Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-03-10

AN ACT to amend the laws relating to the
post Office department.
Be it enacted by the senate and house of
representatives of the United States of Amer
lea in congress assembled, that the post
master general shall have power to appoint
and commission all postmasters whose salary
or compensation for the preceding fiscal year
shall at the time of such appointment have
been ascertained to be less than one thou
sand dollars per year; and in all other cases
the president shall appoint The person APP
pointed postmaster shall reside within the de-
livery of the office to which he shall be APP
pointed.
Sect. 2. And be it further enacted. that the
postmaster general, all postmasters, and spe-
cial agents, and all persons employed in the
general post office, or in the care, custody, or
conveyance of the mail, hereafter appointed
or employed shall, previous to entering upon
the duties assigned to them, or the execution
of their trusts, and before they shall be enti-
tied to receive any emoluments therefor, in
addition to the oath of office prescribed by
the act of July two, eighteen hundred and
siXty-two, respectively take al subscribe the
following oath affirmation before some
magistrate, and cause a certificate thereof to
be tiled in the general post office ''I A. b.,
do swear Cor affirm, as the case may be- that
will faithfully perform all the duties required
of me, and abstain from every thing forbid
den by the laws in relation to the establish
ment of the post office and post roads within
the United States and that | will honestly
and truly account for and pay over any mon
eys belonging to the said United States which
may come into my possession or control; so
help me God" Every person who shall be
IN any manner employed in the care, custody,
conveyance or management of the mail, shall
be subject to all pains, penalties, and forfeit
ureS tor violating the iniunctiOnS or neglect
ing the duties required OF him by the laws re-
lating to the establishment of the post office
and post roads, whether such persons shall
have taken the oath or affirmation above pre-
scribed or not.
Sect. 3. And be it further enacted, that no
mail matter shall be delivered by the post
master until the postage due thereon shall
have been paid; and no box at any post office
shall be assigned to the use of any person I'M
til the rent therefor has been paid for at least
one quarter, for which the postmaster shall
give receipt, and keep record thereof in
his office, which record shall be delivered to
his successor.
Sect. 4. And be it further enacted, that
every postmaster shall keep a record in his
office of all postage stamps and envelopes,
and of all postal books, blanks, or property
received from his predecessor in office or
from the post office department, or from any
of its agents, and also of all payments in
money for hostages, and all payments for box
rents, and of all other receipts on account of
any part of the postal service, and of any
other transactions which shall be required by
the postmaster general, and these records
shall be preserved and delivered over to his
successor in Office, and shall be at all times
subject to examination of any special agent of
the department.
Sect. 5. And be it further enacted, that
whenever by reason of the presence of a
military or naval force near any post office,
unusual business accrues thereat, the post
master general is hereby required to make
special order allowing proportonatey reason
able compensation to the postmaster, and for
clerical service, during the period of such ex-
traordinary business.
Sect. 6. And be it further enacted, that it
shall be the duty of postmasters to render
quarter-yearly account to the postmaster
general, under oath, in such form as the lat
ter shall prescribe, of all emoluments or sums
by them respectively received for boxes or
pigeon holes, or other receptacles for letters
or papers, and by them charged for to indi-
viduals; Or for the delivery of letters or pa
pers at or from any place whatever; and of
all emoluments, receipts and profits that have
come TO their hands by reason of keeping
branch post offices and 10 postmaster shall
hereafter, under any pretence whatever, have
or receive or retain for himself, in the aggre-
gate, more than the amount of his salary.
And the postmaster general is further author
lied TO require, by form to be prepared by
him, sworn statement to accompany or fol-
lowing the quarterly account of any or all
postmasters to the effect that such postmas-
ter has in such account truly stated the entire
amount Of postage, box-rents, and all other
and,
by INN at his office during such quarter; and
that he has not knowingly delivered, or per-
mtted to be delivered, to any person any mail
matter on which the postage has not been
paid at the time of delivery; and that such
quarterly account exhibits truly and faithfully
the entire receipts of his office which have
been collected thereat, and the entire sum
which could have been by due diligence col
lected thereat, as he verify believes, and that
the credits lie claims are just and true, as he
verify believes and any false swearing there
in shall render him liable to the pains and
penalties of perjury.
Sect. Z. And be it further enacted, that
the postmaster general is hereby authorized
10 regulate the periods during which unde-
hVered letters shall remain in any post office,
ana tire times such letters shall be returned to
the dead letter office, and to make regulations
for their return to the writers from the dead
letter once, when he is satisfied they cannot
be delivered to the parties addressed. He is
authorized also to order the publication of the
list Of non-delivered letters at apv most office
in his discretion, by writing, posted in n nub.
lie place or places, or in any daily or weekly
newspaper regularly published within the
post office delivery having the largest circulae
ton within such delivery; and where no dsiIv
paper is published within the post office do.
livery, such list may be published in anv dailv
newspaper of an adjoining delivery having
the largest circulation within the delivery Of
the post office publishing THE list but in no
case shall compensation for such publication
be allowed at a rate exceeding one cent for
each letter SO advertised; and no such publi-
cation shall be required except where the post
master general shall decide that the public in
terest requires it: Provided, that letters adj
dressed to parties foreign born may be pub
Hshed IN Il journal of the language most used
by the parties addressed, if such be published
in the same, or an adjoining delivery
Sect. 8. And be it further enacted, that
dead letters containing valuable enclosures
shall be registered in the department: and
when it appears that they can neither be de-
lyered to their address, nor to the writer's. the
contents thereof, so far as available, shall be
included with the receipts of the post office
department, and the amount thereof shall be
shown in the annual report, and shall be sub
ject to reclamation by either the party ad-