The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1863-03-12
Th- 3 New Postal Law.

al law adopted just before the close OF the
!, last session of Congress-:
"One of the most important bills passed BY
the late Congress was that amending the laws
regulating the Post Office Department. Its
main provisions are as follows /: The Postmas-
ter General is to appoint all Postmasters whose
| salaries are less than $1,000; the President all
above that figure; Postmasters 10 reside in the
| delivery district of their Office. Every Post
master and agent is to take the general oath
of July, 1882, and q special oath of faithful
ness and honesty in his Office. No mail mat
matter shall be delivered until the postage Is
| paid; box rent must be paid at least one quar-
| ter in advance. Strict rules are made as to
keeping of accounts and records. When busi-
ness is greatly increased at post office by
reason of the presence of a military force, the
Postmaster General may allow reasonable ex-
ira compensation. Quarterly accounts to the
Department, are imperative, false swearing in
which is perjury. Dead letters, having valua-
BILE Enclosures, are to be registered, returned
when practicable, and IL not, The value goes to
the department., subject TO reclamation within
four years. The advertising of lettersi is left to
the discretion of the Postmaster General, with
the restriction that the publication shall be
made in the newspaper having the largest cir
culation within the special distiict-the pay to
be no more than one cent per letter. Publish
ers must be notified when papers are not Ia
ken out for one month, which notice may be
sent free. Foreign dead letters shall be sub
ject to conventional stipulations with the re-
spective Governments. The business of local
delivery and collection of letters is to be reg
ulated by the Postmaster General: but carri-
ers are to be paid salary and give bonds
The Postmaster General may also establish
branch Post Offices and letter boxes in cities;
all accounts for local business to be kept sepa-
rate. Contracts may be made with publishers
for delivery by local carriers of papers, &C.,
coming through the mails; the Postmaster
General may also provide for the delivery of
small packets, other than letters aud papers,
provided they are prepaid tfor delivery at the
rate OF two cents for each four ounces. No
package, weighing over four pounds, shall go
through the mail, except books circulated by
order Of Congress. Postage must be prepaid
by stamps on domestic letters, whether for
mail or local delivery, on transcient printed
matter, and everything else save newspapers
arranged for by the quarter or other period.
There are but three classes of mailable mat
tiers, viz: letters, regular or periodical printed
matter, and miscellaneous matter. The first
class embraces correspondence, wholly orpart-
ly in writing, except that mentioned in the
third class. The second class embraces all
mailable matter exclusively in print, and issu-
ed at stated periods, without addition by writ
ing, mark or sign. The third class embraces
all other matter declared maiable, embracing
pamphlets, occasional publications, books, book
manuscripts, proof sheets, maps, prints, en-
cravings. blanks, flexible patterns, samples and
sample cards, photographic paper, letter en-
velops, postal envelops or wrappers, cards, pa
per Photographic representations of seeds, cut
tings, bulbs, roots and scions. The maximum
standard weight for the single rate OF letter
postage Is one half ounce avoirdupois. The
rate OF postage on all domestic letters not ex-
ceeding one half ounce, shall be uniform at
three cents and for each half ounce, or frac-
tional thereof, Of additional weight, an addi-
tional rate Of three cents, 60 be in all cases
prepaid by postage stamps. Drop or local let
tiers two cents per half ounce, prepaid by
stamps; and no further fee can be charged for
delivery, or for taking from street boxes to
the mails. Letter rates are to be charged on ir-
regular matter, part writing and part print, ex-
cept that publishers may send and secure proof
sheets and advise patrons, by writing on pa
pers, when their subscription is up, at printed
matter rates. On unclassifed matter, where
no specific rate is set down, letter postage is
charged. When mail matter that should be
prepaid goes forward unpaid, double rates are
charged at the delivery Office. Soldiers and
sailors letters are exempt from this extra
charge, and may 60 unpaid. On returned dead
letters, il valuable, double rates must be paid;
If not valuable three cents only. Letters not
finding owners at the Office named must be
forwarded, when his place is known, without
extra charge.
The Postmaster General NAV nav not more
than two cents for carrying letters in vessels
moi CARRYING mails such letters IN he mt In
post-office on arrival in port; il for local de-
livery another two cents should be affixed.
No fees are allowed for letters collected by
carrier on a mail route. The registry system
remains as worthless as ever: the government
will take any sum not more than twenty cents
for registering a letter, but will be in no man
ner responsible for loss or miscarriage. The
maximum weight for single postage on printed
matter is four ounces, and the same for mis-
celaneous or third class matter; and the post
age on such four ounces is two cents, ALWAYS
prepaid by stamps; double these rates are
charged for books three unsea,ed circulars go
for two cents-two cents for each additional
three, always prepaid; no charge for cards or
advertisements stamped or printed on envel-
opes. Newspaper, or second class postage, is
for papers not over four ounces each as fol-
lows per quarter of year: once week, cents;
twice a week. 10 cents three times a week, Is
cents six times, 80 cents; seven times, IS
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