written by those interested in the regular conveyance of the mail: they require answering, and the performance of the contractors requires also to be constantly examined—To this also must be added, the misconduct of those who contract, or who are employed by contractors, and where so many are employed in a toilsome service, it must be expected that many letters must be written on such subjects. It can hardly be supposed, that where seven hundred post-masters are appointed, that there must not be many vacancies to be supplied, especially where the emoluments to be derived from the office are so inconsiderable, as they are at a large proportion of the post offices of the United States; and it is a fact, that the establishment of new offices, and the appointment of new post-masters, with attending to complaints, receiving resignations, and making due enquiries for that purpose, is almost sufficient to engross the attention of one person. The business of receiving post-masters' accounts, four times a year, calling upon them when negligent, and commencing suits when they cannot be otherwise obtained—obtaining their balances in such an extensive country, and prosecuting them for delinquencies, paying contractors, obtaining vouchers, is very considerable. After the accounts are obtained, they are to be examined, the errors corrected, and the post-masters informed of them; they are to be entered in books, and particular accounts"
 'of the receipts and expenditures in the department, are to be made out and rendered to the Treasury. More than ten thousand dead letters are to be opened and inspected every quarter; those which have valuable contents, are to be returned to the writer, when he can be found, and if not found, registered and filed. The making out contracts, bonds, &c. for carrying the mail, advertisements, receiving and deciding upon proposals, is another considerable business. The contractors and post-masters, amount together to between eight and nine hundred, who are regular correspondents four times a year, relative to their accounts, balances and pay, beside their letters relative to the alteration of the arrangements, questions concerning construction of the law, and explanation of instructions. A multitude of letters are also received on subjects relating to the post-office, from individuals, in all parts of the union. To all these must be added, a great variety of incidents and particulars, such as supplying post-masters with blanks, and keys, the riders with portmanteaus and locks, which must of necessity, be attached to a business so diffusive.\nOn a due consideration of the various duties of the office, it is imagined, that it will be found, that the additional assistance proposed, cannot be dispensed with. The existing act leaves the duties of the assistant and clerks to be designated by the Post-Master-General; and as the business of the office may vary, it seems proper still to leave the duties of those to be employed in the general post-office, to be thus designated. The present situation of the business requires the following arrangement:—\nThe Post-Master-General, to superintend the business generally; to direct the principal arrangements for carrying the mail; to establish post-offices, appoint post-masters, inform them in questions relating to the law and their duty, and attend to the exterior correspondence of the office.\nThe assistant, to keep the monies of the general post-office, obtain the balances due from post-masters, pay the contractors and mail carriers, and other expenses;'
 "answer the correspondence relating to money and accounts, attend to keeping the accounts, and prepare them to render to the Treasury. The assistant has likewise occasionally to travel the post-road, and exercise the powers of the Post-Master-General, in cases of stoppages of the mail, and thefts committed at post-offices.\nThe Solicitor, to commence suits when accounts are not duly rendered, and for the recovery of balances; to be particularly employed relative to the transportation of the mail, in making the subordinate arrangements for its carriage, advertisements, contracts, bonds, obtaining and keeping accounts of its arrival and departure from all parts of the roads, noting and exacting penalties for delays and failures, and answering letters relating to the mail.\nA first clerk to be employed in examining accounts, to aid in obtaining them with their balances from delinquents, by preparing accounts for suit, notifying postmasters of corrections in their accounts, and to assist the solicitor in making out contracts, &c.\nA Book-keeper, to keep the books of the general post-office, and aid the assistant in making out drafts, accounts current, &c.\nOne clerk to open and examine dead letters, register and return to the writer such as have valuable contents, and have custody of them when the writer cannot be found, and occasionally attend to other business.\nOne clerk to assist in examining accounts, and copying the assistant's letters.\nOne clerk to copy and register letters.\nThis section is copied chiefly from the third and fourth sections of the act of 1794; and excepting in the before-mentioned respects, is not materially altered.\nSection 2d.\nRequires all persons employed to take an oath for the faithful performance of duty: the oath is copied from the former act. post-masters and contractors, notwithstanding they are expressly forbidden by the act, and by their instructions, frequently employ persons in the care of the"
 'mail, who are not sworn, and it has been construed by some of the courts that no person who has not taken the oath prescribed could be considered as legally employed , so as to subject such person to the penalties of the 16th section of the act of 1794. There does not appear to be any such great difference in the scale of crime, and none in the injury to the public, whether the person who violates the law be sworn or not , so that in one case a person who has been sworn might be punished with death, while another person not sworn, but employed in the same manner in other respects, should be subject only to prosecution, as for a simple breach of trust, for committing the same crime. On that account this section provides, that persons employed shall be subject to all penalties for violations of the law, whether they have taken or not, the oath prescribed.\nSection 3d.\nProvides a penalty for obstructing the passage of the mail. This section is copied from the 5th of the act of 1794, without alteration.\nSection 4.\nThis section prescribes the manner of advertising for contracts to carry the mail, and is but little varied from the 5th section of 1794. That section requires the Post-Master-General to advertise "the penalty or penalties" "for non-performance of the stipulations." As those penalties would make the advertisements long and expensive, if all of them are recited, it seems sufficient to recite only the leading penalties in the advertisement, noting at the same time that proper penalties for other deviations would be stipulated; that part has therefore been omitted in this section. The next alteration extends the time of lodging the contract with the Comptroller, from thirty to ninety days. If the contractors all came to the general post-office, and brought their sureties along with them, the contract might be completed and lodged with the Comptroller within thirty days; but that is not the case; the business is so calculated, that a man desirous of contracting, only sends forward his proposals and re-'
 "commendations to the general post-office, where after they are decided upon, the contracts and bonds are made out, and sent to the post-master living nearest to the proposer, who attends to the execution, and decides upon the sufficiency of sureties ; by this means the contracts are obtained upon more reasonable terms, and there is generally competition and opportunity of choice in several proposers for the same route, which would not be the case if a man was obliged to travel seven or eight hundred miles, to propose for, or to compleat a contract. In consequence of this arrangement, however, it frequently happens, that a contract is not returned to the general post office for several months after it is compleated, and cannot be lodged with the Comptroller so soon after its execution as the former act directs.\nThe Post-Master-General is here required to lodge a duplicate of the contract; the former act directs the original to be lodged with the Comptroller : it always has been supposed, that this was provided in that act by mistake, as the Comptroller has nothing to do relative to the performance of the contract, or any of its stipulations ; and the contract ought, without doubt, to be in possession of that person who is to see that it is performed, and who is to prosecute in cases of failures.—A certified duplicate is supposed to be sufficient to answer any purpose intended by lodging it with the Comptroller.\nSection 5.\nThis regards the hours of attendance to be required at post-offices, and is copied, without alteration, from the 7th section of the act of 1794.\nSection 6.\nThis section merely provides for the compensation of the persons to be employed in the general post office. No alteration is proposed so far as respects the Post-Master-General : But an augmentation of the assistant's pay appears to be expedient, on account of the great increase of his duties, and the decrease of the value of money. On the first organization of the post-office, his salary was rated at two-thirds of that allowed to the Post-Master-General."
