The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1810-08-21
IBY AUTHORITY
bAW OF THE UNITED STATES.
AN ACT
Regulating the Pos, office Establishment.

ca an Congress assembled, That there be csta-
bshed, at the seat OF government of the United
States, General Pos, Office, under the direc
ton of Post master General. The Post mas
Ter General shall appoint two assistants, and
such clerks as may be necessary for performing
the business of his Office He shall establish
post Offices and appoint Post Masters. at all
such places shall appear to him expedient,
on the post roads that are or may he established
y y law. He shall give assistants, the post
masters, and all other persons whom he shall
employ, or who may be employed in any of the
departments of the general post Office, INSTRUCT
ons relative to their duty, he shall provide for
the carriage of the mail on all post roads that
are or may be established by law, and as often
as he. having regard to the productiveness there-
OF, and other circumstances, shall think proper,
he may direct the route or road, where there
are more than one between places designated by
law for post road. which route shall be cons.
deted the general post road. He shall obtain from
the post masters their accounts and vouchers for
their receipts and expenditures once in three
1nonihs, or oftener, with the balances thereon a.
rising IN favor of the general post Office. He
shall pay all expences which may arise in con
Quoting the post Office, and IN the conveyance
of the mail, and all other necessary expences
arising on the collection of the revenue and ma.
nagement of the post office. He shall prose
cute offences against the post off -e establish
ment. He shalt once in three months render to
the Secretary of the Treasury quarterly ac-
count of all the receipts and expenditures in the
said department, to be adjusted and settled as
other public accounts He shall also superintend
the business OF the department. in ali the du
ties that are or may be assigned to 1t, PROVIDED,
That in case of the death, resignation, or reno
val from office If the Post Master General all
his duties shall be performed by his senior
sistant, until q successor shall be appointed and
arrive at the General Post Office to perform the
business.
SEC. 2. dnd be it further enacted, Thst the
Pos, Master General, and other persons EN-
pcyed in the General Post Office, or in the care,
custody, or conveyance of the mail, shall, pre-
vous TO entering upon the duties assigned to
them. or the execution of their trusts, and be
fore they shall be entitled TO receive any emolu-
ment therefor, respectively, take and subscribe
the following oath or Affirmation, before some
magistrate, and cause certificate thereof to be
fled in the General Post Office 81 A b do
swear, or affirm Gas the case may be) that l
will faithfully perform all the duties required OF
me, and abstain from every thing forbidden by
the laws in relation to the establishment of the
Post Office and post roads within the u States"
Every person who shall be in any manner employ
led in the care, custody, conveyance, or manage
lnent of the mail, shall be subject to all Dams
penalties and forfeitures for violating the nIcnc
lions, or neglecting the duties required of him
by the laws relating to the establishment of the
Post Office and post roads, whether such person
shall have taken the oath or affirmation above
prescribed or not
SEC. g. And be ii fi.rthe, enacted, That it
shall be lawful for the Post Master General TO
provide by contract, for the carriage of the mail
on any road on which stage Wagon .or other
stage carriage shall be established, on condition
that the expence thereof shall not exceed the
revenue thence arising. 1T shall also be lawful
for the Post Master General to enter iato con-
tracts for term not exec eding eight years, for
extending the line ofposts, and to authorize the
persons contracting, a compensation for
their expences, to receive during the contInu
ance of such contracts, at rates not exceeding
those for like distances established by this act,
all the postage which shall arise on letters,
newspapers, mag zines, pamphlets and packets,
conveyed by any such posts and the roads de-
signated in such contracts shall, during the con.
tinusnce thereof, be deemed and considered as
post roads within the provision ofthis act: And
duplicate of every such contract shall, within
sixty days after the execution there Of. be lodg-
ed in the office OF the comptroller Of the Tleasu'
nv of he u S.
SEC. A dnd be it further enacted. That no
other than free whIIe p rson Shall b. employed
in carrying the mail of Tie United States, on any
ot the post roads either a post rider or dri
yer ola carriage carrying the mail and every
contractor Or prison who shall have stipuiat ed
or may hereafter siipulate to carry the mail OF
whose duty it shall be Ia cause the same TO be
conveyed on any of the post roads, aforesaid, &
who shall contrary to this act employ any othef
than free white person post rider, or dri
Ver or in any other way 10 carry the mail on the
same, shall for every such offence forfeit and
pay the sum of fifty dollars one moety thereof
to the United States, and the other moety there
of to the person WHO shall sue for and prosecute
the same, before any court having competen,
jurisdiction thereof
SEC 5. And be it further enacted, That the
post master general shall be authorised to allow
the post masters at the several distributing
Offices such compens ,ton as shall be ado uuate
TO their several services in that respect Provt
0ed, That the same shalnot exceed, in the whole,
five pr cent. on the whole amount Of hostages
on letters and newspapers received tor distribu-
ton P,oviaed akso, That if the mum Der of mails
received at and dispatched from any such Office,
is not actually increased 10y the distributing sys.
TEN, then no additional allow vance shall be made
TO the post master
SEC O. AnG Be it further enacted, That when
ever II shall be made To appear To the satsfacti-
on of the post master general that any road es.
tablished, or which may hereafter be establish
ed asa post road, is ubstructed by fences, gates
or bars, other Than those lawfully used on
turnpike roads 10 collect teir toll, and not KEEP,
in good repair, with proper bridges and ferries
where the same may be necessary. ii shall be
the Guiy of the post master general TO report the
same to Congress with such information az can
be obtsined, to enable Congress to establrs,
some other road instead Of IL in the same main
direction.
SEC. Z. Ind be il further enacted, That if any
person shall knowingly and wiIfuly obstruet
or retard the passage OF the mail, or ifany dri.
yer or carrier, or of any horse or carriage carry.
ing the same, he shall, upon convection, for eve