Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1864-08-04
LAWS or THE UNITED STATES,
Passed at ne First Session Of ne TAirty.sigAD
Congress,
fPupLlc-No. s3.l

TPupLlo-No, So.
AN ACT TO provide for carrying the mails nom
the I'm ted States 10 fore gu ports, and for
other purposes,
Be 4 enacted bv he Senate and House Of Repre-
sepiaiires Of the Ua,ied States Of America ia Con-
GresS assemble d.;
That al s.elmers and sailing vessels he'orging
TO citizens otthe United states, and bouad from
any por in the Uni ed states TO any foreign n,
or from any foreign port 10 any port In tho Unit
ted States, shall, before oil 1arance, receive on
bosrd and securely convey all su mails rs tho
Post Office Department 81 the United States, or
any minis er, consul, or commercial ageut Of the
United States abroad shall offer, and promptly
deliver the SINE 10 the prOIee aulhl critics. on
arriving at the port OF desinati N and shall re
ceiye Tor suol seryi such reasonable compen-
sation as may be allowed by law,
Sec, 2 and be Il further enacted, That upon
the entry of every steamer or sailingvossel from
any 10 eign port the master or commander there
of SHAH make return, on oath or affirmation,
showing that he las promptly delivered ~ such
foreign port or ports all mails placed on board
Of the steamer or essel under his cammaud te-
fore clearance from the United States. And in
case the master or commander shall fail TO make
oath or AFT rm itOn rs aforesaid, showing that be
| has delivered the mails plicel on hoard hi,
steiner or vessel in good faith, the sad ste inner
| or vessel shall not ee entitled 10 the United
| States.
| See. 8. Ind be IL further enacted, That the
| Postmaster General be and Is hereby authorized
| to make contracts, to continue not exceed nQ
four years, for the transportation of all mailablt
matter or other than letters, and of such letter.
as may be so directed, by the Isthmus of Pansma
| or the Nicaragua route, or both OF them; Pro.
| eidsd, That the exp ndtuTe for the service shall
| not exceed one hundred and sixty thousand dol
| lars per annun. And in case more than one
| company is engaged in rendering this service
| the Postmaster Gene.al shall determine the pro
| portion which shall be pal to each,
| Sec. 4, And be II further enacted That al
| mai Bile matter which may be conveyed by mi
| westward beyond the western boundary Of Kan
sas, and eastward from the caste n boundary o
California shall be sub ect 10 prepail letter post
age rates: Provided, holOsUer, That this section
| shall not be held TO extend to the trausmi siOi
| by mail of newspapers fir m a known office o
| publication to bona tide subscribers, not exceed
| ing one COPY to Zach subscriber, nor to franke(
matter, to and from the intermediate points be
| tween the boundaries above named, o. the usua
! rates; Provided, fuytaer, That such RANKED mat
ter shall be subject TO such regulations as to it
transmission and delivery as the POstmaste
General shall prescribe.
| Sec. 8. And be IL further enacted That tn
Postmaster General may, II he shall deem it TO
the public I'M erests, enter into contracts for an,
period not exceeding one year, for the tran por
tation of the mails in st amsh ps, by sea- between
| any of the ports in the United States; and tina
the sea-service already performed by his orde
on the Atlantic coast and Gulf of Mexico be paiI
for out of any moneys appropriate for the ser
| vice of the Post Office Department. Also to
such service already performed upon the PaCifi
coast a sum not exceeding fifteen hundred dol
lars, TO be appropriated for the service of tn
Post Office Department
Sec. 6. and be ii further enacted, That if am
person or persons shall paint, print, post, or il
any other manner place upon. or attach 10, an,
steamboat or other vessel, or any stlge coach o.
other vehicle, which steamboat or other We sci
or stage coach or oher vehicle, is not actual
used in carrying the mails Of TIE United States
| the words "Uni ed States mail" or any othe
words, letters or characters of like import; or
| any D rson or persons shall give notice, ejthe
| by publ shng n any newsp per or otherwise
| that any steamboat or other vessel, or any stag
| coach or other vehicle, is used in carrying tn
mails of the United STATES when the me is o
actually so used, every person so offending o
wfully aiding or abst;ng therein. shall, on con
vic ion there in any court of competent juiis
! dicti)n, be fined IN any sum not less than on
| huxdred nor m 0re than five hundred dollars fol
| every such offence one haf for the use of tn,
| United ates and the other half to the use oftht
! person informing and p osecuting for the same.
Sec. T. and be IL further enacted, That tn
| Postmaster Geceral be and he is hereby author
lied and emp .wered to su pend the operation o
SO much of tina eighth section of the acs OF tn
thirty-fr t of ugust, ghteen hnnb ed and ff
ty-two, as authorizes the conveyance of letter
otherwise than in the mails on any such mai
routes as in his opinion the public interest ma,
require.
! hpDroyei, March 25 1864.