 "ral ; the former act places it at only half that allowance. —While the salaries of some of the chief clerks, who on the first establishment of the present government, received only eight hundred dollars, have been raised to seventeen and eighteen hundred dollars, the assistant's, who at the same time received a thousand dollars, has been increased only to twelve hundred, while his duties have been encreased as much as those of any other officer, perhaps, under the government of the United States. No reason is perceived why the services of those employed in this office should be so penuriously provided for. I have in this section proposed that the assistant's salary should be sixteen hundred dollars a year, which is only at the same rate that is allowed to the accountants in the war and navy offices.\nIt is supposed that a proper person cannot be found to do the duty of the solicitor for a less compensation than is proposed for him.\nSeveral years since, by the employment of ordinary clerks at a less rate than five hundred dollars a year, provision was made to encrease the compensation of those employed in services that required good clerks ; that cannot now be done, as no tolerable clerk can be obtained for a less sum than five hundred dollars ; on that account specific sums are proposed for a first clerk and book-keeper. In all offices where there is much detail, it is necessary to give such salaries as will induce clerks to account on the service as in some measure permanent ; in this office no clerk has become properly acquainted with the duties required of a first clerk and book-keeper under two or three quarters.\nThe former act restricted the Post-Master-General to the employment of a certain number of clerks ;—as so little unnecessary expense could be incurred in this way, it did not seem proper to continue that restriction, particularly as the business of the office is so rapidly encreasing.\nSection 7.\nThis section relates to the rates of letter postage. The 9th section of the former act establishes nine different rates"
 'of postage for different distances. Such a number of different rates renders the business of rating and marking letters embarrassing, and often occasions mistakes, especially as that business is generally required to be done with great expedition, a very considerable part of the letters to be mailed being dropped into the office the last moment allowed for receiving them, which is but a short time previous to that fixed for the departure of the mail. To facilitate that business, and render it less subject to mistakes, they are now reduced to six. In order to do this, and reduce some of the higher rates of postage, by extending them over greater distances, without, at the same time, reducing the revenue, it has been necessary to make a small increase in the lowest rates. By the rates proposed, the postages of all letters carried over one hundred and fifty miles, and less than six hundred and fifty miles, are something reduced, and most of the postages of those conveyed under one hundred miles are encreased. The lowest rate under the former act was six cents, which considering the trouble of carrying, marking, rating, mailing and accounting for the letter, seems too small, particularly since money has been so much reduced in value: it has now therefore been raised to eight cents. The advance on the low postages is so small, that the alteration will hardly be noticed, and a postage of twelve and a half cents, or under, is so inconsiderable, that it is freely paid, but in all cases above that sum, it seems something of an object, and it then begins to be called money. It has been an object in making this arrangement, to regulate it so as not to reduce the revenue. A compleat examination of the operation of the new rates could not be made without taking more time than could be spared at this office, but by an examination at several of the principal offices, it appears that the new rates will produce a small addition to the revenue.\nIn England, they have only three rates of postage, four pence, five pence and six-pence sterling, equal to eight, ten and twelve cents. The greatest distance from one post office to another there, is about three hundred and'
 'sixty miles, and within that extent, they have only three rates for different distances, but under the former act we have seven rates within that distance.\nThe rates of postage, by water, are now made the same as those by land, except that no packet is to be charged with more than triple postage. Under the former act, the postage of a single letter, by water, was only eight cents, for any distance, which was too small to defray the expense of establishing packets.\nThe former section left doubts as to the meaning of the words single, double and packet; they are so expressed here, as to render them certain.\nNo restriction was made in the former act upon the weight of packets that should be received to be sent by post. In consequence of which, in a few instances, large and inconvenient packages have been sent in the mail, which those to whom they have been directed have refused to take up, on account of the expense. It is therefore proposed, to leave it discretionary with the post master to receive or reject such as weigh more than three pounds.\nSection 8.\nThis section increases the rate on ship letters, received by private vessels, from four to six cents. Two cents of the former rate was paid to the master of the ship, and only two cents of the residue went to the post-office; this, owing to the number of dead letters, and the commissions of post masters, it is supposed rather brings the office in debt, than produces any advantage to the revenue; and as the rate is so very trifling, it seems that the small advance proposed, might be made without being objectionable.\nIt is also proposed to charge the letters which are destined to be conveyed by post, only with two cents in addition to the ordinary postage—the ordinary postage being deemed high enough.\nSections 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13,\nAre copied from the former act, without alteration.\nSection 14.\nThis section provides a punishment for those who, be-'
