Mississippi palladium. [volume] (Holly Springs, Miss.) 1851-1852, 1851-06-13
TIE Cheap Postage Law.
An Act TO reduce and modify the rate of postage
IN the United States, and for other purposes.

De ~ e1dcte0 0g ne Senate ana H06Se or
Of tie United States Of n
oaeTica IN Congress assembled, That, from
the thirtieth day of June, eighteen hundred
and fftyone in lieu of the rates of postage
now established by law there shall be charg-
ed the following rates, to wit: For every
single letter in manuscript, or paper of anS-
kind upon which information shall be asked
for, or communicated in writing, or by
marks or signs, conveyed in the mail, for
any distance between places within the q
nited States not exceeding three thousand
miles, when the postage upon such letter
shall have been prepaid three cents, and
Ave cents when the postage 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 a foreign country, for any
distance over twenty-five hunderd miles,
twenty cents, and for any distance under
twenty-five hundred miles, ten cents, Tex
cepting, however, all cases where such post
ages have been or shall be adjusted at differ
ent rates by postal treaty or convention,
already concluded or hereafter to be made;)
and for double letter, there shall be charg-
ed double the rates above specified; and for
treble letter, treble those rates; and every
letter or parcel not exceeding half an ounce
in weight, shall be deemed single letter;
and every additional weight of half an
ounce, or additional weight of less than half
an ounce shall be charged with an addition
al single postage. And all drop letters, or
letters placed in any post Office, not for
transmission, but for delivery only, shall be
charged with postage at the rate of one cent
each; and all letters which shall hereafter be
advertised as remaining over or uncalled
for in any post Office, shall be charged with
one cent in addition to the regular postage,
both to be accounted for as other postages
now are.
Sec. 9. And be 1t further enacted, That
all newspapers not exceeding three ounces
in weight, sent from the Office of publica-
ton 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 dis
tance not exceeding fifty miles out of the
county where published, shall be five cents
per quarter and for any distance 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 pea
quarter; for any distanee exceeding two
thousand miles and not exceeding foul
thousand miles, twenty-five cents per quar-
ter; and for any distance exceeding four
thousand miles, thirty cents per quarter
and all newspapers published monthly, and
sent to actual and bona fde subscribers,
shall be charged with one-fourth the fore
going rates; and on all such newspapers
published semi-monthly shall be charged
with one half the foregoing rate; and pa
pers published semi weekly shall be charg-
ed double those rates; tri-wcekly 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, handbill, engrav-
ing, pamphlet, periodical, magazine, book,
and every other description of printed mat
ter, which shall be unconnected with any
manuscript, or written matter, and which ii
may be lawful to transmit through the mail,
of no greater weight than one ounce, or any
distance not exceeding FIVE hundred miles,
one cent; and for each additional ounce, OIL
fraction of an ounce, one cent: for any dist
ance exceeding five hundred miles and not
exceeding one thousand FIVE hundred miles,
double those rates; for any distance ex-
ceeping one thousand FIVE hundred miles
and not exceeding two thousand FIVE hun
dred miles, treble those rates; for any dist.
ance exceeding two thousand FIVE hundred
miles and not exceeding three thousand five
hundred miles, four times those rates; fol
any distance exceeding three thousand five
hundred miles, five times those rates. Sub
scribers to all periodicals shall be required
to pay one quarters postage in advance, in
all such cases the postage shall be one-hali
the foregoing rates. Bound books, and
parcels of printed matter not weighing ovel
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 te
actual and bona fide subscribers, to be pre-
paid; and in ascertaining the weight o
newspapers for the purpose of determining
the amount of postage chargeable thereon,
they shall be weighed when in dry state
And whenever any printed matter on which
the postage is required by this section to be
prepaid shall, through the inattention O
postmasters, or otherwise, be sent without
prepayment, the same shall be charged with
double the amount of postage which would
have been chargeable thereon if the post
age had 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 ad
| vice and consent of the President of the q.
nited States, shall be and he is hereby au
| thorized to reduce or enlarge, from time te
time, the rates of postage upon all letter:
and other mailable matter conveyed be
tween the United States and any foreign
country, for the purpose of making any bet
ter postal arrangements with other govern
ments, or counteracting any adverse mea
sures effecting our postal intercourse witt
foreign countries; and postmasters at tht
Office of delivery are hereby authorized, ane
| it shall be their duty, to remove wrapper
and envelopes from all printed matter ant
pamphlets not charged with letter postage
for the purpose of ascertainlng whethe'
! there IS upon OF connected with anv sucl