The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-11-19

fact that there Is United States statute imposing
penalty on any one for asssulting or molesting q
the OF revenue offcers and earnestly re-
quest that Congress be urged to pass such statute
Since my last report decree has been rendered in
the Circuit Court of the United States and for the
Southern District of New York upon suit brought
by Christopher O. Campbell vs.. Thomas L. James.
infringements of letters patent an Improvement
i'll Post Office post marking aud cancell-
on s the iah day Of april. 1858. Which Post Office
post marking and cancellipg hand stamps, 1t Is
claimed have been for more than ten years. aud are
this country. The tried upon it's merits
and was decided adversely to the defendant. The
one that the defendant had infringed and was
liable for costs. charges and damages. ana oraerea
an account to be taken OF the profits gains ana -.
vantages which have in any way been received OF
made. or which had arisen or accrued on account
OF the infringements. and also OF the damages IN
sustained by reason of the Acknowledgements. Sucn
accounting is now being taken
Other postmasters than Mr.. James are threatened
with suits for like infrngements and there Is great
danger that they will be to expense unless
some satisfactory adjustment shall Dc made
FOREIGN BOOKS.
On the subject the collection of customs duties
upon foreign books received by mail the report
states:-
The annoying Inconvenience and delays to
which American students and scholars have been
subjected in obtaining single volumes OF books
of the regulation requiring all dutiable articles to
be delivered to officers of the customs for the col
lection of duties avoided by new
regulation adopted in pursuance Of the authority
given in section II of the Of March 1872 which
provides that books received from countries or
found to be dutiabe, shall, when addressed to post
offices other than the Exchange Office of receipt be
promptly transmitted by mail to the address,
charged with the amount of customs duties levied
thereon. which amounts postmasters ut the offices
of destination are required to collect on delivery
nd remit Inv 6rSt mail thereafter under rcgiStra
ton to the collector Of the customs the district
in which the Exchange Post Office of receipt is
situated. N-
similar regulation is needed for the treatment Of
other articles Of mail matter received from foreign
customs duty and respectfully recommend
that the provision of section II of the
a Of March sbs se saap
regulations for the delivery to addresses in the
United States OF dutiabe books with collections OF
customs duties thereon, be extended to embrace all
articles OF dutiabe matter received in the mails from
foreign countries.
LOIS REGISTERED ARTICLES.
In this connection the Postmaster General recon-
mends legislation to enable the department to adopt
the general regulation Of the Postal Union relative
to the payment of limited indemnity Tor registered
articles lost or destroyed i'll the postal service.
This is very generally practiced ia other countries
of the Postal Union with which we exchange regis
tered correspondence and General Key is Of opinion
United States. both to foreign and domestic regis
tered matter.
CLERKS IN POST OFFICES.
The Postmaster General says:-
The increasing demands of the postal service call
for a large increase in the appropriation for the
payment of clerks in post Offices. The estimate
000 for this item is greatly below the actual
needs for the service. have estimated however,
because 1 did not desire to increase the growing
disparity between the and expenditures OF
the department. To provide less sum for the en-
ployment Of clerks than have estimated for will
cripple the work of post offices ana in many in
stances delay the transmission of the mails.
FREE DELIVERY SERVICE.
The free delivery service is mentioned as having
attained great success. very little complaint OF the
frequency Of the service Of the manner
Of its performance having reached the de-
partment Of late. but the Postmaster General
remarks that with larger appropriations more
frequent deliveries could be secured. and such i'm
he believes. would meet with universal
in the larger cities deficiency Of
about $4,000 is reported in the funds available to
pay letter carriers the increased salaries authorized
bv the act of last February. and Congress is re-
quested to supply it.