 'ing employed in the department of the post-office, shall interrupt the safety of correspondence, and is copied from the 16th section of the former act, without alteration, excepting in the second penalty, where it is proposed to substitute corporal punishment in place of the punishment by death.\nThat punishment is so contrary to the present humane regulations and mild policy of the laws of the separate states, and so shocking to the humane sentiments generally prevalent in this country, that it is hoped the substitute may be adopted. Death is indeed an awful and dreadful punishment, the greatest that man can inflict, and ought to be provided, perhaps only as the last resource to the safety and well being of society ; in cases only of crimes the most aggravated, and where the enormity or repetition leaves no hope of a reform in the criminal ; or those who have committed treason, murder, or crimes against personal safety little short of them—crimes which shew such an utter depravity, as renders it unsafe to have them again mingle with society. In the present case, it is not necessary to examine whether man has a right to inflict that penalty for crimes of a higher cast ; it is enough to know, that those ideas very considerably prevail among the people in this country, and that the laws where that punishment is provided for such cases, cannot be executed. Such is certainly the fact, and so scrupulous and determined are a great number in that particular, that they will rather neglect their duty, and violate their oaths, than in any manner aid in detecting or convicting such criminals ; and so generally is that the case, that although there have been a number of thefts committed on the mail by those employed, and robberies by others, in various parts of the country, and although the villains have been known, and in some instances apprehended, it has been impossible, in any case, with clear proof, to bring them to punishment. The law in fact, in these respects, from the severity of the punishment, has become useless ; and villains, relying on the public humanity, violate it with impunity. It has often been said, and it seems with much truth, that the certainty of the execution of a severe pu-'
 "nishment, has a much more powerful influence in the prevention of crimes, than laws which provide the greatest ; because the criminal, in all countries, has some hope when the punishment is very great, and the crime not the most atrocious, of escape, through the humanity of the public agents, jurors, witnesses, judges, and the pardoning power—But where the punishment is severe, but not so much so as greatly to outrage the feelings of humanity, no such hope can prevail. It is therefore to be wished, that a severe punishment, and one which will not at the same time much outrage the prevailing sentiments of justice, or tempt those to whom the execution of the laws are entrusted, or the people at large, to favor escapes, may be provided. Such a one is the substitute supposed to be.—That kind of corporal punishment proposed, has, of late, been indeed opposed by some as impolitic, considering it to destroy the criminal's hope of retrieving an honest fame, and thence tending to fix his depravity. But others do not believe that experience shews it to have that effect ; and if it did, there does not seem to be any other punishment consonant to the general policy of our laws, adequate to the prevention of such crimes. The public goals of the United States are not calculated for penitentiary employments ; and even if they were, such punishment seems too trivial, compared with the crime. From the number of respectable, but unfortunate debtors, with which the public goals are crowded, imprisonment has almost ceased to be a scandal. To prevent crimes so easily committed, and so injurious to the public interest, as those under consideration, no punishment promises to be so efficient as the one proposed. Those who have hitherto violated this part of the law, have been young men, having some education, and respectable connections, to whom the punishment proposed would be more terrible in itself and consequences, than death ; and from which they would have no hope to escape, through the humanity of those entrusted with the execution of the laws ; and from thence it is believed, it would have a much more powerful effect in preventing the commission of those crimes, which is the object of the law."
 "Section 15.\nThis section also substitutes corporal punishment for the punishment by death, in the case of robbing the mail ; and extends the punishment to stealing of the mail, which was too feebly provided for before. It is doubtless an object to render correspondence as safe as possible ; the security of it is of great importance to government, and essential to an extensive commerce ; on these accounts it has been deemed necessary to encrease the punishment for stealing the mail, and to extend penalties to other abuses.\nSection 16.\nThis section is copied from the 18th section of the former act, and relates to the advertising of letters, and the disposing of those which may become dead.\nSection 17.\nThis section relates to free letters, and comprises a list of all public officers who are now entitled to receive and send their letters free.\nSection 18.\nThis section provides a penalty for the abuse of the privilege of franking. That abuse has been carried so far in England, that several acts and regulations have been found necessary to be made to prevent it, and in this country its frequency already demands provision.\nSection 19th\nRelates to printers' exchange papers, and is the same as the 21st section of the former act.\nSection 20th.\nThis section relates to newspapers, and comprises the 22d section of 1794, and the 6th section of the act of 1797.\nNo other regulation to ensure the safety of the carriage of newspapers, than what was before provided, has yet been hit upon. Indeed the failures which have been hitherto complained of, have generally happened in cases, where the papers were to be conveyed a great distance in the mail ; and the failure is to be attributed to the damp state in which the papers are too frequently put up, the rains and wet they may meet with in their passage, and the jolting they receive in the carriage. By these means the wrappers become defaced, or worn out, and no new"
 "direction can be given them, as the papers themselves hardly ever have a particular direction : If printers were to give every paper a particular direction, when the packets become worn out and broken, the post-masters could repack and direct them ; of this several printers have been informed, but they do not choose to take the trouble. In some cases when a long rain occurs, even that could not be done, as many of the papers are so much damaged and defaced as to become illegible. Letters having proper directions, being more compact, and wrote on finer paper, are not so subject to injury, and rarely if ever fail from that cause.\nIt is not believed that the safety and regularity with which letters pass in the mail, is at all owing to any greater care in the post-masters on the carriers of the mail. The portmanteaus and bags used in both cases are made of leather, lined with oil cloth, and secured by locks ; both letters and papers are first put into painted bags, and then into the portmanteau—it does not seem that other precautions can properly be used for saving those newspapers from wet and from wear, which are carried on horseback, than is already taken. The papers in many cases are omitted or misdirected by the printers, one of them particularly, who has been the most clamorous on that subject, has had that business done very negligently, and has often attributed miscarriages to the post-office when they arose wholly from his own inattention. No material alteration is therefore proposed in this section, except that of authorising the Post-Master-General to require those who receive newspapers to pay the amount of one quarter's postages in advance. In many parts of the United States there is very little copper coin, so that it is almost impossible to make so small change as a cent. or a cent and a half, and it is very troublesome also to make such change, where it can be done, at larger offices ; the trouble of charging each is also as much as the postages are worth, and it is still more to collect them when they are credited ; so that some post-masters complain that they do not receive fifty per cent. of the postages, and others have resigned on that account. The amount of one quar-"
