Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-09-29
CHAPTER XVI.


Bee. l47. BE 1T resoire6, That the Postmas
ter General be, and he is hereby, authorized
| 10 make such arrangements as mcy be deemed
expedient, with the Post Office Department of
the british government, for the transmission
OF the British mail in an unbroken state or
| condition between Boston and Canada. - joint
resolution Of June 15 1874
See also section 16I on this head.
Sec. l4S. BE 1T further resokred, That tie
postmaster General be, and he is hereby. an
tnorlzed 70 enter into such arrangement or ar
France and Germany, and the owners or
agents OF vessels plying regularly between
| those countries and the United States. where
| 3y safe, and as near as possible, a regular
dlrect mall communication, under official
guaranty between the United States and the
| continent OF Europe, viz the ports of Bremen
| iR Germany, and Havre in France. and such
other principal ports on said continent as the
Postmaster General may deH.--- ----1
shall be anti ari teef
mall matter, sent over sea FROM and to the
United States, to and from any part Of France,
| and Of the States cOmprehended within the
/ German Customs Union, and of those countries
| on the Continent between which and France,
and of the said Germanic States, there exists
continued arrangement Of the like kind,
may be paid at the place where they are re-
spectively mailed or received. Sec i, oct of
| June Is, 1874.
Sec. 149. Be IL further enacted. That the
Postmaster General of the United States be,
and he is hereby authorized, under the re-
| strlctions and provisions of the existing laws,
! to contract for the transportation of the Uni
| ted States mail between any of the ports of
the United States and port or ports of any
f, foreign power, whenever, in his opinion the
public interest will thereby be promoted and
| 1t shall be his duty to report to the next en-
suing Congress n copy Of each Of said contracts
! with statement of the amount of postage de-
rived under the same, as far as the returns of
| the Department will enable him to do And
| such contracts may be made, if it shall appear
| to the Postmaster General to be required by
the public interest, for any greater period
than four years, and not exceeding ten years
Sec. l, act Of 3D. March, 1915.
Sec $50. And be 1t further enacted, That
all such contracts shall be made with citizens
Of the United States, and the mail to be trans
ported in American vessels, by American citi-
zens Each contract entered into under the
provisions Of this act, besides the usual stipu.
! lations for the right Of the Postmaster General
| to discontinue the same, shall contain the fur
ther stipulation that it may, at any time, be
| terminated by joint resolution of the two
Houses Of Congress. Sec. 2, act Of March 3,
| lS45.
Sec. Isl. -dpd be az further enacted, That
the Postmaster General, or the Secretary of
State, be and he is hereby authorized to en-
power the consuls of the United States to
| pay the foreign postage of such letters, des-
| tined for the United States, as may be de-
tanned at the ports of foreign countries for the
non-payment OF postage; which postage shall
| be by the consul marked as paid by him, and
the amount thereof shall be collected in the
| United States, as other postage, on the deliv-
| cry OF the letters, and repaid to said consul,
or credited on his account at the State De
partment. Sec. 8, act Of March 3, 1S45
| Sec. 152. A'id be ft further enacted, That
| the Postmaster General shall, in all cases of
offers to contract for carrying the mail be-
tween any OF the ports of the United States
and any foreign port or place. give the prefer
| ence to such bidder for the contract as shall
propose to carry the mail in a steamship or
ships, and the said contractor stipulating to
deliver said ship or ships to the United States,
or to their proper officer, upon demand made,
for the purpose Of being converted into a-yes.
sci or vessels of war; the United States being
bound, on their part, to pay to said owner or
| owners the fair full value of every such shin
| or vessel at the time of such delivery said
value to be ascertained by four appraisers to
be appointed, two by the President of the
united States, and two by the owner or own
ers and In case of disagreement among said
appraisers, the President of the United States
to select and appoint an umpire, who shall fl X
| the value. Sec. z, act of March 3, 1S45.
| Sec. 153. Ind be 1T further enacted, That
the postmaster General may, if he shall deem
1t 10 De Tor the puclic interest, make contracts
to continue not exceeding ten years, for the
| transportation of the mail from place to place
in the United States in steamboats, by sea aud
| on the Gulf OF Mexico and on the Mississippi
river from the mouth thereof up to the city Of
New orleans, on the conditions specified in
the last preceding section of this act. See 8,
act of March 8, lS4E. II ->.e
Soc. l54. And Be 1t further enacted, That
the Postmaster General be, and he is hereby
authorized, to contract for transporting mail
| from charleston, South Carolina, to Chagres.
touching at ST. Augustine and Key West, and
also at Havana, in the Island Of Cuba, If
deemed expedient, and across the isthmus of
Panama, and from thence 10 Astoria or the
mouth of the Columbia river, touching at Nor
terey, San Francisco, and such other places on
the coast as the Postmaster General may di.
rect; the mail to be conveyed from Charleston
to Chagres, and from Panama to Astoria, in
steamships, and to be transported each way
once every two months, or oftener, the pub
4 L. anAA~ n ;. - a