Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1886-08-26
SPECIAL DELIVERY INSTRUCTIONS.
Full Statement Of the Service and its Duties

Full Statement OF the Service and it, Duties.
The Postmaster General has issued cir
cular of information and instruction to
postmasters concerning and preparatory
act of August 4, 1885, authorizing the ex-
tension Of the special delivery system to
all postoffices and to all mailable matter.
The circ llar provides that every postoffice
in the United States and Territories and
the District of Columbia now established,
and which shall be established while the
foregoing act remains, Is hereby designat-
ed as special delivery office. These regu-
lations take effect October ], 1886, after
which date every postmaster will he held
responsible for the immediate delivery of
every article of mailable matter which
may be received addressed to his office,
properly stamped with special delivery
stamp. Such immediate delivery must be
made when the article Is directed to an
address residing or having place OF bust
ness within one mile Of the postoffice. The
obligation to so deliver does not extend to
an address beyond that distance,
6Ss the postmaster ass su % d Pc at
beyond such limits, and to receive the
compensation therefor as in any other
case 1t is commended to him as a proper
and considerable thing to be done, In ac-
commodation of the sender, whenever 1t
within which Immediate delivery shall be
made shall be at least from a. m. TO p.
m, and further until the arrival OF the
last mail, provided that such arrival be
not required to make delivery of special
matter on Sunday, but will be at liberty,
however, to deliver special delivery letters
and parcels arriving on Sundays. Such
immediate delivery may at third ths n and
master himself, by any assistant or clerk,
or by any other competent person he may
employ as messenger. The service con.
| templated by law requires that all special
delivery matter shall reach the addresses
with the greatest possible expedition
after it arrives at the postofiice. Post
masters should, therefore, open all mails
at once on their arrival and Immediately
separate the matter bearing special deliv-
cry stamps, and stamp or write on the en-
velope or wrapper the name OF the post
| Office and the date and hour when the mat
| ter arrives. Next. the matter must be
numbered after which it must be deliver
ed without loss of time. For every special
delivery article delivered the postmaster
must take a receipt After special de-
livery article has been taken out for de-
livery and has been returned with the in.
formation that the person addressed
has removed to the delivery Of another
office, and the article is then forwarded,
| it is not to be regarded as entitled to
special delivery at the second office. Regis
tered matter will be entitled to special de-
| livery the same as ordinary matter when
dition to the full postage and registry fee
required by law and the regulations. No
effort will be spared by postmasters or
any other postal officers to expedite the
mailing of matter bearing special delivery
stamps. The words secures immediate
delivery at a special delivery Office" will.
however, be changed to read secures i'm
mediate delivery at any postofice" on the
special delivery stamp now in general use.
The use of stamps with the former words
will be continued until the present supply
is exhausted. Suitable supplies OF the
special delivery stamps will be sent to any
postoffice in the country which may make
requisition for them, and are to be sold by
postmasters in any required amount, and
TO any person who may apply for them,
but they can be used only for the purpose
of securing the immediate delivery OF mat
ter. Under no circumstances are they to
be used in the payment of hostages OF any
description or of the registry fee, nor can
any other stamps be employed to secure
special delivery except the special delivery
stamp The special delivery stamp must
be in addition to the lawful postage.
not prepaid with at least one
full rate of postage, and any parcel of any
other class of matter, the postage on
which has not been fully prepaid, in ac-
cordance with the law and regulations,
must be treated as held-for-postage, even
though bearing special delivery stamp.
Postmasters at fourth-class offices are not
in any case entitled to commissions on the
special delivery stamps on letters and
parcels mailed by them. No failure in any
instance where delivery is possible can be
of failure in such a delivery will DO
promptly Investigated, and the response
Dility fixed with proper consequences. No
office, however small, Is exempt from this
obligation and the system and duties I'M
der it are so simple that no excuse can be
accepted for any failure to meet the OBJ
legation. Should there be as many
special delivery stamps sold as one-fifteenth
the number OF ordinary stamps-and
larger sales may be fairly expected-the
gross allowances on this account will
equal the total compensation now paid to
all fourth-class postmasters together.
Their interest comedies with duty. The
following special instructions are given
to postmasters at free delivery offices
All postoffices which, on the first OF Oc-
tober, 1856, may be free delivery offices,
are hereby excepted from the operations
of the above order, so far as the same pre-
scribes the methods of immediate delivery
and at all such free delivery offices the
special delivery system will be maintained
through the employment OF regular
force OF messengers, as at present, and
postmasters at such offices will continue to
be governed by regulations in the circu-
lars August IL, 1885, published in the post
al guide for January, 1856, and by the in
structions issued in pursuance thereof, ex-
cept as the same are herein modified.
Postmasters are not required to make
delivery of special delivery matter on
Sunday, but will be at liberty, however,
to deliver special delivery letters and par
cells arriving on Sundays. The law pro-
vides that the postmaster general may
contract for the Immediate delivery of all
articles from any postoffice at any price
less than eight cents per piece, as he shall
deem it expedient." Postmasters at free
delivery offices will, therefore, forward
any propositions from corporations or
other reputable parties for performing the
their respective offices, with statement
of all facts and such recommendations az
they may see proper to make.