 "ter's postages on a weekly paper, if not sent out of the state, is only thirteen cents, —so small, that it is presumed no person would complain of any hardship in the regulation.\nSection 21.\nThis section provides for the compensation of post-masters, and is copied from the fifth section of the act passed in 1797.\nOn an attentive consideration of this subject, it does not appear that any better arrangement can be made, or any satisfactory alteration. The rates of commission indeed appear large on the first hundred, and three hundred dollars collected ; but when it is considered from what small sums the post-masters, accounts arise, that a very large proportion of the mails do not amount to half a dollar ; that every post-master has as well to pack, rate and enter in his accounts, and in a bill, the amounts of every mail, as to deliver the letters and receive the price, and that the commission is allowed only on half the postages of the letters that pass through his hands, and into his accounts ; so that instead of thirty, twenty-five, twenty, and eight, he in fact receives only fifteen, twelve and a half, ten, and four per cent. on the gross amount of postages contained in his accounts ; it is really not an extravagant per centage. The rate cannot be estimated by the rate of profit of factors and commission merchants, for among them the sale of a single piece of goods, which occasions them no more trouble perhaps than the receiving, dispatching and accounting for, of a single mail, will produce more than many of the post-offices in half a year.\nAs the rates now stand, several of the post-masters, who receive from three to twelve hundred dollars a year for their services, complain that the compensation is inadequate to the trouble. Although it does not seem necessary to encrease the compensation at any post-office, it is certainly in many cases but barely adequate to the labour required, and ought by no means to be reduced.\nThe only alteration proposed in this section, is an allowance of twenty cents to each post-master for every monthly return he shall make of the arrival and depar-"
 'ture of the mails at his office. Post-masters at the two extremes of every route contracted for, are required to keep a register of the arrivals and departures of the contractors, at their offices, which are to be returned to the general post-office monthly. It is of great importance to have this duty regularly and properly performed, as without such returns it is impossible for the Post-Master-General to know whether a contractor performs his contract. At the unproductive offices, where such extremes sometimes occur, little attention is paid to this duty ; and as the compensation they receive is of no consideration, they cannot be compelled to do it promptly, it is also a trouble not common to the post-masters ; and therefore seems expedient to make that small allowance.\nSection 22d.\nDifficulties have frequently occurred in suing bonds and delinquent post-masters, from the manner which has, until lately, been adopted in describing the person to whom the obligation is made. From that cause it is now necessary to prosecute bonds made to a former Post-Master-General, and to sue for debts arising in his time in the individual name of the person who acted as Post-Master-General. It is therefore proposed to authorise the carrying on of such suits in the name of "the Post-Master-General of the United States."\nThe rules of the common law also require, that the original accounts should be produced in support of suits for the recovery of balances, but the post-office act directs them to be deposited in the office of the Treasury, from whence they cannot be withdrawn ; it therefore appears necessary, that certified copies of post-masters\' accounts should be admitted as evidence in such cases ; there being no other means by which their balances can be properly established.\nSection 23d.\nA number of instances have occurred where those persons to whom the appointment of post-master has been tendered, have immediately entered upon the duties of the office without giving a bond, and several months have elapsed before a proper person to do the business could be'
 'found and qualified. When these persons refuse or neglect to render their accounts, there is no means of compelling them in some districts, but by a suit in equity, which is troublesome in its management, tedious and expensive ; and in other districts, but by an action of account, which, by being seldom resorted to, is little less difficult. A penalty is therefore proposed in this section, and a form of action prescribed to do away those difficulties. Besides the instances above mentioned, other cases have occurred, where the post-master, having died, his clerk or assistant have conducted the office for several months, either before the Post-Master-General received information of it, or before he could appoint another in the place of the deceased.\nSections 24, 25, 26, and 27th.\nAre copied from the former act, without alterations.\nSection 28th.\nIn some instances from the great distance of the delinquent or criminal from the place appointed for holding the courts of the United States, it will amount to a double punishment in expense and loss of time to prosecute him before them, and it is desirable, particularly when the smaller offences or delinquencies occur, to prosecute at as little expense to the public and individual as can be conveniently done. It would, for instance, be a severe punishment upon a ferryman at Pittsburg, who might incur a penalty of five or ten dollars by a wilful delay in crossing the mail, to bring him all the way from Pittsburg to Philadelphia for trial. On this account it is proposed to authorise the judiciary of the several states to try offences under this act.\nSection 29th.\nThis section is provided merely to accelerate the proceedings on suits ; it is well known that in some of the states they are extremely dilatory.\nSection 30th.\nThis section only repeals the former acts, and provides for the prosecutions of offences under them.\nJOS. HABERSHAM, Post-Master-General.\nGeneral Post-Office, Philadelphia, Jan. 8, 1799.'
