The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-03-05
BY AUTHORITY.
Public Acts


Passed during The second session Of the THirty-frst
C0ngreSs.
tPuBLIc-No, 10.
AN ACT making appropriations for the service OF
the Post Office Department, during the hscai
year ending the thirteth OF June, one thousand
eight hundred and hity-two, ana Tor oiher Pur-
poses.
Be nenacfed by the Senate and House Of Representa-
fires of the Unit14 States Of Anerica in Congress
seublsd That the following sums be, and the same
are hereby appropriated for the service Of the Post
Office Department for the ending the thirticth
of June one thousand eight hundred and fifty two.
out of any moneys in the Treasury arising from
the revenues of the said Department, in conformity
to the act Of the second Of July eighteen hundred
and thirty six, and for other purposes, viz:
For transportation of the mails, including the
service in California and Oregon, three millions
four hundred and seventy six thousand dollars.
For transportation of the mails in two steamships
from New York, by Southampton, to Bremen, at
one hundred thousand dollars for each ship, under
the contract with the Ocean Steam Navigation
Company of New York; and for transportation by
two ships under the contract, from New
York to Havre, at seventy-i five thousand dollars
each, in addition to an unexpended balance OF for
mer appropriations, two hundred and sixty-seyen
thousand dollars.
For transportation of the mails across the 18TH
mus Of Panama, forty five thousand dollars.
For compensation to postmasters, one million
eight hundred and seventy five thousand dollars.
For ship, steamboat, and way letters, forty FIVE
thousand dollars
For wrapping paper, thirty five thousand dol
lars
For office furniture nine thousand dollars
For advertising. eighty Thousand dollars.
For mail bags, thirty six thousand dollars.
For blanks, thirty five thousand dollars.
For mail locks, keys, and stamps, ten thousand
dollars.
For mail depredatons. and special agents, thir
ty- five thousand dollars.
For clerks in the offices of postmasters four hun
dred and twenty five thousand dollars.
For miscellaneous items, eighty thousand dol
lars.
For new mail and keys, twenty five thou
sand dollars.
For maps Of post routes, six thousand dollars.
For incidental expenses of post offices in Cali
fornia, from the dates respectively of their csta-
biishment to the thirtieth Of June, eighteen hum
bred and fffy-on sixty ak thousand dollars; or
much thereof as may be necessary in addition to
the commissions allowed by law to postmasters; to
be expended at such Office in such proportions,
and under such regulations, the Postmaster
General may direct, and to be accounted for as
commissions:
SEC. 2. And be il further enacted, That the
Postmaster General shall be, and he is hereby, au-
thorized to appoint letter carriers for the delivery
of letters from any post Office in California Orc.
gon, and to allow the letter-carriers who may be
appointed at any such poet office to demand and
receive such sum for all letters, newspapers, or
other mailable matter delivered by them, as may
be recommended by the postmaster for whose Of
flee such letter carrier may be appointed; not
ceeding tive cents for every letter, two cents for
of other nathalie matter; and the Postmaster
General shall be, and he is hereby, authorized to
empower the special agents OF the Post Office De-
partnent in California and Oregon to appoint such
icttercarriers in their districts respectively and to
fix the rates Of their compensation within the limits
aforesaid, subject to, and until the final action
of the Postmaster General thereon. And such
appointments may be made, and rates Of COM
pensation modified, from time to time, may
be deemed expedient; and the rates of compensa.
ton may be fixed and graduated in respect to the
distance Of the place of delivery from the post Of
flee for which such carriers appointed; but the
rate Of compensation Of any such letter carrier
shall not be changed after his appointment, except
by the order of the Postmaster General; and such
icter-carrier shall be subject TO the provisions of
the forty FIRST section of the act entitled An act to
change the organization Of the Post Office Depart
ment, and to provid more efiectually for the set
Element Of the accounts thereof approved July &C.
cond, eighteen hundred and thirty six, except in
cases otherwise provided for in this act.
SEC. g. And be IL further enacted, That in all
OF ine penalty, forfeiture, or disability, or alleged
liability for any sum or sums Of money, by way of
damages or otherwise, under any provision of law
relating to the Post Office -partment the Off
GERS. operations, business thereof the Postmas-
ter General shall be, and he is hereby, authorized
to prescribe euch general rules and mode of pro-
ceeding as shall to him appear cxpedient, for the
government Of the auditor of the Post Office De-
partment, in entertaining the facts in each in
which 1t shall be certified to him by such auditor
that the interests Of the Department probably re-
quirc the exercise Of the power conferred by this
act; and upon the facts being ascertained afore
said, the said auditor shall have power, with the
written consent of the Postmaster General, to nit
igate remit such fine, penalty, forfeiture re-
move such disability, and to compromise, release,
and discharge such claims for such sums OF
money and damages, on such terms as the said nu
ditor shall deem just and expedient; and in all
cases where judgment shall have been obtained
for debt or damages due the Post Office Depart
ment, and it shall satisfactorily appear, by the
turn of execution or otherwise, that such judg.
ment, or 30 much thereof remains unpaid, can.
not be collected by due process Of law, the said
auditor shall be, and he is hereby authorized, with
the written consent of the Postmaster General, tc
compromise such judgment, and accept, in salts.
faction thereof less than the amount Of such judg-
ment: Provided, That the power conferred by this
section shall not extend TO any Of fine, pen
atty, forfeiture, disability, alleged liability claim
which shall be incurred, accrue, arise, subse-
quent to the passage Of this act to any judgment
obtained after the passage thereof.
SEC. A.. And be it further enacted, That the Post
master General is hereby authorized to allow here
after to the special agents of the Post Office Depart
ment the annual salary of sixteen hundred dollars:
Provided, That no more shall be expended for this
purpose, during the present year, than is already
appropriated in this act.
Approved, March 3, 1851.