The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-03-07

IAs Q4e44 H~eteDe 49,
All ACT 70 reduce md modify TIE rptea n
postage IN the United States, and for other
pwrposoe-
Be 4 sndo1ed by The Senate and House Of Rsr-
ressnlatires f hs United States Of America IN
Cneyesy assembled. That from the thirtiefh day
Of June, eighteen hundred and ifty-one, in Hen
Of the rates Of postage now established BY law,
there shall be charged the following rates. 70
wit: For every single letter in manuscripts. or
paper Of any kind upon which information shall
be asked for. or communicated in writing, orby
marks or signA, conveyed in the mail, for any
distance between places within the United States
not exceeding three thousand miles, when the
postage upon such letter shall have been pre-
paid, three cents, and five cents when the post
age thereon shall not have been prepaid and
for any distance exceeding three thousand miles,
double these rates for every such single letter
or paper when conveyed wholly or IN part BY
sea, and to or from foreign country, for any
distance over twenty-five hundred miles, twenty
cents, and for any distance under twenty-five
hundred miles, ten cents, (excepting, however,
all cases where such postage have been or shall
be adjusted at different rates by postal treaty or
convention, already concluded or hereafter to be
~
charged double the rates above specified and
for treble letter, treble those rates and for a
quadruple letter, quadruple those rates; and
every letter or parcel not exceeding half an
ounce ia weight, shall be deemed nsingle letter |;
and every additional weight Of half an ounce or
additional weight of less than half an ounce,
shall be charged with an additional single post
age. And all drop-letters, or letterx placed in
any post Office, not for transmission, but for de-
livery only, shall be charged with postage at the
rate of one cent each; and all letters shall here
after be advertised as remaining over or uucalled
for in any post Office shall be charged with one
cent In addition to the regular postage, both to
be accounted for as other hostages now are.
SEC. 2. And be ii further enacted, That all
newspapers not exceeding three ounces in
weight, sent from the Office of publication to
actual and bona fde subscribers, shall be charged
with postage as follows, to wit: All newspapers
published weekly only, shall circulate in the
mail free of postage within the county where
published, and that the postage on the regular
number of newspapers published weekly, for
any distance not exceeding fifty miles out of
the county whore published, shall be FIVE cents
per quarter for any distance not exceeding fifty
miles, and not exceeding three hundred miles,
ten cents per quarter; for any distance exceed
ing one thousand miles and not exceeding two
thousand miles, twenty cents per quarter; for
any distance exceeding two thousand miles and
not exceeding four thousand miles, twenty-five
cents per quarter; and for any distance exceed
ing four thousand miles, thirty cents per quar-
ter; and all newspapers published monthly, and
sent to actual and bona fide subscribers, shall
be charged with one-fourth the foregoing rates /;
and on all such newspapers published semi
monthly shall be charged with one-half the fore
going rates; and papers published semi-weekly
shall be charged double these rates tri-weeky,
treble those rates, and oftener than tri-weekly,
five times those rates. And there shall be
charged upon every other newspaper, and each
circular not sealed, handful, engraving, pam
phlet, periodical, magazine, book, and every
other description of printed matter, which shall
be unconnected with any manuscript, or written
matter, and which it may be lawful to transmit
through the mail, of no greater weight than one
ounce, for any distance not exceeding five hun
dred miles, one cent; and for each additional
ounce, or fraction of an ounce, one cent; for
any distance exceeding five hundred miles and
not exceeding one thousand five hundred miles,
double those rates; for any distance exceeding
one thousand five hundred miles and not ex-
ceeding two thousand five hundred miles, treble
those rates; for any distance exceeding two
thousand five hundred miles and not exceed
ing three thousand FIVE hundred miles, four
times those rates for any distance exceeding
three thousand FIVE hundred miles, five times
those rates. Subscribers to all periodicals shall
be required to pay one quarters postage in adj
vance; in all such cases the postage shall be
one-half the foregoing rates. Bound books,
and parcels of printed matter not weighing over
thirty-two ounces, shall be deemed mailable
matter under the provisions of this section.
And the postage on all printed matter other
than newspapers and periodicals published at
intervals, not exceeding three months, and sent
from the Office of publication TO actual and bona
fide subscribers, to be prepaid and in ascer-
tanning the weight Of newspapers for the pur-
pose Of determining the amount of postage
thereon, they shall be weighed when
in dry state. And whenever any printed mat
ter on which the postage is required by this sec
ton to be prepaid shall, through the inattention
of postmasters, or otherwise, be sent without
the same shall be charged with
double the amount of postage which would have
been chargeable thereon if the postage bad been
prepaid: but nothing in this act contained shall
subject to postage any matter which is exempted
from the payment of postage by any existing
law. And the Postmaster General, by and with
the advice and consent of the President of the
United States, shall be and he is hereby author
lied to reduce or enlarge, from time to time, the
rates of postage upon all letters and other
maiabe matter conveyed between the United
States and any foreign country, for the purpose
Of making any better postal arrangements with
other governments, or counteracting any ad-
verse measures affecting our postal intercourse
with foreign countries; and postmasters at the
office of delivery are hereby authorized, and it
shall be their duty, to remove wrappers and en-
velopes from all printed matter and pamphlets
not charged with letter postage, for the purpose
Of ascertaining whether there is upon or con-
nected with any such printed matter or in such
package any matter or thing which would au-
'horize or require the charge of higher rate of
postage thereon. And all publishers of pam
phlets, periodicals, magazines, and newspapers
which shall not exceed sixteen ounces in weight,
shall be allowed to interchange their pubica-
ions reciprocally free Of postage Prorided
That such an interchange shall be confined to a
single copy of each publication And proridcd
slso That said publishers may enclose in their
publications the bills for subscriptions thereto
4 IL. II