 "An ACT to alter and discontinue several post-roads, and to establish others.\n1 SEC. 1. BE it enacted by the Senate and House 2 of Representatives of the United States of America, in 3 Congress assembled, That the following post-roads be 4 discontinued, to wit :— 5 1. From Fayetteville, by Lumberton and Cheraw 6 court-house, to Camden—2. From Vergennes, by Ba- 7 son harbour, to Plattsburg, in Vermont—3. From 8 old Fort Schuyler, by Cincinnatus, to Oxford—4. 9 From Harrisburg, by Petersburg, Millerstown, 10 Thompsonstown, Mifflintown, Lewistown, Hunting- 11 don, Alexandria, Centre-Furnace, Bellefont, Miles- 12 burg, Aaronburg, Mifflinburg, Lewisburg, North- 13 umberland and Sunbury to Harrisburg—5. From 14 Easton, in Maryland, by New-Market to Vienna—6. 15 From Bladensburg to upper Marlboro'—7. From 16 Allensfresh, by Hoes ferry, to Port Conway—8. From 17 Tappahannock, by Richmond court-house and West- 18 moreland court-house, to Kinsale—9. From Prince 19 Edward court-house to Lynchburg.\n1 SEC. 2. And be it further enacted , That the follow- 2 ing be established as post-roads, to wit : 1. From Fay- 3 etteville, by Chatham, to Camden—2. From Vergen- 4 nes, by Charlotte, to Plattsburg—3. From Utica, to 5 Oxford, in New-York—4. From Harrisburg, by Mil- 6 lerstown, Thompsontown, Mifflintown, Lewistown 7 and Huntingdon, to Alexandria, in Pennsylvania— 8 5. From Lewisburg, in Pennsylvania, by Mifflinburg, 9 Aaronburg, Milesburg and Bellefont, to Centre-Fur- 10 nace—6. From Easton, in Maryland, by Cambridge, 11 to Vienna—7. From Washington city, to Upper"
 "12 Marlboro'—8. From Falmouth, by King George, 13 Westmoreland court house, and Richmond court- 14 house, to Kinsale—9. From Cumberland court-house, 15 in Virginia, by Buckingham court-house and Floods 16 to Lynchburg—10. From Concord, in New-Hamp- 17 shire, by Hopkinton and Bradford, to Charleston— 18 11. From Newbury, Vermont, to Danville, Ver- 19 mont—12. From Burlington, in Vermont, by St. 20 Albans, to Highgate—13. From Wilkesbarre, in 21 Pennsylvania, by Wyalusing, Asylum, Tyoga point, 22 Newtown, Painted Post, and Bath, to Canandaigua, 23 in New York—14. From Lewisburg, to Lycoming, 24 in Pennsylvania—15. From Washington, to Green 25 court-house, in Pennsylvania—16. From Louisville, 26 by Vincennes, to Kaskaskias, in the territory North- 27 west of the Ohio—17. From Leonardtown, to the 28 Great Mill, in Maryland—18. From Fredericks- 29 burg, in Virginia, by Spottsylvania and Louisa court- 30 house, to Columbia—19. From King and Queen 31 court-house, to Shackleford's—20. From Washing- 32 ton, in North Carolina, by Bath, to Woodstock— 33 21. From Fayetteville, by Lumberton, to George- 34 town, in South Carolina—22. From Chatham, in 35 South-Carolina, to Greenville—23. From Taunton, 36 in Massachusetts, to Bridgewater—24. From Nash- 37 ville, or such other post-office as shall be found most 38 convenient to the Natchez, in the Mississippi territory.  1 SEC. 3. And be it further enacted , That nothing 2 contained in this act shall be construed so as to affect 3 any existing contract, without the contractor's con- 4 sent."
 'REMARKS respectfully submitted to Congress, by the Post-Master-General, on the project of an act "to alter and discontinue several post-roads, and to establish others," and also on sundry petitions for the establishment of post-roads; referred to the Post-Master-General, on the 14th of June, 1798.\nSection 1.\nTHE first section directs the discontinuance of certain post-roads, for the purpose of substituting others more convenient and accommodating to the public.\n1. That part of the main line from Fayetteville, by Lumberton and Cheraw court-house, to Camden, is proposed to be discontinued; and by article first, section second, the mail is to be carried from Fayetteville, by Chatham, to Camden—this will shorten the distance about twenty miles, and have the advantage of a much better road. There are several swamps between Lumberton and Cheraw, which are very deep, badly poled, and often, after a rain, are midships to a horse, so that it is wholly impossible to get along with the mail, either in fulkies or on horseback with tolerable expedition; and the creeks are sometimes so difficult to pass, as to endanger the loss of rider and mail. On the route now proposed, there is much less swamp, and the road, by being poled and bridged, and the ferries better attended, is tolerable.\nLumberton is provided for by the establishment of a road from Fayetteville, by Lumberton to Georgetown, (article 21.) The latter part of the route from Lumberton to Georgetown, is not indeed necessary to that purpose, but some of the inhabitants of Charleston are desirous that it should be established, in order to shorten the communication between Charleston and the Northern states; the number, width and difficulty of the ferries, and badness of the road do not give me much hope of finding the communication facilitated or rendered more'
