Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1873-04-25

vice OFT United states, shall be sent by the
postmaster to the dead-letter Office in WASH
ington: Provided That in large cities and
| adjacent districts of dense population having
two or more post-offices within distance Of
three miles Of each other, any letter mailed
mt ono OF such offices and addressed to To-
cality within the delivery OF another OF such
offices, which shall have been inadvertently
prepaid at the drop OF local letter rate Of
postage only. may be forwarded to its desti-
nation through the proper office, charged
with the amount Of the deficient postage, to
be collected on delivery.
SEC 1876. That dead-letters containing val
liable enclosures shall be registered in the
dead-letter Office; and when they cannot be
delivered to the party addressed nor the writ
err, the contents thereof shall be disposed Of,
and n careful account shall be kept of the
amount realized in each case, which shall be
| subject to reclamation by either the party adj
dressed or the sender, for four years from
the registry thereof; and all other letters Of
value or Of Importance TO the party address
cd or to tho writer, and which cannot be re-
turned to either, shall be disposed Of rs the
Postmaster General may direct.
SEC. 1877. That the action of the Post-Ofice
Department respecting foreign dead-letters
shall be subject to conventional stipulations
with the respective foreign administrations.
SEC. 1893. That when the writer of any let
| ter on which the postage is prepaid shall in
i
address, such letter shall not be advertised,
but after remaining uncalled for mt the Of
flee to which IL is directed thirty days, or the
time the writer may direct, shall be returned
to him without additional charge for postage,
and if not then delivered shall be treated as
dead-lettor.
| SEC. 1919. That prepaid and free letters
shall be forwarded from one post-oflice to
| another, nj the request of the party addressed
without additional charge for postage.
SEC. 900. That all the waters of the Unit
ed States shall be post-roads during the time
the mail is carried thereon, rs provided in
section two hundred and nineteen.
SEC. 2Ol. That all railways and parts of
railways which are now or hereafter may
be put IN operation are hereby declared TO
| be post-roads.
SIC. 202. That all canals during the time
the mail is carried thereon are hereby de-
| clared to be post-roads.
SEC. 203. That all plank-roads during the
time the mail is carried thereon are hereby
declared to be post-roads.
SEC. 204. That the road on which the mail
Is carried to supply any courthouse which
may be without II mail, rs provided in sec
tion two hundred and sixteen, and the road
on which the mail Is carried. under section
| two hundred and twenty-one, providing for
extending the line OF posts, shall, during the
timesuch mail is carried thereon, be post
roads.
SEC. POS. That all etter-carrier routes es-
tablished in any city or town, for the collec-
ton and delivery of Matchmaker by carriers
are hereby declared to be post-roads.
SEC. COG. That when there is more than
one road between places designated by law
for post-road, the Postmaster General may
direct which shall be considered the post
road.
SEC. 2O7. That the Postmaster General
may change the terminus of post roads con-
meeting with or intcrsccting railways when
the service can he thereby improved.
SEC. 20S. That whenever, in the opinion
of the Postmaster General, the postal service
| cannot be safely continued, the revenues col
lectod, or the laws maintained on any post
road. he may discontinue the service ON such
road. or part thereof until the same can be
safely restored.
SIC. 2O9. That the Postmaster General
may, when he deems it advisable, contract
for the transportation of mails TO and from
| any poSt-Oilicc; but where such service is
performed over route not established by
law, it shall be his duty to report the same
to Congress ut its meeting next thereafter,
and said service shall cease mt the end OF the
next session OF Congress, unless said route
is established pOst-route by Congress.
SEC. 2l0. That the Postmaster General
shall arrange tho railway routes on which
the mail is carried. including those in which
tho service is partly by railway and partly
by steamboat, into three classes. according
to the SIZE Of the mails the speed at which
they are carried. and the frequency and i'm
portancu of the service. so that each railway
company shall receive, rs far rs practicable,
! Il pruportiOnatc and just rate of compensa-
ton, according to the service performed.
SEC. gil. That the pay for carrying the
mail on any railway OF the first class shall
not exceed three hundred dollars per mile
per annum on any railway of the second
class it shall not exceed onchundred dollars
per mills per annum and on any railway of
the third class 1t shall not exceed fifty dollars
per mile per annum; but If one half the SER
vice on any railway is required to be per-
formed in the nighttime, tile Postmaster
General may pay twenty-five per centum in
addition to the above maximum rates.
SEC. 2l2. That If the Postmaster General
is unable TO contract for carrying the mail
on any railway-route at n compensation not
exceeding the maximum rates herein pro-
vided, or for what he may deem n reasonable
and fair compensation, he may separate the
letter mail from the other mail. and contract
either with or without advertising, for carry
ing such letter-mail by horse express or 9th.
erwise, at the greatest speed that can rea-
sonably be obtained, and for carrying the
+ other mail IN wagons, or otherwise mt slow
er rate of speed
SEC. 2l3. That every railway company car
ryng the mail shall carry on any train which
charge therefor, all maiable matter directed
To he carried thereon, with the person IN
charge of the same.
SEC. 2l4. That all railway companies t.
which the United States have furnished aid
by grant of lands, right OF way, or otherwise
shall carry the mail at such prices as Con.
gress may by law provide; and, until such
price is fixed by law, the Postmaster-G eneral
may fix the rate of compensation.
SEC. 2l5. That the Postmaster General
shall provide for carrying the mail on al
post-roads established by law, as often MS he
having due regard to productiveness and 9th
CT circumstances, may think proper.
SEC. PIG. That tho Postmaster Genera
shall cause mail to be carried from the
nearest post-oflice on any established post.
road TO the courthouse of any county in the
United States which is without mail.
SEC. 2l7. That the Postmaster Genera
may contract for carrying the mail on the
navigable canals OF the several States when
in ms opinion, the public interest or convent.
ence requires it.
SEC. 2ls That the Postmaster Genera
may contract for carrying the mail on an,
plank-road in the United States when thu
, public interest or convenience requires it.
SEC. $40. That the Postmaster Genera
may cause the mail to be carried in an
steamboat or other vessel used rs packet oil
any of the waters of the United States.
SEC. 220. That the Postmaster Genera
may. if he deem it for the public interest
: make contracts for any period not exceeding
one year, for carrying the mail in steamship
= between any of the ports of the United States
} SEC. 22l. That the Postmaster Genera
may enter into contracts for extending I'll,
, line of posts to supply mails to post-oflico
not on any established route, and rs n com
pensation for carrying the mail under sucl
contracts, may allow not exceeding two
thirds Of the salary paid to the postmaster a
such special offices.
SEC. 222. That the master of any vessel o
!, the United States, bound from any port there
in to any foreign port, or from any foreg
port to any port Of the United States, shall
before clearance, receive on board and Sc
ourey convey all such mails rs the Post-Ol
, fee Department, or any diplomatic or con
I, sular officer of the United States abroad