Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 4.djvu/284



may be offered at public sale, at such time as the President of the United States may think expedient, and sold as other public lands of the United States.

, March 2, 1827.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Postmaster General be authorized to allow to the postmasters at the several distributing offices, a commission, not to exceed five per cent. on the amount of postage on letters and packets received for distribution. The allowance to commence on the third of March, eighteen hundred and twenty-five: Provided, That if the number of mails received at, and despatched from, any such office, is not increased by the distributing system, then no allowance shall be made therefor, except where special provision is made.

. And be it further enacted, That the Postmaster General be authorized to allow to each postmaster, one cent for every letter received from any ship or vessel, and mailed by him: Provided, his usual commission, together with the allowance aforesaid, shall not exceed the sum of two hundred dollars a year; and the letter carriers employed at the post-offices shall be authorized to receive, for each newspaper delivered by them, an half cent, and no more.

. And be it further enacted, That no person, other than the Postmaster General, or his authorized agents, shall set up any foot or horse post, for the conveyance of letters and packets, upon any post-road, which is or may be established as such by law; and every person who shall offend herein, shall incur a penalty of not exceeding fifty dollars, for each letter or packet so carried.

. And be it further enacted, That the commissioners of the navy board, the adjutant general, commissary general, inspectors general, quartermaster general, paymaster general, the secretary of the Senate, clerk of the House of Representatives, and the superintendent of the patent office, be authorized to frank, and to receive letters and packets by post free of postage, and that no other persons or officers, excepting those enumerated herein, and in the act to “,” passed on the third of March, eighteen hundred and twenty-five, shall be authorized to frank or to receive letters through the mail free of postage.

. And be it further enacted, That one or more pieces of paper, mailed as a letter, and weighing one ounce, shall be charged with quadruple postage, and at the same rate, should the weight be greater; and quadruple postage shall be charged on all packets containing four pieces of paper. Every printed pamphlet or magazine which contains more than twenty-four pages on a royal sheet, or any sheet of less dimensions, shall be charged by the sheet, and small pamphlets printed on a half or quarter sheet of royal, or less size, shall be charged with half the amount of postage charged on a full sheet; and there shall be printed or written, on one of the outer pages of all pamphlets and magazines to be sent by the mail, the number of sheets they contain; and if such number shall not be truly states, double postage shall be charged.

. And be it further enacted, That no postmaster, or assistant postmaster, shall act as agent for lottery offices, or, under any colour of purchase, or otherwise, vend lottery tickets; nor shall any postmaster receive free of postage, or frank lottery schemes, circulars, or tickets.