Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-04-01
9allg gat1IIigFutelt.
OFFICIAL.
LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES.
Pas1ed at the First ISessi0n of the Thirty
eighth Congress.
lPupL1o-No. ss.l

PUBLIC-No. 80.
An ACT to provide for carrying the mails
from the United States to foreign ports,
aud for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate aud House
of Representatives Of the United States of
America iu Congress assembled, That all
steamers and sailing vessels belonging to
citizens of the United States, and bound
from any port in the United States to auy
foreign port, or from any foreign port to
any port in the United States, shall, before
clearance, receive on board and securely
convey all such mails as the Post Office
Department Of the United States, or any
minister, consul, or commercial agent of
the United States abroad shall offer, and
promptly deliver the same to the proper
authorities, on arriving at the port of des-
tiuaIion, and shall receive for such service
such reasonable compensation as may be
allowed by law.
Sec. 2. Aud be it further enacted, That
upon the entry of every steamer or sailing
vessel from Soy foreign port the master
or commander thereof shall make return,
on oath or affirmation, showing that he
has promptly delivered at such foreign
port or ports all mails placed on board of
the steamer or vessel under his command
before clearance from the United States.
Aud in case the master or commander
shall fail to make oath or affirmation as
aforesaid, showing that he has delivered
the mails placed GU board his steamer or
vessel in good faith, the said steamer or
vessel shalt not be entitled to the privl-
leges of steamer or vessel OF the United
States.
Sec. 8. And be it further enacted, That
the Postmaster General be and is hereby
70
not exceeding four years, for the transport
tatiou of all mailable matter other than
letters, and of such letters as may be 80
directed, by the Isthmus of Panama or the
Nicaragua route, or both of them Provi-
ded, That the expenditure for the service
shall not exceed one hundred and sixty
thousand dollars per annum. Aud in case
more than one company is engaged in rem
derIng this service, the Postmaster Cen
eTaI shall determine the proportion which
shall be paid to each.
SEQ. 4. Aud be it further enacted, That
all mailable matter which may be con.
yeyed by mail westward beyond the west
cru boundary line of Kansas, and east
ward from the eastern boundary of Cali
foroia, shall be subject to prepaid letter
postage rates Provided, however, that
this section shall not be held 10 extend to
TUG ~ ny LuhIA. Vi newspapers
from n known Office Of publication to bona
6de subscribers, not exceeding one copy
to each subscriber, nor to franked matter
to and from the intermediate points be-
tween the boundaries above named, at the
usual rates Provided, further, That such
frunked matter shall be subject to such
regulations as to its transmission aud de-
livery as the Postmaster General shall pre-
scribe.
Sec. s. And be it further enacted, That
the Postmaster General may, ifhe shall
deem it for the public interests, enter in
to contracts for any period not exceeding
one year, for the transportation of the
mails in steamships, by sea, between any
of the ports in the United States; and
that the sea-service already performed by
his order on the Atlantic coast and Gulf
of Mexico be paid for out Of any moneys
appropriated for the service of tho Post
Office Department. Also for such service
already performed upon the Pacific coast
a sum not exceeding fifteen hundred dol.
las, to be paid out Of any moneys ap-
propriated for the service of the Post Or
fee Department.
Sec. E. And be it further enacted, That
if any person or persons shall paint,
print, post, or in any other manner place
upon, or attach to, any steamboat or 9th
er vessel, or any stage coach or other We
hicle, which steamboat or other vessel, or
stage cOnch or other vehicle lis not actual
ly used in carrying the mails of the United
States, the words LIMITED States mail, y
or any other words, letters OF characters
of like import; or if any person or persons
shall give notice, either by publishing in
any newspaper or otherwise, that any
steamboat or other vessel, or any stage
coach or other vehicle, is used in carry
ing the mails of the United States, when
the same is not actually so used, every
person so offending or wilfully aiding or
abetting therein, shall on conviction
thereof in any court of competent iuris-
dictioD, be fined in any sum not less than
one hundred nor more than five hundred
dollars for every such offence, one-half
for the use of the United States and the
other half to the use of the person in
forming and prosecuting for the same.
Sec. Z. And be it further enacted, That
the Postmaster General be and he is
hereby authorized and empowered to sus-
pend the operation of so much of the
eight section of the act of the thirty first
of August, eighteen hundred and fifty
two, US authorizes the conveyance of let
tiers otherwise than in the mails on any
such mail routes as in his opinion the
public interest may require.
Approved, March Is, 1864.