Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-02-22
OFFICIAL.
LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES
Hasssd at The Second Ssssisa Of lAS PoTtv-seoond
Congress.

| NNo. A.@I
statutes relating TO the Post Ofice Department
Be enacted by the Senate and House Of RepTessntd.
tiUes Of tas Uesed Stats Of America IN Congrsss
senbied That there shall be established, at the seat
| OF government Of the United States Of America, q
department TO be known as the Post once Depart
| ment.
/ TO COngre at each annual session statement OF
/ the amount expended during the proceeding fiscal
year, and an estimate amount that will be- required
for the ensuing FISCAL year, under each o. the oow-
/ ing heads: transportation Of the mails;" "cOm-
pensat0n of pOstlnasters; compensation OF clerks
Ia post Oces - 'r0mpen, alton Of etter-carriers :"
compensation OF blank agents and assistant; mail
| deprrdations and special agents; postage stamps
aud envelope; ship stesm6ost, and and way letters
stamps; wrapping paper; ofice fu nitdre; adverti-
sing balances 10 foreign countres rent, light, and
fuel for post oces; stationery 1and miscellaneous;
showing the sums paid under each head, and the
names Of the psrsons 10 whom payments are made
persons employed in detecting depredations On the
mall and OF Rother confidential agents, need not be
SKc. 10, That the Postmaster General shall lay be-
fore Congress, during the irst week In each ANNA
| session, detailed statements OF the expenditures
made from the contingent fund OF his Department
He shall also make ont and keep, in proper books,
full and CONT lete inventories and accounts OF all
the property belonging to the United States in the
buildings, rooms, offlGes, and grounds occupied by
him and under his charge. and TO add tn, reo from
lime 10 time ON account OF such property as may be
procured subsequently, TO the taking OF the same, and
also on accoun Of the sale disposal OF any such
property, and 10 report the same TO Congress az
/
ap ly TO the supplies OF the stationery and fuel
which shall be accounted for as how provided by
law
SEC. Ii. That all persons employed in any branch
OF the po tai service shall be exempt from militia
duty, and from serving on jurors or from any PEN
| SEQ. H. That no person employed In the Pos Of
1ce Department shall become interested In any
tract for carving the mail, act age 4, with
without compensation, for any contractor person
Offering to become contractor, in any business be-
fore the Department: and any person so Offering
imna1iatpiU {
shall be liabe TO pay 80 mnch money as would have
been realized from said contract to recovered In
partment,
$40. is That all the bonds taken and contracts
entered into by the Post ONCE Department shall
be made TO and with the United States Of Amei ica
SIC. IA. That no person employed In the postal
service snail recsiVe any fees or peTquiais on ac-
coun OF the duties TO be performed by virtue Of his
appointment.
$50 is. That before entering upon the duties and
before they shall receive anv salary the Postmaster
General and all persons employed In the postal
vice, shall respectively take and Hubscrioe before
| Low ing oath or affirmation: ri B., do solemnly
swear (or affirm, rs the case may be) that will
faithfully perform all the duties rtqu red Of me, and
and abstain IRON everything forbidden by the laws
in the relation to the establishment Of post.onicers
aud post roads within the United States and that
will honestly and traly account for and pay any
meney belonging to the said United States which
may come intO my possession or control; So help
me, G0d.h And this oath or Affirmation may be ta-
| ken before any officer, civil or military, lding
commission under lha United States, and such OIL
Ger iB hereby authorized TO administer and certify
SBc 10. That every person employed in the postal
service shall be subject to all the palms, penalties,
and forfetures for violation Of the laws relating to
such service, whether he has taken the oath or
affirmation pres ribed in the eceding section or
not.
SEc II. That kilograms between the several De-
partments OF the government and their officers and
agents, in their transmission over the lines OF any
company to which has been given the right OF way,
tmDer, or station lands from the public domain,
shall have prOirlty over all other business, and at
such rates as the Postmaster General shall annually
| fix.
SEC. IS. That every order, entry,or memorandum
whatever, on which any action Il to he based, al
lowance made, or money paid, and every contract,
paper or obligation made by or with the Post oflce
Department, shall have its true date aixed to 1t;
and every paper relating TO contracts or Allowances
nled In the Department shall have the Ate when 1t
WAS died tndOrsSd upon 1t.
