commissions allowed to the postmaster amounted to one thousand dollars or upwards in the year ending the thirtieth day of June, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-five, or which may, in any subsequent year, terminating on the thirtieth day of June, amount to or exceed that sum, who shall hold his office for the term of four years, unless sooner removed by the President.
Postmasters and clerks to be exempt from military duty.Sec. 34. And be it further enacted, That assistant postmasters and clerks regularly employed and engaged in post offices, shall be exempt from militia duty, and serving on juries, and from any fine or penalty for neglect thereof.
Advertisements of letters may be made in more than one paper.
Proviso.Sec. 35. And be it further enacted, That advertisements of letters remaining in the post offices may, under the direction of the Postmaster General, be made in more than one newspaper: Provided, That the whole cost of advertising shall not exceed four cents for each letter.
Postmasters not to receive or frank any package other than such as contain paper or money.
Act of March 3, 1845, ch. 43.Sec. 36. And be it further enacted, That no postmaster shall receive free of postage, or frank, any letter or packet composed of, or containing any thing other than paper or money; and for a violation of this provision, the offender shall be dismissed from office, and upon conviction in any court of competent jurisdiction, pay a fine of twenty dollars. And no person shall hold the office of postmaster who shall not be an actual resident of the city or town wherein the office is situated, or the district of country usually supplied by said office.
Release of sureties of a postmaster.Sec. 37. And be it further enacted, That when any one or more of the sureties of a postmaster shall notify to the Postmaster General their desire to be released from their suretyship, or when the Postmaster General shall deem it necessary, he shall require the said postmaster to execute a new bond, with security, which, when accepted by the Postmaster General, shall be as valid as the bond given upon the original appointment of said postmaster, and the sureties in the prior bond shall be released from responsibility for all acts or defaults of said postmaster, which may be done or committed subsequent to the acceptance of the new bond, the date of which shall be endorsed thereon.Proviso. Provided, That payments made subsequent to the execution of the new bond by said postmaster shall be applied first to discharge any balance which may be due on the old bond, unless he shall, at the time of payment, expressly direct them to be applied to the credit of his new account.
Penalty for stealing or taking letters, &c. from the mail.Sec. 38. And be it further enacted, That if any person shall be accessary after the fact, to the offence of stealing or taking the mail of the United States, or of stealing or taking any letter or packet, or enclosure in any letter or packet sent or to be sent in the mail of the United States, from any post office in the United States, or from the mail of the United States, by any person or persons whatever, every person so offending as accessary, shall, on conviction thereof, pay a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars, and be imprisoned for a term not exceeding five years; and such accessary after the fact may be tried, convicted, and punished in the district in which his offence was committed, though the principal offence may have been committed in another district, and before the trial of the principal offender: Provided, such principal offender has fled from justice, or cannot be arrested to be put upon his trial.
Express mail.Sec. 39. And be it further enacted, That in case the Postmaster General shall deem it expedient to establish an express mail, in addition to the ordinary mail, on any of the post roads in the United States, for the purpose of conveying slips from newspapers in lieu of exchange newspapers, or letters, other than such as contain money, not exceeding half an ounce in weight, marked “express mail,” and public despatches, he shall be authorized to charge all letters and packets carried by such express mail with triple the rates of postage to which letters and packets, not free, may be by law subject, when carried by the ordinary mails.
