, 1864-06-20

be lawful for such person to make the affidavit
required by said act before the officer com
manding in the branch Of the service in which
/, the party may be engaged, which affidavit shall
be as binding in law, and with like penalties,
as If taken before the register or receiver
and upon such affidavit being fled with the
register by the wife or other representative Of
the party, the same shall become effsctivs from
the date Of such fling, provided the said ap-
plication and affidavit are accompanied by the
fee and commissions as reqVllsd BY law.
Sec. 2. And BE- d Jurther enacted, That be:
sides the ten dollar fee exaetedby the said act,
the homestead applicant shall hereafter pay to
the register and receiver each, as commissions
at the time Of entry, one per centum upon the
cash price as fixed by law. Of the land applied
for, and like commissions when the claim is
finally established and the certificate therefor
issued as the basis Of patent
Sec. 8. And be it further enacted, That in
any case hereafter in which the applicant for
the benefit Of the homestead, and whose fImily,
or some member thereof, is residing on the land
which he desires to enter, and upon which q
bona fide improvement and settlement have
been made, is prevented, by reason Of distance,
bodily intirmity, or other good cause, from per.
sonal attendance at the district land office, It
shall and NAV be lawful for him to make the
aft lavit required by the original statute before
the clerk Of the court for the county In which
the applicant Is an actual resident and to trans
nit the same, with the fee and commissions, to
tue register and receiver.
Sec. 4. Aad be it further eRaded, That in
lieu of the fee allowed by the twelfth section
Of the pre-emption act Of fourth September,
eighteen hundred and forty one, the register
and receiver shall each be entitled to one dol
lar for their services in acting upon pre-emp
ton claims, and shall be allowed, jointly, at
the rate Of fifteen cents per hundred words
for the testimony which may be reduced by
them to writing for claimants, in establishing
pre- emptiOn or homestead rights. the rcgula-
tions for giving proper effect to the provisions
Of this act to be prescribed by the Commis-
sioncr Of the General Land Office.
Sec. 8. And Be it purifier enacted, That
where 4 pre-emptor has taken the initiat0ry
steps required by existing laws in regard to
actual settlement, and is CO led away from such
settlement by b,ing actually engaged in the
military or naval service Of the United States.
and BY reason Of such absence Is unable
to appear at TIE district land Office, 10 make,
before the register or receiver, the aidavits re.
qutred by the thirteenth SECTION Of the pre-.
enption act Of fourth September, eighteen
hundred and IOrty-one, the time for tiling such
affidavit and making final proof and entry or
location shall be extended six months afler
the expiration Of his term Of servIcr, upon
satisfactory proof BY affidavit, or the testimony
OF witnesses, that the said pFvemptor Is so in
the service, being iiled With the register Of the
land Office for ths district in which his settle.
ment is made.
Sec. 8. And be il further enacted, That
the registers and receivers in the State Of Cal.
ifOrnia, in the State Of Oregon, and in the Ter
ritories Of Washington, Nevada, Colorado,
Idaho, New Mexico, and Arizona, shall b. en-
titled to collect and receive, 10 addition to the
fees aud allowances provided BY this act, fifty
per ecntum Of said fees and allowances as
compensation for their services: Pr0eided,
That the salary and fees allowed any register
or receiver shall not exceed IN the asgrcgate
the sum Of three thousand dolhrs per annuni.
Approved, March q, 1854
An Acr to provide for carrying the mails from
the United States to foreign ports, and for
other purposes.
BE enacted By the SeRate and House Of Rep
resentatires Of tie Uhited States Of America an
Congress assembled, That n steamers and
sailing vessels belonging TO 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 beard and
securely convey all such mails as the Post
4 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 author
tiles, on arriving at the port Of destination,
and shall receive for suN h service such reason
able compensation as may bo allowed by law.
Sec. 2. ARd be it further enacted, That up
on the entry Of every steamer or sailing vessel
from any 6reign port, the master or comman-
der thereof shall make return on oath or aiir
nation, showing that he has promptly delivered
at such foreign port or ports oil mails placed
on board oi the steamer or vessel under his
command before clearance from the United
StatVs. And in case the master or comman.
der shall fail to make oath CT affirmation as
aforesaid, showing that he has delivered the
mails placed on board his steamer or vessel in
good faith, the said steamer or vessel shall not
be entitled to the privileges Of steamer or ves-
sci Of the United States.
See. 8. And Be it .ff1fker enaeLal, That
tho Postmas or General be and Is hereby au-
thorizrd to make contracts, to continue not ex.
ceeding four years, for the transportation OF all
mailabIe matter other than letters, and Of such
letters as may be so directed, by the isthmus
Of Panama or the Nicaragua route, or both Of
them: PFopided, That the expenditure for the
service shall not exceed one hundred and sixty
thousand dollars per annuu. And 10 case
more than one company is engagedin render
ing this service, the Postmaster General shall
determine the proportion which shall be pa:d
to each.
Sec. 4. And be IL further enacted, That oil
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; PrOrided, hONcfer,
That this section shall not be held to extend
to the transmission by mail Of newspapers
from known Office Of publication to bona
tide subscribers, not exceeding one copy to
each subscriber, nor to fTanked matter. to and
from the intermediate points between the boun-
dhries above named, at the usual rates: Pro
ridsd, .Jilrtkert That such franked matter
shall be subject to such regulations as to its
Transmission and delivery as the Postmaster
General shall prescribe.
Sec. 5. Had b 10 further enaeteGi That
the Postmaster General may, if he shall deem
Il for the public interests, enter info contracts
for any period not exceeding one year, for the
transportation Of the mails in steamships. by
s.a, between any Of the ports IN the United
States. ant she2 kha .oa o.rusea airaadv mar