SEC 10. Thatthe Postmaster Gener i shall furnish
a copy Of his annual estimated to the Secretary OF
the Treasury pri to the Arst OF November OF each
year, which shall be reported TO Congress by the
| latter In his regular printed estimates
Ss0 20. That the Postmaster General shall trans
init q copy OF each postal convention concluded
with foreign governments 10 the Secretary OF state
who shall furnish copy Of the same to the Con-
gresstonsl Printer for Pubication and the printed
OF all such conventions shall be revised
| at the Post Ofilce Department
sEo 81. That there shall be appointed by the
President by and with the adyiee and consent Of
the Senate, an Auditor OF tho Treasury for the Post
ONCE Department.
SEC 2. ThaI the said Auditor shall receive all ac-
counts arising In the Pot Nice Department, or rel
alive thereto. with the vouchers necessary 10 cor
rect adjustment thereof, and shall audit and settle
| the sane, and certify the balances thereon TO the
Postmaster General. He snail keep and preserve
all accounts and vouchers al er settlement He
shall close the accounts OF the Department quarter
lJ, and transmit tohthe Secretary Of the Treasury
q artery statements OF It's receipts and expend-
tvres He shall report to the Postmaster General,
when rsqul ed to do 30, the manner ana form Of
keeping and stating the accounts of the Department
and the Official forms of paper 10 be used In con-
neGtion with Its receipts and expenditures. He
shall report TO the Post aster General all dellnquen
cles of postmasters IN rendering their acc nnts and
| returns, or In paying over n0ney-order funds and
other receipts OF their Oiice. He shall register
charge and coun ersign all war; 'nts upon the treas
ry for receipts and payments Issued by the Post
master General when warranted by law. And he
shall perform such other duties In relation to the A.
nancial concerns of the Department as may be as
atgned to him b. the Secretary of he Treasury and
make said Secretary, or 70 the Postmaster tener-
al, such reports respecting the same AZ either OF
i them may 7, quire.
the collect IN OF all debts due 10 Department, AID
ali penalties aud forfeituros imposed for any viola
tlon OF the postal laws, and take all such other meas
/ ures as may be authorized by law TO enforce the
payment Of such deb's and tha recovery OF Huch
pea lilies and fOrfeinrea. he shall also superin-
tend the collection Of ali penalties and forfeitures
arising under other statutes, where such penalties
Il and f0rleitures are the consequence OF unlawful
afectitg the revenues or property OF the Post
SIC, ~ That the said Auditor, or the mayor Of
Of any CITY, any justice Of the peace or judge OF
conrt OF record, may administer orths or a1irma-
lions in relation 10 the examination and settlement
OF the accounts committed 70 tho charge OF sad Au
| dit0T. and II any person shall Knowingly swear
| aflrm falsely touching any expenditure on account
Of or claim In favor Of or against said Department
| he shall on conviction thereof, fer such offense,
forfeit and pay not exceeding TWO thousand dol ars,
and be imprisoned at hard labor not exceeding
i've years. according TO the aggraVation OF the Of
fenBe,
SAC rs That If either the Postmaster General, or
the peson whose accounts have been settled shall be
dissnttshed with the settlement OF said Auditor, he
NAV within twelve months, appeal to the First
Comptroller Of the Treasury, whose decision shall
be hnsl and conclusive
anpent in the ofce of the Auditor for the Post Of
Ace Departnt mt chief cers, nine clerks OF class
four clerks OF class three -four clerks
of class two, thiTty-seven clerks OF class one one
messenger one assistant mess 5nger, and eleven Ia
| bOrers.
SIC 81. That the annual salaries OF the Auditor
for the Post ofce Department. and the clerks. mes
sengers, and laboress Ia hs Office shall be as fol-
lows:
| OF the Auditor, three thousand dollars;
| OF the chief clerk, two thousand dollars:
| or the clerks OF class four, one thousand eight
| hundred dollars each; and two hundred dollars ad-
| dltiOnai TO one OF said clerks as the disbursing
| clerks;
or the clerks Of class two, one thousand four hum
i Of the clerks Of class one one thousand 1--WE hun
OF the messenger, eight hundred aud forty dol.
OF the assistant messenger, seven hundred dol
, OF the laborers six hundred dollars each.
| SRC U.s. That whenever the ONCE of any postmas-