Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Iowa) 1861-1864, 1864-05-12

IIBLIC-NO. I'D.
AN ACT TO provide for carrying tie
mails from the United States to rur.
eign ports, and for other purposes.
BE u enacted Jy The Senate and House
! of Representatives. Of The TRiied Staier Of
AmtericG in Congress GysemJLd, That
all steamers and sailing vessels be-
! longing 10 citizens Of the United
States. and bound from any port in
the United States to any foreign port,
or from any foreign port to any port
in the United States, shall, before
clearance, receive on board and Sc
curcly convey all such mails as the
Post Office Department Of the United
States, or any minister, consul, or COM
mercial agent Of the United States
abroad shall offer, and promptly deIiv-
er the same to the proper authorities,
on arriving at the port of destination.
and shall receive for such service such
reasonable compensation as may he
allowed Ivy law.
Sec. 2. And be Il further enacted.
That upon the entry of every steamer
or sailing vessel from any foreign
port the master or commander thereof
shall make return, on oath or aliirma-
ton, showing that he has promptly
delivered at such foreign port or ports
all mails placed on board Of the steam
err or vessel under his command before
clearance from the United States.
And in case the master or commander
shall fail TO make oath or affirmation
as aforesaid, showing that he has de-
livered the mails placed on board his
steamer or vessel in good faith, the
said steamer or vessel shall not be en-
titled to the privileges of a steamer
or vessel of the United States.
Sec. 3. ARd be H further enacted,
That the Postmaster General be and
is hereby authorized to make contracts,
TO continue not exceeding four years,
for the transportation Of all mailable
matter other than letters, and of such
letters as may be so directed, 10y the
lsthmus of Panama or the Nicaragua
route, or both Of them Prorided, That
the expenditure for the service shall
not exceed one hundred and sixty
thousand dollars per annum. And in
case more than one company is eBga-
ged in rendering this service. the Post
master General shall determine the
proportion which shall be paid to each.
1 Sec. 4. And be It further sHaotea,
That all mailable matter which may
be conveyed by mail westward beyond
the western boundary of Kansas, and
eastward from the eastern boundary
Of California shall be subject To pre-
paid letter postage rates Prorzded,
h0tcerer, That this section shall not be
held TO extend to the transmission by
mail of newspapers from known Of
flee Of publication 10 bona fide subscri-
bers, not exceeding one copy to each
subscriber, nor to franked matter, TO
and from the intermediate points be-
tween the boundaries above named,
al the usual rates Prorided, further,
That such franked matter shall be
subject to such regulations as TO its
transmission and delivery as the Post.
master General shall prescribe.
Z hoSS. ". hH" oc " J"HI eHdtteu,
That the Postmaster General may, il
he shall deem it for the public inter.
ests, enter into contracts for any pc
riod not exceeding one year, for the
transportation of the mails in steam
ships, 10y sea, between any Of the
ports in the United States and that
the sea-serviee 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 the Post Office Department. Also
for such service already performed up
on the Pacific coast sum not exceed
ing fifteen hundred dollars, to be paid
for out of any moneys appropriated
for the service Of the Post Office De.
partment.