 'certain, but as it is much nearer than the present route, it seems proper to gratify them with an experiment ; perhaps the difficulties will not be found so great as they are now supposed.\n2. It is found very difficult to carry the mail from Vergennes, by Bason harbour, to Plattsburg, and impossible, some part of the year ; it is therefore proposed to discontinue that route, and to establish it from Vergennes, by Charlotte, to Plattsburg, which is the route the post now is usually obliged to take.\n3. From old fort Schuyler, by Cincinnatus, to Oxford, it has been impossible to have the mail carried in that manner, without the Post-Master General had laid out and cleared a road, and erected bridges, there being none at present ; this not being considered by him intended by the act, no mail of course has been sent in that direction, and on that account it is proposed that it should be discontinued. In lieu of that route, according to the wish of some of the people, I have proposed that the mail should be sent direct from Utica to Oxford, where it seems there is a road, and some inhabitants, to be accommodated.\n4. I have proposed to discontinue the circuitous route from Harrisburg, by Petersburg, Alexandria, Lewisburg, &c. to Harrisburg. It was advertised, and a contract made for carrying it in the manner marked out by law, but the road was so new, so many water courses and ferries intervened, that it was impossible to carry the mail with any degree of regularity, or so as to be useful ; the contract was dropped, and the mail is now carried as conformable to the route designated, as the nature of the country will admit. The fourth and fifth articles in the second section are substituted for this route.\n5. This is merely for the purpose of leaving out New-Market in the route from Easton to Vienna, and sending the mail by Cambridge ; no person has been found to keep an office at the former ; the latter is a place of some business, a country town, and would be of some use.\n6. It is proposed to discontinue the route from Bladens-'
 "burg, to Upper Marlboro', and establish it from Washington city to Upper Marlboro'. Bladenburg is a small village, and the correspondence of the offices connected with Upper Marlboro' is directed chiefly to Washington and Georgetown.\n7. and 8. It is also proposed to discontinue the route from Allensfresh to Port-Conway, which crosses several wide and expensive ferries, without being of any apparent use; and also to discontinue the route from Tappahannock, by Richmond court-house and Westmoreland court-house, to Kinsale, on account of the width of the ferry at Tappahannock, which often prevents the mail from being crossed in proper time, for these routes the road No. 8, from Falmouth, by King George, &c. is substituted; this also accommodates several thriving villages, which are not now accommodated with a mail.\n9. From Prince Edward to Lynchburg; this route passes chiefly through a poor country, and thinly inhabited; it is discontinued in order to substitute the route No. 9, in the second section, from Cumberland to Lynchburg, which will accomodate the inhabitants of Buckingham county.\nSection 2d.\nThis section provides for the establishment of new roads; the nine first are chiefly substitutes for roads discontinued, and have already been noticed.\n10. From Concord to Charleston. This road is proposed in order to accommodate Hopkinton with the mail, and to give Charleston a more direct communication with Portsmouth.\n11. From Newbury to Danville. This is to accommodate Danville, the county town of Caledonia county, in Vermont, with a mail.\n12. From Burlington, by St. Albans, to Highgate. This extension of the road is proposed in order to accommodate the correspondence with Canada, by way of St. John's—The British post-office now sends a mail on that route for the purpose of communicating with the offices"
 "of this country ; that mail is, however, of no use to the inhabitants of St. Alban's and Highgate.\n13. From Wilkesbarre, up the Susquehannah, to Canandaigua. This road is represented to be pretty well settled ; and a post-road would be of considerable use to the inhabitants ; it would also shorten the communication with Niagara. The inhabitants have already a post for the distribution of newspapers a considerable part of the distance, but it does not enable them to communicate readily with the public post-offices. It is proposed to send a mail only once a fortnight on this route, until the proceeds that may be derived from it are known.\n14. From Lewisburg to Lycoming. This short route is proposed for the purpose of accommodating the inhabitants of that new country with a mail.\n15. From Washington, to Green court house, in Pennsylvania. This is also a short route for the accommodation of the inhabitants of a newly erected county, which is considerably populous.\n16. From Louisville, Kentucky, by Vincennes, to Kaskaskias, in the North-Western territory. This route is proposed chiefly to accommodate the public dispatches ; it will, however, be of considerable use to the inhabitants of those places, and their correspondence will probably defray a great part of the expense ; it is contemplated to send the mail on this route only once a month.\n17. From Leonardtown, in Maryland, to the Great Mill. This is a short route, and will accommodate a populous part of St. Mary's county.\n18. From Fredericksburg to Columbia. The country through which this road is to pass, is represented to be very well settled, and that the mail will accommodate a great number of people, who are of that class likely to make use of the mail, and contribute considerably towards the expense of transporting it.\n19. From King and Queen to Shacklesford. This is a very short route, and Shacklesford is represented to be in a very wealthy and populous neighbourhood."
