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against the said kingdom, or which were shipped from the said kingdom prior to the second day of February, one thousand eight hundred and eleven, whereby the person or persons interested in such goods, wares, or merchandise, or concerned in the importation or introduction thereof, into the United States, hath or have incurred any fine, penalty, or forfeiture, under an act, entitled “;” and an act, entitled “;” and the ; on such person or persons petitioning for relief to any judge or court, proper to hear the same, in pursuance of the provisions of the act, entitled “;” and on the facts being shown, on inquiry had by the said judge or court, stated and transmitted, as by the said act is required, to the Secretary of the Treasury; in all such cases wherein it shall be proved to his satisfaction, that the said goods, wares, and merchandise, at the time of their importation or introduction into the United States were bona fide American property, that they were not clandestinely imported or introduced, and that they were imported or introduced since the declaration of war aforesaid, the Secretary of the Treasury is hereby directed to remit all fines, penalties, and forfeitures that may have been incurred under the said acts, in consequence of such importation or introduction into the United States, upon the costs and charges that have arisen, or may arise, being paid, and on payment of the duties that would have been payable by law, on such goods, wares, and merchandise, if legally imported, and also, to direct the prosecution or prosecutions, if any shall have been instituted for the recovery of the said fines, penalties, and forfeitures, to cease and be discontinued.

. And be it further enacted, That the duties payable on the goods, wares, and merchandise embraced by the provisions of the act, entitled “,” shall not, in any case, be paid, or secured to be paid, in such manner as to postpone the payment of such duties beyond the time and times at which the said duties should have become payable, if the goods, wares, and merchandise had been imported and entered at the time of passing this act, any thing in the act above mentioned to the contrary notwithstanding.

, February 27, 1813.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Postmaster-General be, and he is hereby authorized to contract for carrying mails of the United States in any steamboat or boats, which are or may be established to ply between one post town and another post town: Provided, that such contract shall not be made for a longer period than four years: And provided also, that the pay for such service, shall not be at a greater rate, taking into consideration distance, expedition, and frequency, than is paid for carrying the mail by stages on the post road, or roads, adjacent to the course of such steamboats, and that such contract shall secure the regular transportation of the mail throughout the year.

, February 27, 1813.