fending a

ral, or his deputies, or perfons by them em- Penafty on ployed, fhall be concerned in fetting up, or perfons of maintaining any foot or horse-poft, stage-wag- gainft this gon, or other stage-carriage, on any established act. poft-road, or any packet-boat or other veffel, to ply regularly from one place to another, between which, a regular communication by water Thall be established by the United States, and fhall receive any letter or packet, other than newspapers, magazines or pamphlets, and carry the fame by fuch foot or horfe-poft, stagewaggon or other ftage-carriage, packet-boat or veffel, (excepting only fuch letter or letters as may be directed to the owner or owners of fuch conveyance, and relating to the fame, or to the perfon, to whom any package or bundle in fuch conveyance is intended to be delivered) every perfon, fo offending, fhall forfeit, for every fuch offence, the fum of fifty dollars: Provided, That it fhall be lawful for any person to send letters or packets by a fpecial meffenger.

master-ge:

ters.

Sec. 15. And be it further enacted, That the Deputies to deputy-poftmasters and other agents of the account Postmaster-General, fhall duly account, and with postanswer to him, for all way-letters, which fhall neral for come to their hands: And for this purpose, way-letthe post-riders and other carriers of the mail, receiving any way-letter or letters (and it fhall be their duty to receive them, if presented more than two miles from a poft-office) fhall deliver the fame, together with the postage, if paid, at the first poft-office, to which they fhall afterwards arrive, where the postmaster shall duly enter the fame, and specify the number and rate or rates in the poft-bill, adding to the rate of each way-letter, one cent, which shall be paid by the deputy-poftmafter, to the mail VOL. III.

G

carrier from whom fuch way-letter fhall be received. And that letters, directed to perfons living between poft-offices, may be delivered, and the poltage thereof duly collected, it fhall be the duty of the carriers of the mail, to take charge of, and deliver all fuch letters, as fhall, for that purpofe, be committed to them, by any deputy-poftmafter, and collect the postage thereof, which fhall be paid over to fuch depu ty-poftmafter, on demand: And for every letter, fo delivered, the mail-carrier delivering the fame, fhall be allowed to demand and receive two cents, to his own ufe, befides the ordinary poftage. And if any deputy-poftmafter, or other agent of the Poftmafter-General, fhall deputies neglect so to account, he or they fo offending, neglecting fhall, on conviction thereof, forfeit for every to account fuch offence, a fum not exceeding fifty dollars: Provided, That no mail-carriers fhall make fuch deliveries at any place not on the poftroad Provided alfo, That the receipt and delivery of letters on the way, between postoffices, fhall not be required of the mail-carriers, in cafes where, in the opinion of the Poftmafter-General, the time or manner of carrying the mail, or the fpeed of conveyance, is incompatible with fuch receipts and deliveries.

Penalty on

for way-let

ters.

Sec. 16. And be it further enacted, That if any perfon employed in any of the departments of the general poft-office, fhall unlawfully detain, delay or open any letter, packet, bag or mail of letters, with which he fhall be entruffed, or which fhall have come to his poffeffion, and which are intended to be conveyed by polt; or if any fuch perfon fhall fecrete, embezzle or destroy any letter or packet entrusted to him, as aforefaid, and which fhall not contain any fecurity for, or affurance relating

