The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-06-12
Error Corrected.


We have been requested by the Postmaster General to
epubsh the 18th section of the of the Sd of March
ls47 to establish certain post routes and for other pur
poses certified copy has been furnished by the State
Department This is rendered necessary by the improper
punctuation of part of the section in the edition of the
Laws, published, which has given rise to misconsruc
ton OF the law and censure of the department for the
regulations adopted to enforce it.
In that part OF the section which declares all newspa
pes shall pay postage, except exchange papers and those
franked, the following words, sand newspapers not
sent from the office Of publications. made part of the
same sentence, and additional exception, by placing
the semicolon after the word qualification p and il has
been claimed that exchange papers, and those ranked,
as well all others sent in the mails, not coming from
the office of publication, to pass free in the mails
leaving newspapers issuing from the Office of publication
the only pay POSTAGE thus discriminating against
publishers, when it has been the uniform policy of Con-
gress to favor them and their subscribers the best
means of disseminating intelligence among the people
The evil which Congress intended to remedy by this
ton, the unnecessary burden thrown upon conac-
well postmasters, by crowding the mails with
newspapers handbs and circulars addressed to persons
not ordering them who refused to take them from the
Offices thus subectng the department to the expense of
transportation increasing the labors OF the posmasers
without any remuneration whatever, and aordng faci
ties for smuggling correspondence through the mails
without the payment of regular postage The remedy
intended double postage and prepayment upon these
transient papers, thus continuing the policy of favonng
publishers and their regular subscribers.
The improper punctuation in the pamphlet edition of
the Laws of the last session is corrected by pacnS
semcoon after the word privilege in the preceding line
so as TO connect the words above quoted with the subse
quent sentences requiring the prepayment of double post
age on newspapers not sent from the Office of pubca
ton, hand bills and circulars Though it evidently
the intent OF Congress to continue the policy of favorng
publishers as well subscribers yet il would be
impossible for the postmasters to decide who were
were not subscribers the Postmaster General has felt it
his duty instruct postmasters to forward in the mails
without prepayment, all newspapers coming from the
office of publications. Ii publishers shall abuse the be
ray extended to them, by sending their papers through
the mails to persons ordering them, thus continuing
the evils which Congress intended to remedy, it may fur
nsh additional reason for the prepayment of all print
ed NATTER recommended by the Postmaster General in
his last annual report.
The Postmaster General has furnished us with regu-
ary certified copy of the 18th section of the of the
sd day of March, 1877 to establish certain post routes
United States of America.
DEPARTMENT STATE
To all ,chom these presents shall come, greeting:
certify that the annexed is copy of the thirteenth
section act Of the Congress Of the United States
post and for other purposes, transcribed from, and
coated with, the original roll in this Department.
of State of the United Saies hereunto subscribed
my name and caused the seal of the Department of State
Done at the city of Washington this tenth day of June,
L. 81 A. ID. 1S7 and OF the independence of the United
JAMES BUCHANAN. i
SEC. 49, -And be further enacted That il shall not be
lawful deposte in any post office, be conveyed in the
mall letters directed to different persons
envelope packet and every person
offending shall forfeit the of dollars be recovered
by quitdn half for the of the normer and
the other half for the of the Post Office Departments
Provided, That this prohibition shall apply let
packet, directed any foreign country: and all
newspapers conveyed in the mail shall be subject post
age, except those by way of exchange the
publishers ofnewsPapes and except those ranked by per-
enjoying the ranking privilege and newspapers not
from the office of publication, and all handbills cir
culars printed Autographed exceeding one Sheet
shall be subject three postage each to be paid
when deposited in any post office to be conveyed in the
mail and it shall not be lawful for any contractor mail
carrier transport pers of the mail sale dis
trbuton subscribers and the Postmaster General shall
have authority to pay canse TO be paid a
ceeding each for all letters packets conveyed
in any vessel steamboat not employed in carrying the
mall from pos, place any other post place in
the United States subject such regulations the Post
General may prescribe; and such publications or
books have been may be published pur
chased by order of either house of Congress- Joint
luton of the houses shall be considered public doc
unents and entitled be ranked such and shall not
be lawful to make any allowance compensation dep
atty postnasters addition their commissions author
by law excepting the receipts from boxes Of which all
beyond thousand dollars shall be applied in defayng
the penses of their offices, and 70 be accounted for in the
ane manner they required for their
nissons and excepting the special allowance made by
law to the postmasters Washington city and New Or