Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1825-04-19

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be instituted against them.
Sec 4. I'M be IL further enacted,
That The Postmaster General shall cause
a mail 10 be carried from the nearest
Posl Oil c, on any established post road,
to the Court House of any county which
is now, or may hereafter be, established
n any Of the States or Territories of The
United States, and which is without a
mail; and the road, on which such mail
shall be transported, shall become post
road, and so continue, until the trans
portatioD thereon shall cease. Il shall,
also, be lawful for The Postmaster Gene
raj to enter INTO contracts, for term not
exceeding four years, for extending the
line of posts, and to authorize the per-
sons, 50 contracting, as a compensation
/ Tor their expenses, 10 receive, during the
continuance of such contracts, at rates
not eedlng those for like distances,
established by this act, all the postage
which shall arise on letters, newspapers,
magazines, pamphlets, and packets, con-
veyed by any such posts; and the roads,
designated in such contracts, shall, dur
ing the continuance thereof, be deemed
and considered as post roads, within
the provision OF this act : and a dup!-
cate of every such contract shall, within
sixty days after the execution thereof be
lodged in the Office OF the Comptroller
ofthe Treasury Of the United States.
Sec. S. ind be ii farther enacted,
That the Postmaster General be author
ized TO have the mail carried in any
steam boat, or other vessel, which shalt
| be used as packet, in anv of the waters
Of the United States, on such terms and
conditions as shall be considered expe-
dent: ProDided, Tha, he does not as
more than three cents for each Letter,
and more than one-half cent for each
newspaper, conveyed in such mail.
Sec. 6. lind be il further enacted,
That It shall be the duty of every master
or manager Of any steam boat, which
shall pass from one port or place TO ano-
Their port or place in the United States,
where Post Office is established, to de-
liver, within three hours after his arrival,
i! IN the day ime, and within two hours
after the next sunrise, if the arrival be
in the night, all letters and packets adj
dressed to, or destined for, such port or
place, TO the PosiG aster there, for W hich
he shall be entitled to receive, OF such
Postmaster, two cents for every letter or
packe, so delivered, unless the same
shall be carried or conveyed under
contract with the Postmaster General !;
and, 1t any master or mana ger OF steam
boat shall TAIL So TO deliver any letter or
packet, which shall have been brought
by him, or shall have been in his care,
or within his power, he shall incur Pc
naiiy OF thirty dollars for every saeh tai
lure. And every person employed CT
board any steam boat, shall deliver eve
~ letter, and packet of letters, entrusted
to such person, TO the master or mana
ger o! such steam boat, and before The
SAID vessel shall touch at any other port
or place; and, for every failure or ne
elect SO 10 deliver, penalty Of ten dol
lars shall be incurred for each letter or
packet.
Sec. Z. And be il fur.hcr enacted,
That no other than free white person
shall be employed in conveying the mai;
and any contractor who shall employ, CT
permit, any other than free White per-
son 10 convey the mail, shall, for every
such Offence, incur penalty of twenty
dollars.
Sec. 8, .4nd be ii further enacted.
That, whenever ii shall be made appear,
TO the satisfaction of the Postmaster &c.
neral, that any road established, or which
may hereafter be established as a post
road, is obstructed by fences, gates, or
bars, or other than those lawfully used
on turnpike roads to collect their toll,
and not kept 10 good repair, with proper
bridges and ferries, where the same may
be necessary, it shall be the duty of the
Postmas er General to report the same
to Congress, with such Information as
can be obtained, to enable Congress to
establish some other road ms ad Of il,
in the same main direction.
Sec. 9. ind be it further enacted,
That, if any person shall, knowingly and
wiliully, obsnuct or retard, the passage
of the mail, or of any driver or carrier,
or of any horse or carriage, carrying the
same, he shall, upon conviction, for eve
ry such offence, pay fine not exceeding
one hundred dollars; and If any ferry
man shall, by wiltul negligence, or re-
fusal to transport The mail across any
ferry, delay the same, he shall forfeit and
pay,sfor every len minutes that The same
shall be SO delayed, sum not exceeding