or fecreting

to money, as hereinafter defcribed, every fuch Penalty on offender, being thereof duly convicted, fhall, detaining for every fuch offence, be fined, not exceed- letters. ing three hundred dollars, or imprifoned, not exceeding fix months, or both, according to the circumstances and aggravations of the offence. And if any perfon employed, as aforefaid, fhall fecrete, embezzle or deftroy, any letter, packet, bag or mail of letters with which he fhall be entrusted, or which fhall have come to his poffeffion, and are intended to be conveyed by poft, containing any bank-note, or bank postbill, bill of exchange, warrant of the treasury of the United States, note of affignment of ftock in the funds, letters of attorney for receiving annuities or dividends, or for felling ftock in the funds, or for receiving the interest thereof, or any letter of credit, or note for, or relating to the payment of money, or any bond or warrant, draft, bill or promiffory note, whatsoever, for the payment of money; or if any fuch perfon, employed as aforefaid, fhall fteal or take any of the fame, out of any letter, packet, bag or mail of letters, that fhall come to his poffeffion, he fhall, on conviction for any fuch offence, fuffer death. And if any perfon, who fhall have taken charge of the mail of the United States, fhall quit or defert the fame, before his arrival at the next poft office, every fuch perfon fo offending fhall forfeit and pay a fum not exceeding five hundred dollars, for every fuch offence. And if any perfon, concerned in carrying the mail of the United States, fhall collect, receive or carry any letter or packet, or fhall cause or procure the fame to be done, contrary to this act, every fuch offender fhall forfeit and pay, for every fuch offence, a fum not exceeding fifty dollars.

On perfons

mail.

Sec. 17. And be it further enacted, That if robbing the any perfon or perfons fhall rob any carrier of the mail of the United States, of fuch mail, or any part thereof, fuch offender or offenders fhall, on conviction thereof, fuffer death. And if any person fhall steal the mail, or fhall steal and take from or out of the mail, or from or out of any post-office, any letter or packet, fuch perfon fhall, upon conviction, for every fuch offence, be fined not exceeding three hundred dollars, or imprifoned not exceeding fix months, or both, according to the circumftances and aggravations of the offence.

Deputies to

months a

lift of let

ters then on hand, &c.

Sec. 18. And be it further enacted, That the deputy-poftmasters fhall, respectively, publish publish e at the expiration of every three months, or ofvery three tener, when the Poftmafter-General fhall fo direct, in one of the newspapers published at or nearest the place of his refidence, for three fucceffive weeks, a lift of all the letters remaining in their refpective offices, or inftead thereof, fhall make out a number of fuch lifts, and caufe them to be pofted at fuch public places in their vicinity, as fhall appear to them best adapted for the information of the parties concerned; and at the expiration of the next three months, fhall fend fuch of the faid letters, as . then remain on hand, as dead letters, to the general poft-office, where the fame fhall be opened and infpected; and if any valuable papers or matter of confequence, fhall be found therein, it shall be the duty of the PostmasterGeneral to caufe a defcriptive lift thereof to be inferted in one of the newfpapers publifhed at the place moft convenient to the fuppofed refidence of the owner, if within the United States; and fuch letter, and the contents hall be preserved, to be delivered to the per

53

fon, to whom the fame fhall be addressed, upon payment of the postage, and the expense of publication. And if fuch letter with its contents be not demanded by the perfon, to whom it is addreffed, or the owner thereof, or his lawful agent, within two years after the advertifement thereof, as aforefaid, the faid contents shall be applied to the use of the United States, until the fame fhall be reclaimed by the proprietor thereof. The manner of fuch application to be fpecially stated by the Poftmafter-General to the Secretary of the Treasury.

Certain

be convey

ed free of

Sec. 19. And be it further enacted, That the following letters and packets, and no other, letters to fhall be received and conveyed by poft, free of postage, under fuch restrictions, as are herein poftage. after provided; that is to fay: all letters and packets, to or from the Prefident or Vice-Prefident of the United States, and all letters and packets, not exceeding two ounces in weight, to or from any member of the Senate, or House of Representatives, the Secretary of the Senate or Clerk of the Houfe of Reprefentatives, during their actual attendance in any feffion of Congrefs, and twenty days after fuch feffion; all letters to and from the Secretary of the Treafury, Comptroller, Register and Auditor of the Treasury, the Treasurer, the Secretary of State, the Secretary at War, Commiffioner of the Revenue, the Postmaster-General, his affiftant, and deputies: And the deputy-postmafters fhall receive, befides their other allowances, two cents for each free letter or packet (their own excepted) which fhall be delivered to the perfon addreffed out of their refpective offices. Provided, That no perfon fhall frank or inclofe any letter or packet, other than his own; but any public letter or packet