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(ACT of May 15th, 1820.)

9. SEC. III. The consent of congress is hereby granted and declared, to the operation of any act of the general assembly of the state of Georgia, now in existence, or which may hereafter be passed, so far as the same extends, or may extend, to authorise the levying and collecting a tonnage duty, not exceeding two cents per ton upon coasting vessels, and four cents per ton upon vessels from foreign ports, arriving at and entering the ports of Savannah and St. Mary's, for the purpose of providing a fund for the payment of the fees of the harbour master, and health officer of those ports respectively: Provided, The said acts shall not contain provisions inconsistent with the operation of any law of the United States, made in execution of existing treaties.

10. SEC. IV. This act shall be in force for five years, and from thence to the end of the next session of congress thereafter, and no longer.

ACT of May 15, 1820. Pamphlet edit. 98.

An act designating the ports within which only foreign armed vessels shall be permitted to enter.

11. SEC. 1. After the first day of July, one thousand eight hundred and twenty, it shall not be lawful for any foreign armed vessels to enter any harbour belonging to the United States, excepting only those of Portland, Boston, New London, New York, Philadelphia, Norfolk, Smithville, in North Carolina, Charleston, and Mobile; unless when such vessels shall be forced in by distress, by the dangers of the sea, or by being pursued by an enemy, and be unable to make any of the ports above mentioned, in which cases, the commanding officer shall all immediately report his vessel to the collector of the district, stating the object or causes of his entering such harbour; shall take such position therein, as shall be assigned him by such collector, and shall conform himself to such regulations, as shall be assigned to him, by the said collector, under the authority and direction of the president of the United States.

12. SEC. 11. It shall be lawful for the president of the United States, to employ such part of the land and naval forces of the United States, or the militia thereof, as he may deem necessary to enforce the provisions of the first section of this act; and the president shall also be authorised to employ such forces, to prevent any foreign armed vessel from entering or remaining within any waters, within the jurisdiction of the United States, except such as shall be in her direct course in entering from sea, or leaving, to proceed to sea, either of the harbours above mentioned.

13. SEC. III. This act shall continue in force until the first day of July, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-two, and no longer.

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POST OFFICE, AND POST ROADS.

Postmaster general and assistants,

Oath of office,

Contracts,

Compensations,

Carriers and drivers,

Obstruction of roads,

Obstruction of the mail,

Postmaster's offices,

Ship letters,

Extortion,

5, 10, 32, 34, 41, 43 Defaulting postmasters,

Individuals carrying letters,

Way-letters,

Embezzling, &c. letters,

Robbery and larceny,

Cutting, &c. the mail bag,

Accessaries,

1 Punishment,

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2 Dead letters,

21

3,8

Franks,

22, 31, 38, 42, 45

4 Newspapers,

23

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6 Informer's share of penalties,

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ACT of April 30, 1810. 4 Bioren, 290.
Au act regulating the post office establishment.

1. SEC. I. There shall be established at the seat of government of the United States, a general post office, under the direction of a postmaster general. The postmaster general shall appoint two assistants, and such clerks as may be necessary for performing the business of his office. He shall establish post offices and appoint postmasters, at all such places as shall appear to him expedient, on the post roads that are, or may be, established by law. He shall give his assistants, the postmasters, and all other persons whom he shall employ, or who may be employed in any of the departments of the general post office, instructions relative to their duty. He shall provide for the carriage of the mail on all post roads that are, or may be, established by law; and as often as he, having regard to the productiveness thereof, and other circumstances, shall think proper, he may direct the route or road, where there are more than one, between places designated by law for a post road, which route shall be considered the post road. He shall obtain from the postmasters their accounts and vouchers for their receipts and expenditures once in three months, or oftener, with the balances thereon arising in favour of the general post office. He shall pay all expenses which may arise in conducting the post office, and in the conveyance of the mail, and all other necessary expenses arising on the collection of the revenue and management of the general post office. He shall prosecute offences against the post office establishment. He shall, once in three months, render to the secretary of the treasury a quarterly account of all the receipts and expenditures in the said department, to be adjusted and settled as other public accounts. He shall also superintend the business of the department, in all the duties that are, or may be, assigned to it: Provided, That in case of the death, resignation, or removal, from office, of the postmaster general, all his duties shall be performed by his senior assistant, until a successor shall

(ACT of April 30th, 1810.)

be appointed, and arrive at the general post office, to perform the business.

2. SEC. II. The postmaster general, and all other persons employed in the general post office, or in the care, custody, or conveyance, of the mail, shall, previous to entering upon the duties assigned to them, or the execution of their trusts, and before they shall be entitled to receive any emolument therefor, respectively, take and subscribe the following oath or affirmation, before some magistrate, and cause a certificate thereof to be filed in the general post office: "I, A B, do swear, or affirm (as the case may be,) that I will faithfully perform all the duties required of me, and abstain from every thing forbidden by the laws in relation to the establishment of the post office and post roads within the United States." Every person who shall be in any manner employed in the care, custody, conveyance, or management, of the mail, shall be subject to all pains, penalties, and forfeitures, for violating the injunctions, or neglecting the duties required of him, by the laws relating to the establishment of the post office and post roads, whether such person shall have taken the oath or affirmation above prescribed or not.

3. SEC. III. It shall be lawful for the postmaster general to provide, by contract, for the carriage of the mail, on any road on which a stage wagon or other stage carriage shall be established, on condition that the expense thereof shall not exceed the revenue thence arising. It shall also be lawful for the postmaster general to enter into contracts, for a term not exceeding eight years, for extending the line of posts, and to authorise the persons so contracting, as a compensation for their expenses, to receive, during the continuance of such contracts, at rates not exceeding those for like distances established by this act, all the postage which shall arise on letters, newspapers, magazines, pamphlets, and packets, conveyed by any such post; and the roads designated in such contracts shall, during the continuance thereof, be deemed and considered as post roads within the provision of this act: And a duplicate of every such contract shall, within sixty days after the execution thereof, be lodged in the office of the comptroller of the treasury of the United States.

