Southern shield., 1851-03-22

IHify-frst Congress.
 PUBLo-No I2l
 AN ACT 10 reduce and modify the raies ot postage in the United States, and fol
 other purposes.
 Be t enacted by the Senate and House O epreSefafmiUes Ofthe United States of .4meri co u Congress assembled, That from the thrieth day of June, eighteen hundred anc fifty-one, in lieu of the rates of postage now established by law, there shall be charged the following rates, to-Wt: For every sin. gle letter in manuscript, or paper of any kind upon which information shall be asked for, or communicated in writing, or by marks or signs conveyed in the mail, fol any distance between places in the United States not exceeding three thousand miles when the postage upon such letter shall have been prepaid, three cents, and five cents when the postage thereon shall not have been prepaid; and for any distance ex- ceeding three thousand miles, double these rates for every such single letter or paper when conveyed wholly or in part by sea and 10 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, (ex- ceptng, however, all cases where such pos tage have been or shall be adjusted at differ ent rates by postal treaty or convention, al- ready concluded or hereafter 10 be made:) and for double letter, there shall be charged double the rates above specified; and for a treble letter, treble those rates; and for a quadruple letter. quadruple those rates: and every letter or parcel not ex- | ceeding half an ounce in weight, shall be deemed a single letter; and every addition al weight of half an ounce, or additional weight of less than half an ounce, shall be charged with an additional single postage. And all drop-letters, or letters placed in any post office, not for transmission, but for delivery only, shall De charged with postage at the rate of one cent each; and all letters shall hereafter De 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. g. find De it fmther 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: AllnewspaperS 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 a news- paper published weekly, for any distance not exceeding fifty miles out of the county where published, shall be five cents per quarter; for any distance exceeding fifty miles, and not exceeding three hundred miles, ten cents per quarter; for any dis lance exceeding three hundred miles and not exceeding one thousand, fifteen cents per quarter; for any distance exceeding 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 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-lourth the foregoing rates; and on all such newspapers published semi monthly shall be charged with one-half the foregoing rates; and papers published semi weekly shall be charged double those rates; tr-weekly, 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, engraving, pamphlet, pc riodical, magazine, book, and every other description of printed matter, which shall | ,,,+h nI. written matter, and which it may be law fu to transmit through the mail, ot no greater weight than one ounce, for any distance not exceeding five hundred miles, one cent; and for each additional ounce, or fraction of an ounce, one cert; for any dis tance exceeding five hundred miles and not exceeding one thousand five hundred miles, double those rates; for any distance exceed ing one thousand five hundred miles, and not exceeding two thousand i've hundred miles, treble those rates; for any distance exceeding two thousand five hundred miles and not exceeding three thousand i've hundred miles, four times those rates; for any distance exceeding three thousand hve hundred miles, five times those rates. ouo- scribers to all periodicals shall be required to pay one quarters postage m aaVahce' in all such cases the postage shall be one half the foregoing rates. Bound books and parcels of printed matter not weighing over ihirty-two ounces, shall be deemed mali able matter under the provisions ot this sec, ton. And the postage on all the printed matter other than newspapers and perlodi- calls published at intervals, not exceeding three months, and sent from the office ot publication to actual and bona fiGe subscrI-