Delaware State reporter., 1854-09-01
Public, No. SOL

An Act making appropriations for the service of
the Post Office Department during the fiscal
year ending the thirtieth of June, one thou
sand eight hundred and iifty-five. !,
Be ii enacted b, The Senate and House of Rep
resentatires of the United States of America in
Congress assembled, That the following sums be
and the same are hereby, appropriated for the
service of the Post Office Department for the
year ending the thirticth of June, one thousand
eight hundred and fifty-fve, 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, one thousand eight hundred and
thirty-six:
For transportation of the mails, five million
two hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars.
For compensation to postmasters two millions
of dollars.
For ship, steamboat, and way-letters, twenty
five thousand dollars.
For wrapping paper, fifty-five thousand COL
lars.
For office furniture in the post Offices, eight
thousand dollars.
For advertising, eghty-five thousand dollars.
For mail bags, fifty-five thousand dollars
For blanks, siXty-tive thousand dollars.
Far mail locks, keys, and stamps, twenty-five
thousand dollars.
For mail depredations and special agents,
Sixty thousand dollars.
For clerks hire in the offices of postmasters,
five hundred and sixty thousand dollars.
For postage stamps and stamped envelopes,
tty-iive thousand dollars.
For miscellaneous items, one hundred and
twenty thousand dollars.
For compilation OF post routes, as contained
i'll the bill passed at the present session of Con-
gross establishing routes, one thousand dollars
To enable the Postmaster General to purchase
the patent of the clam-shell paddock should he
be OF opinion the public service requires it, the
sum Of five thousand dollars.
SEC 2. And be IL further enacted That there
be, and is hereby appropriated, out ofany money
in the treasury, not otherwise appropriated, a
sum not exceeding two million three hundred
and forty-four thousand four hundred and sixty
four dollars, to supply any deficiency that may
ARISE i'll the revenues Of the Post Office Depart
ment to meet the foregoing appropriations for
the year ending the thirtieth of June one thou
sand eight hundred and hfty-five.
SEC. 3. And be IL further enacted That here
after the Postmaster General be authorized and
directed to continue the mail service between
Charleston, Key West and Havana. during
August and September, by competent steamer,
as it is now being performed during ten months
of the year, and that to enable him to do so,
ten thousand dollars are hereby appropriated
out of any money in the treasury not otherwise
appropriated.
SEC. 4. And be ii further enacted, That there
be allowed and paid to the postmaster of Wash.
ington city, District of Columbia, out of any
money in the treasury not otherwise appropri.
ated commission of one mill per pound upon
the aggregate weight of public documents print.
ed by order of Congress and deposited in tn,
office OF said postmaster to be mailed, this allow
ance to commence with the passage of this act,
and to continue for one year only, and to lie
computed from the ascertaincd weight for the
month of january eighteen hundred and fifty
four. And that the said postmaster be required
TO pay out of the said commissions to the clerks
and other employees of his office sum not ex-
ceeding two hundred and fifty dollars each, per
annum, as compensation for the extra labor
performed by them in the assortment and mail
ing Of said documents; and that he be required
to account for, and settle with, the Post Office
Department for the disbursement of these com
missions, and any surplus that may remairy in
the same manner as is now required in the set
Element of his other accounts.
Sec. S. And be it further enacted That the
Postmaster General be authorized and directed
to establish a mail on the Mississippi river from
Cairo to New Orleans, and from Keokuk, Iowa
to Galena, Illinois, and that he contract for the
same in one line or in such divisions or sections
or both as may be most compatible with the
public service, and to facilitate the execution Of
this section the Postmaster General may make
immediate temporary arrangements for carrying
said mail by the trip and if he fails to obtain
acceptable bids after advertising for thirty DAYS
he may make private contracts for CARRYING
; said mail and the said mail shall be carried
daily from Cairo to New Orleans but the Post
master General is authorized at his discretion
to restrict the delivery of the mail at all Other
points than Cairo, Memphis, Napoleon, Vcks
burg, Natchez, Baton Rouge and New Orleans
to three mails week each way. PROVIDED
Nothing herein contained shall be so construed
as to impair the rights of parties heretofore con-
tracing for said service.
Approved August 5, 1854.