 '20. From Washington, by Bath, to Woodstock. The two latter are thriving villages, situated on a navigable river, where considerable trade in lumber is carried on.—The route is short, and there is reason to hope the postages that may be collected, will defray the expense of carrying the mail.\n22. From Chatham to Greenville. This short route is a substitute also, for the route from Lumberton, by Cheraw, to Camden; the postages that may be collected at Greenville, will doubtless warrant the sending of a mail on this route.\n23. From Taunton, in Massachusetts, to Bridgewater. The latter is a considerable inland town; and many of the inhabitants are employed in the manufacturing line, to whom the mail would be very useful.\n24. This article authorises the Post-Master General to send a mail to the Mississippi territory, to accommodate the communications of government. Nashville or Knoxville are supposed the readiest offices for that purpose.\nThe following petitions, for the establishment of post-roads, have been attentively considered, and it does not seem that the routes desired will be of any public use, or that considerable portion of the expense of carrying the mail upon them, would be obtained from them. It does not, therefore, appear expedient to provide the petitioners with posts. The post-office is already sufficiently burdened with routes where the inhabitants make no use of the mail, and which are of no advantage in communicating the dispatches of government; almost every part of the country where it would be of any use to have posts, are already supplied; indeed many roads are now established which are expensive, and of no use whatever; it is therefore hoped, that new ones will not be established without proper examination. There is much reason also to fear, that the present unfavorable situation of commerce, will greatly reduce the revenue of the post-office,'
 'and should that be the case, the present establishment would add an expense, instead of a small profit, to the public treasury.\nNo. 1. The petition of sundry inhabitants of New-Hampshire, for the establishment of a road from Exeter direct to Concord.\nNo. 2. The petition of sundry inhabitants of the western parts of the state of New-York for a post-road from Albany to Cooperstown.\nNo. 3. The petition of sundry inhabitants of New-Jersey, from Newark, to Goshen, in the state of New-York.\nNo. 4. The petition of sundry inhabitants in New-York, for a post road from Kingston to Ouleout.\nNo. 5. The petition of sundry inhabitants in Maryland and Pennsylvania, for a road from Elkton to Lancaster.\nNo. 6. The petition of sundry inhabitants in South-Carolina, for a road to Williamsburg, South-Carolina.\nNo. 7. The petition of sundry inhabitants of New-Hampshire, for a post road from Concord to Portland.\nJOSEPH HABERSHAM,\nPost-Master-General.\nGeneral Post Office, Philadelphia, January 8, 1799. }'
 'REMARKS, respectfully submitted to the House of Representatives on the petition of Ezekiel Williams, jun. Post-Master at Hartford, in Connecticut, by the Post-Master-General, to whom the same was referred by an order of the House, on the 14th of June last.\nTHERE is no doubt but that the compensation of the post-master at Hartford is very small in proportion to the trouble he receives. The same observation will apply to those of the post-masters of Albany, Richmond and Trenton, whose compensations were reduced by the same act which reduced that of the post-master at Hartford, and it would be very desirable to encrease their compensations, if it could be done without causing dissatisfaction to nearly one hundred other post-masters, whose compensations are more inadequate to the services they perform than even that of the petitioner. On that account it does not seem proper to make any discrimination in regard to the compensation of post-masters. The post-master at Hartford now receives a commission of twenty seven per cent. on the amount of the postages which he collects. Upon the whole, the Post-Master-General is of opinion, that this petition cannot be granted without creating uneasiness among the post-masters at large, and of course, an injury to the department, that would overbalance any advantage that might be derived from providing for the petitioner.\nJOSEPH HABERSHAM, Post-Master-General.\nGeneral Post-Office, Philadelphia January 8, 1799. }\n1984.1127.10'
 'LETTER FROM THE Post-Master-General, ACCOMPANYING DRAUGHTS OF TWO BILLS, WITH EXPLANATORY REMARKS, RELATIVE TO THE POST-OFFICE AND POST ROADS WITHIN THE UNITED STATES,\nPURSUANT TO A RESOLUTION OF THE HOUSE OF THE FOURTEENTH OF JUNE, 1799; — ALSO, HIS REPORT ON THE PETITION OF RACHEL WILLIAMS, REFERRED TO HIM BY ORDER OF THE HOUSE, ON THE SAME DAY.\n8th January, 1799,\nReferred to the committee appointed on the 24th ultimo, to examine whether any, and what amendments are necessary to be made in the act, intitled "An act to establish the post-office and post-roads within the United States."\n[Published by order of the House of Representatives.]'
 "comprehending half so many miles, and the post-offices not being two thirds so numerous, as those in this country. The post office in Scotland (under the British post-office) is managed by a post master general, a secretary, a solicitor and an accomptant, besides clerks; the post roads in Scotland, hardly extend 2,000 miles, and there are only 180 post-offices. If experience has shewn the governments of those countries, that such an arrangement is there necessary, to the due execution of the business of the General Post Office, it is believed, that no one can suppose that the General Post Office here, which superintends nearly seven hundred post-offices, and the transportation of the mail over post roads, that extend more than sixteen thousand miles, can be easily or duly managed, by one Post-Master General, an assistant and the help he can obtain from an allowance too scanty for the employment of four good clerks. The most material parts of the duty have indeed been performed, so as to keep the business in motion, but it is believed, that all the smaller duties have not been properly performed, since the first extension of the post roads, under the present form of government. On the first establishment of the General Post Office, under the former constitution, a Post Master-General, and an assistant were provided for its superintendance; then and for many years afterwards, the whole number of post-offices did not amount to sixty, and the post roads did not extend two thousand miles: one clerk was then also employed. With only the additional aid of three clerks, the same provision has been continued to this time, although the duties have been gradually increased to more than seven fold.