4. SEC. IV. No other than a free white person shall be employed in carrying the mail of the United States, on any of the post roads, either as a post rider or driver of a carriage carrying the mail; and every contractor or person who shall have stipulated, or may hereafter stipulate, to carry the mail, or whose duty it shall be to cause the same to be conveyed on any of the post roads as aforesaid, and who shall, contrary to this act, employ any other than a free white person as a post rider or driver, or in any other way to carry the mail on the same, shall, for every such offence, forfeit and pay the sum of fifty dollars; one moiety thereof to the use of the United States, and the other moiety thereof to the per

(ACT of April 30th, 1810.)

son who shall sue for and prosecute the same before any court having competent jurisdiction thereof.

5. SEC. v. The postmaster general shall be authorised to allow the postmasters at the several distributing offices such compensation as shall be adequate to their several services in that that respect: Provided, That the same shall not exceed, in the whole, five per cent. on the whole amount of postages on letters and newspapers received for distribution: Provided also, That if the number of mails received at, and despatched from, any such office, is not actually increased by the distributing system, then no additional allowance shall be made to the postmaster.

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6. SEC. VI. Whenever it shall be made to appear to the satisfaction of the postmaster general, that any road established, or which may hereafter be established, as a post road, is obstructed by fences, gates, or bars, or other than those lawfully used on turnpike roads to collect their toll, and not kept in good repair, with proper bridges and ferries where the same may be necessary, it shall be the duty of the postmaster general to report the same to congress, with such information as can be obtained, to enable congress to establish some other road instead of it in the same main direction.

7. SEC. v11. If any person shall, knowingly and wilfully, obstruct or retard the passage of the mail, or of any driver or carrier, or of any horse or carriage carrying the same, he shall, upon conviction, for every such offence, pay a fine not exceeding one hundred dollars: And if any ferryman shall, by wilful negligence, or refusal to transport the mail across any ferry, delay the same, he shall forfeit and pay, for each ten minutes that the same shall be so delayed, a sum not exceeding ten dollars.

8. SEC. VIII. It shall be the duty of the postmaster general to give public notice, in one or more of the newspapers published at the seat of government of the United States, and in one or more of the newspapers published in the state or states or territory where the contract is to be performed, for at least six weeks before entering into any contract for carrying the mail, that such contract is intended to be made, and the day on which it is to be concluded, describing the places from and to which such mail is to be conveyed, the time at which it is to be made up, and the day and hour at which it is to be delivered. He shall, moreover, within ninety days after the making of any contract, lodge a duplicate thereof, together with the proposals which he shall have received respecting it, in the office of the comptroller of the treasury of the United States: Provided, That no contract shall be entered into for a longer term than four years.

9. SEC. 1x. Every postmaster shall keep an office, in which one or more persons shall attend on every day on which a mail, or bag, or other packet or parcel, of letters shall arrive, by land or water, as well as on other days, at such hours as the postmaster general shall direct, for the purpose of performing the duties

(ACT of April 30th, 1810.)

thereof; and it shall be the duty of the postmaster, at all reasonable hours, on every day of the week, to deliver, on demand, any letter, paper, or packet, to the person entitled to, or authorised to receive the same; and all letters brought to any post office half an hour before the time of making up the mail at such office, shall be forwarded therein; except at such post offices where, in the opinion of the postmaster general, it requires more time for making up the mail, and which he shall accordingly prescribe; but this shall in no case exceed one hour.

10. SEC. X. No fees or perquisites shall be received by any person employed in the general post office, on account of the duties to be performed by virtue of his appointment.

11. SEC. XII. Every letter or packet brought into the United States, or carried from one port therein to another, in any private ship or vessel, shall be charged with six cents, if delivered at the post office where the same shall arrive; and if destined to be conveyed by post to any other place, with two cents added to the ordinary rates of postage.

12. SEC. XII. If any postmaster, or other person authorised by the postmaster general, to receive the postage of letters, shall fraudulently demand or receive any rate of postage, or gratuity or reward, other than is provided by this act, for the postage of letters or packets, on conviction thereof he shall forfeit, for every such offence, one hundred dollars, and shall be rendered incapable of holding any office or appointment under the government of the United States.

13. SEC. XIV. No ship or vessel arriving at any port within the United States, where a post office is established, shall be permitted to report, make entry, or break bulk, until the master or commander shall have delivered to the postmaster all letters directed to any person or persons within the United States, or the territories thereof, which, under his care, or within his power, shall be brought in such ship or vessel, except such as are directed to the owner or consignee of the ship or vessel, and except also such as are directed to be delivered at the port of delivery to which such ship or vessel may be bound. And it shall be the duty of the collector, or other officer of the port, empowered to receive entries of ships or vessels, to require, from every master or commander of such ship or vessel, an oath or affirmation, purporting that he has delivered all such letters, except as aforesaid. And if any commander or master of any ship or vessel shall break bulk before he shall have complied with the requirements of this act, every such offender shall, on conviction thereof, forfeit, for every such offence, a sum not exceeding one hundred dollars.

SEC. XV. The postmasters to whom such letters may be delivered, shall pay, to the master or commander, or other person delivering the same, except the commanders of foreign packets, two cents for each letter or packet, and shall obtain, from the person delivering the same, a certificate, specifying the number of letters

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