The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-08-16
A Rumor Circulating that Secretary Whitney
Will Reconstruct the Navy Department
Upon His Own Responsibility.
Report that Prof. Gray's Application for
a Patent Has Been Reinstated.
A Batch of Consular Representatives Recog.
nized by the President--The President
Is Now Ready for His Vacation.
IMMEDIATE DELIVERY.
Circular of Instructions to Postmasters for
Carrying Ont the Revised Law.

Carrying OuC the Revised Law.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 15.-The Postmaster.
general has issued circular of information and
instruction to postmasters concerning and pre-.
paratory to putting into operations. on Oct <
the act of Aug. 4. 1885, authorizing the exten.
sion of the special delivery system to all post
offices and to all mailable matter. The circular
provides that every postoffce in the United
States and Territories, and the District oi
Columbia now established and which shall ba
established while the foregoing act remains, Ia
hereby designated as a special-delivery Office.
These regulations take effect Oct. /, 1885, after
which date every postmaster win be held re-
sponsible for the immediate delivery of every
article of mailable matter which may be
received addressed to bis Office, properly
stamped with special delivery stamp Such
immediate delivery must be made when the
article is directed to an address residing or hav
ing place of business within one mile of the
postofice- The obligation to so deliver does not
extend to an address beyond that distance but
the postmaster will be at liberty to make such
delivery beyond such limits and to receive the
compensation therefor, as In any other case 1t
is commended to him as proper and consider.
sender, whene is reasonably convenient
The hours which immediate delivery
shall be made lall be, at least, from A. NJ. to
p NJ. and. further. until the arrival of the last
mail, provided that such arrival be not later
than P. Postmasters are not required tc
make delivery Of special delivery matter on Sun.
day. but will be at liberty. however, to de.
liver special delivery letters and parcels
arriving on Sunday Such immediate delivery
may, at the third and fourth-cla offices, be
made by the postmaster himself, by any assist
ant or clerk, or by any other competent person
he may employ as messenger The service con.
templa.ed by the law requires that all special
delivery matter shall reach the address with the
greatest possible expedition after it arrives al
the postofice Postmasters should, therefore,
open all mails at once on their arrival and i'm.
mediatey separate the matter bearing special
delivery stamps, and stamp write on the en-.
velope or wrapper the name of the Office and the
date and hour the matter arrives. Next, the
matter must be numbered, after which it must
be delivered without loss of time. For every.
special-0eliyerY article delivered the postmaster
must take receipt.
After special delivery article has been taken
out for delivery and has been returned with the
information that the person addressed has re-.
moved 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
Registered matter will be entitled to special de.
livery the same as ordinary matter when bearing
special delivery stamp in addition 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 ex.
pedite the mailing Of matter bearing special de.
livery stamps. The words Secures Immediate
Delivery at Special Delivery Office" will, how.
ever be changed to read Secures Immediate
Delivery at Any Postofice' on the special
delivery stamp now in general use.
The use of the stamps with the formeH
words will be continued until the present supply
is exhausted. Suitable supplies of the special
delivery stamps will be sent TO any postofice 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 matter.
Under no circumstances are they to be used in
the payment of postages of any description or OF
the registry fee, nor can any other stamps be EN-.
ployed to secure special delivery except the spe.
cial delivery stamp. The special delivery stamp
must be In addition to the lawful postage. and
any article of firstclass matter not prepaid with
at least one full rate of postage, and any parcel
of any other class of matter, the pos.
tage on which has not been fully prepaid, in
accordance with the law and regulations, must
be treated as held for postage, even though bear
ing special delivery stamp. Postmasters Of
fourth-cass offices not in any 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 DO
considered excusable Every complaint of fall
ure in such delivery will be promptly investi-
gated and the responsibility fixed. with propeu
consequences No Office, however small, is OK,
empt from this obligation, and the system and
duties under it are SO simple that no excuse can
be accepted for any failure to meet the obligar
ton.
Should there be as many special delivery
stamps sold as one-fifteenth the number of or
binary stamps, and larger sales may be fairly
expected the gross allowance on this account
will equal the total compensation now paid TO
all fourth-class postmasters together. Their in
terest comedies with duty.
The following special instructions are given to
postmasters at free-delivery Offices: All post
Offices which, on the 1st Of October 1886, may be
free-delivery Offices, are hereby excepted from
the operations of the above order, so far as the
same prescribes the methods of immediate de-
livery. and at all such free-deivery Offices the
special delivery system will be maintained
through the employment of reguiar
force OF messengers, as az present.,
and postmasters at such Offices will
continue to be governed by the regulations In
the circulars of Aug. IL. 1886. published in the
Postal Guide for January 1886, and blythe instruc.
tions issued in pursuance thereof, except as the
same are herein modified. Postmasters are nor
required to make delivery of special delivery
matter on Sunday, but will be at liberty, how
ever, to deliver special delivery letters and par
cells arriving Sunday. The law PROVIDES thar
the Postmaster-ge general may contract Tor the
immediate delivery of all articles from any post
Office, at any price not less than cents per
piece when he shall deem it expedient." Post
masters at freedeiivery offices will, therefore,
forward any propositions from corporations or
other reputable parties for performing the I'm,