\nThese circumstances are mentioned, that the alteration might not appear extravagant; the Post-Master-General has no disposition to enjoy the emolument the office affords him without rendering his constant services, and no wish to add the least unnecessary expense. It appears to him that additional provision is absolutely necessary in the present state of the office, and that there will be constant employ for all those who are proposed.\nIn a business so diffusive as the services to be performed in the general post-office, it is not easy to detail the particulars. The transportation of the mail over post-roads that extend sixteen thousand miles, which have many different branches and connections, and are divided into many small contracts, to be performed at a great distance from the general post-office, is a considerable object. Notwithstanding large penalties are provided for failures and delays, and much caution is used to contract only with good men, many failures and delays will happen; some through unavoidable causes, and others through the negligence of contractors; on this subject a multitude of letters are written by those interested in the regular conveyance of the mail: they require answering, and the performance of the contractors requires also to be constantly examined—To this also must be added, the misconduct of those who contract, or who are employed by contractors, and where so many are employed in a toilsome service, it must be expected that many letters must be written on such subjects. It can hardly be supposed, that where seven hundred post-masters are appointed, that there must not be many vacancies to be supplied, especially where the emoluments to be derived from the office are so inconsiderable, as they are at a large proportion of the post offices of the United States; and it is a fact, that the establishment of new offices, and the appointment of new post-masters, with attending to complaints, receiving resignations, and making due enquiries for that purpose, is almost sufficient to engross the attention of one person. The business of receiving post-masters' accounts, four times a year, calling upon them when negligent, and commencing suits when they cannot be otherwise obtained—obtaining their balances in such an extensive country, and prosecuting them for delinquencies, paying contractors, obtaining vouchers, is very considerable. After the accounts are obtained, they are to be examined, the errors corrected, and the post-masters informed of them; they are to be entered in books, and particular accounts"
 "An ACT to alter and discontinue several post-roads, and to establish others.\n1 SEC. 1. BE it enacted by the Senate and House 2 of Representatives of the United States of America, in 3 Congress assembled, That the following post-roads be 4 discontinued, to wit:—\n5 1. From Fayetteville, by Lumberton and Cheraw 6 court-house, to Camden—2. From Vergennes, by Ba- 7 son harbour, to Plattsburg, in Vermont—3. From 8 old Fort Schuyler, by Cincinnatus, to Oxford—4. 9 From Harrisburg, by Petersburg, Millerstown, 10 Thompsonstown, Millington, Lewistown, Hunting- 11 don, Alexandria, Centre Furnace, Bellefont, Miles- 12 burg, Aaronburg, Mifflinburg, Lewisburg, North- 13umberland and Sunbury to Harrisburg—5. From 14 Easton, in Maryland, by New-Market to Vienna—6. 15 From Bladensburg to upper Marlboro'—7. From 16 Allensfresh, by Hoes ferry, to Port Conway—8. From 17 Tappahannock, by Richmond court-house and West- 18 moreland court-house, to Kinsale—9. From Prince 19 Edward court-house to Lynchburg.\n1 SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the follow- 2 ing be established as post-roads, to wit: 1. From Fay- 3 etteville, by Chatham, to Camden—2. From Vergen- 4 nes, by Charlotte, to Plattsburg—3. From Utica, to 5 Oxford, in New-York—4. From Harrisburg, by Mil- 6 lerstown, Thompfontown, Millington, Lewistown 7 and Huntingdon, to Alexandria, in Pennsylvania— 8 5. From Lewisburg, in Pennsylvania, by Mifflinburg, 9 Aaronburg, Milesburg and Bellefont, to Centre Fur- 10 nace—6. From Easton, in Maryland, by Cambridge, 11 to Vienna—7. From Washington city, to Upper\n12 Marlboro'—8. From Falmouth, by King George, 13 Westmoreland court house, and Richmond court- 14 house, to Kinsale—9. From Cumberland court-house, 15 in Virginia, by Buckingham court-house and Floods 16 to Lynchburg—10. From Concord, in New-Hamp- 17 shire, by Hopkinton and Bradford, to Charleston— 18 11. From Newbury, Vermont, to Danville, Ver- 19 mont—12. From Burlington, in Vermont, by St. 20 Albans, to Highgate—13. From Wilkesbarre, in 21 Pennsylvania, by Wyalusing, Asylum, Tyoga point, 22 Newtown, Painted Post, and Bath, to Canandaigua, 23 in New York—14. From Lewisburg, to Lycoming, 24 in Pennsylvania—15. From Washington, to Green 25 court-house, in Pennsylvania—16. From Louisville, 26 by Vincennes, to Kaskaskias, in the territory North- 27 west of the Ohio—17. From Leonardtown, to the 28 Great Mill, in Maryland—18. From Fredericks- 29 burg, in Virginia, by Spottsylvania and Louisa court- 30 house, to Columbia—19. From King and Queen 31 court-house, to Shackleford's—20. From Washing- 32 ton, in North Carolina, by Bath, to Woodstock— 33 21. From Fayetteville, by Lumberton, to George- 34 town, in South Carolina—22. From Chatham, in 35 South-Carolina, to Greenville—23. From Taunton, 36 in Massachusetts, to Bridgewater—24. From Nash- 37 ville, or such other post-office as shall be found most 38 convenient to the Natchez, in the Mississippi territory.\n1 SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That nothing 2 contained in this act shall be construed so as to affect 3 any existing contract, without the contractor's con- 4 sent."
 'LETTER\nFROM THE\nPost-Master-General,\nACCOMPANYING\nDRAUGHTS OF TWO BILLS,\nWITH\nEXPLANATORY REMARKS,\nRELATIVE TO THE\nPOST-OFFICE AND POST ROADS\nWITHIN\nTHE UNITED STATES,\nPURSUANT TO A RESOLUTION OF THIS HOUSE OF THE FOURTEENTH OF JUNE, 1798;—\nALSO,\nHIS REPORT\nON THE PETITION OF EZEKIEL WILLIAMS, REFERRED TO HIM BY ORDER OF THE HOUSE, ON THE SAME DAY.\n8th January, 1799.\nReferred to the committee appointed on the 24th ultimo, to enquire whether any, and what amendments are necessary to be made in the act, intitled "An act to establish the post-office and post-roads within the United States."\n[Published by order of the House of Representatives.]'
 'LETTER FROM THE Post-Master-General, ACCOMPANYING DRAUGHTS OF TWO BILLS, WITH EXPLANATORY REMARKS, RELATIVE TO THE POST-OFFICE AND POST ROADS\nWITHIN THE UNITED STATES, PURSUANT TO A RESOLUTION OF THE HOUSE OF THE FOUR- TEENTH OF JUNE, 1798.—\nALSO, HIS REPORT ON THE PETITION OF EZEKIEL WILLIAMS, REFERRED TO HIM BY ORDER OF THE HOUSE, ON THE SAME DAY.\n8th January, 1799. Referred to the committee appointed on the 4th ultimo, to enquire whether any, and what amendments are necessary to be made in the act, intitled "An act to establish the post-office and post- roads within the United States."\n[Published by order of the House of Representatives.]']