Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 5.djvu/786



the Secretary of State be, and he is hereby, authorized to empower the consuls of the United States to pay the foreign postage of such letters, destined for the United States, as may be detained at the ports of foreign countries for the non-payment of postage; which postage shall be by the consul marked as paid by him, and the amount thereof shall be collected in the United States, as other postage, on the delivery of the letters, and repaid to said consul, or credited on his account at the State Department.

. And be it further enacted, That the Postmaster General shall, in all cases of offers to contract for carrying the mail between any of the ports of the United States and any foreign port or place, give the preference to such bidder for the contract as shall propose to carry the mail in a steam ship or ships, and the said contractor stipulating to deliver said ship or ships to the United States, or to their proper officer, upon demand made, for the purpose of being converted into a vessel or vessels of war; the United States being bound, on their part, to pay to said owner or owners the fair full value of every such ship or vessel at the time of such delivery; said value to be ascertained by four appraisers to be appointed two by the President of the United States, and two by the owner or owners; and in case of disagreement among said appraisers, the President of the United States to select and appoint an umpire, who shall fix the value.

. And be it further enacted, That the Postmaster General may, if he shall deem it to be for the public interest, make contracts to continue not exceeding ten years, for the transportation of the mail from place to place in the United States in steamboats by sea and on the Gulf of Mexico and on the Mississippi river from the mouth thereof up to the city of New Orleans, on the conditions specified in the last preceding section of this act.

, March 3, 1845.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That any imported merchandise which has been entered, and the duties paid or secured according to law, for drawback, may be exported to Chihuahua, in Mexico, or Santa Fé, in New Mexico, either by the route of the Arkansas river, through Van Buren, or by the route of the Red river through Fulton, or by the route of the Missouri river through Independence.

. And be it further enacted, That all the merchandise so exported shall be in the original packages as imported, a true invoice whereof, signed by the exporter, shall be made, to the satisfaction of the collector, describing accurately each package with its contents and all the marks upon it, exclusive of the name of the exporter, the place of destination, and the route by which it is to be exported; all which shall be inscribed thereon, upon which invoice the collector shall certify that he is fully convinced the same is true, that the goods are in the original packages as imported, that they are duly entered for drawback, and to be exported by the owner, (naming him,) to either of the places aforesaid, (naming it,) and by one of the aforesaid routes, (naming it.)

. And be it further enacted, That upon the arrival of such goods at either of the places in Arkansas or Missouri above named, they shall be again inspected and compared with the invoice and certificate aforesaid, by an officer of the United States, who shall, if fully convinced that the several packages are identical, having remained unbroken and unchanged, also certify on said invoice the facts, in such forms as the Secretary of the Treasury shall prescribe.