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a contract with the last subcontractor, without advertising, to perform the service on the terms at which the last subcontractor agreed with the original contractor or former subcontractor to perform the same: Provided, That such last subcontractor shall enter into a good and sufficient bond and that the original contractor shall not be released from his contract until a good and sufficient bond has been made by such last subcontractor and accepted by the Post-Office Department: Provided, further, That when a contract hereafter made is declared void on account of its having been sublet, the contractor shall not be entitled to one month's extra pay as provided for by law: And provided further, That if any person shall hereafter perform any service for any contractor or subcontractor in carrying the mail, he shall, upon filing in the department his contract for such service, and satisfactory evidence of its performance thereafter, have a lien on any money due such contractor or subcontractor for such service to the amount of the same; and if such contractor or subcontractor shall fail to pay the party or parties who have performed service as aforesaid the amount due for such service within two months after the expiration of the quarter in which such service shall have been performed, the Postmaster-General may cause the amount to be paid said party or parties and charged to the contractor, provided that such payment shall not in any case exceed the rate of pay per annum of the contractor or subcontractor: And provided further, That where any person, corporation, or partnership shall have contracts for the performance of mail service upon more than one route, and any failure to perform the service according to contract on any one or more of such routes shall occur, no payment shall be made for service on any of the routes under contract with such person, corporation, or partnership until such failure has been removed and all penalties therefor fully satisfied. (22 Stat. 53.)

This was a provision following an appropriation for inland mail transportation by star routes in the postal service appropriation act for the fiscal year 1883, cited above.

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7473. Searching vessels for letters. 7474. Seizing and detaining letters. 7475. Disposition of seizures.

Sec.

7476. Letters in stamped envelopes may be carried out of the mail. 7477. Separating letter-mail for expedition.

§ 7456. (R. S. § 3964.) What are post-roads. The following are established post-roads:

All the waters of the United States, during the time the mail is carried thereon.

All railroads or parts of railroads which are now or hereafter may be in operation.

All canals, during the time the mail is carried thereon.

All plank-roads during the time the mail is carried thereon. The road on which the mail is carried to supply any court-house which may be without a mail, and the road on which the mail is carried under contract made by the Postmaster-General for extending the line of posts to supply mails to post-offices not on any established route, during the time such mail is carried thereon.

All letter-carrier routes established in any city or town for the collection and delivery of mail matters.

Act June 8, 1872, c. 335. §§ 200-205, 17 Stat. 308, 309.

Navigable rivers within public lands are public highways, by R. S. § 2476, ante, 4918.

Public roads and highways were declared to be post routes by Act March 1, 1884, c. 9, post, § 7457.

Post-route and rural delivery maps and blue prints were authorized to be sold to the public by a provision in the legislative, executive and judicial acts for recent years. The provision for the fiscal year 1914 was by Act March 4, 1913, c. 142, 37 Stat. 781.

§ 7457. (Act March 1, 1884, c. 9.)

routes.

Public roads and highways post

All public roads and highways while kept up and maintained as such are hereby declared to be post routes. (23 Stat. 3.)

This was an act entitled "An act making all public roads and highways post routes."

§ 7458. (R. S. § 3965.) Provisions for carrying the mail.

The Postmaster-General shall provide for carrying the mail on all post-roads established by law, as often as he, having due regard to productiveness and other circumstances, may think proper.

Act June 8, 1872, c. 335, § 215, 17 Stat. 309.

§ 7459. (R. S. § 3966.) Mail to every court-house.

The Postmaster-General shall cause a mail to be carried from the nearest post-office on any established post-road to the court-house. of any county in the United States which is without a mail.

Act June 8, 1872, c. 335, § 216, 17 Stat. 309.

Post-offices at county seats were required to be continued by Act June 9, 1896, c. 386, ante, § 7271.

§ 7460. (R. S. § 3967.) Carrying the mail on canals.

The Postmaster-General may contract for carrying the mail on the navigable canals of the several States, when, in his opinion, the public interest or convenience requires it.

Act June 8, 1872, c. 335, § 217, 17 Stat. 310.
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§ 7461. (R. S. § 3968.) Carrying the mail on plank-roads.

The Postmaster-General may contract for carrying the mail on any plank-road in the United States, when the public interest or convenience requires it.

Act June 8, 1872, c. 335, § 218, 17 Stat. 310.

§ 7462. (R. S. § 3969.) Carrying the mail on waters of the United States.

The Postmaster-General may cause the mail to be carried in any steamboat or other vessel used as a packet on any of the waters of the United States.

Act June 8, 1872, c. 335, § 219, 17 Stat. 310.

Contracts for carrying mail on water routes between ports of the United States were authorized by Act May 17, 1878, c. 107, § 5, ante, 7454.

§ 7463. (R. S. § 3970.) Carrying home mail in steamships.

The Postmaster-General may, if he deem it for the public interest, make contracts for any period not exceeding one year, for carrying the mails in steamships between any of the ports of the United States. Act June 8, 1872, c. 335, § 220, 17 Stat. 310.

Contracts without advertisement for carrying mail on water routes between United States ports were limited to four years, and in case of new routes contracts without advertisement were limited to one year, and contracts for carrying mail to foreign ports were limited to two years, by Act May 17, 1878, c. 107, § 5, ante, § 7454. So much of this section as is inconsistent with said section 5 was repealed thereby.

§ 7464. (R. S. § 3971.) Extending line of posts; compensation. The Postmaster-General may enter into contracts for extending the line of posts to supply mails to post-offices not on any established route, and, as a compensation for carrying the mail under such contracts, may allow not exceeding two-thirds of the salary paid to the postmaster at such special offices.

Act June 8, 1872, c. 335, § 221, 17 Stat. 310.

§ 7465. (R. S. § 3972.) Selecting post-roads.

When there is more than one road between places designated by law for a post-road, the Postmaster-General may direct which shall be considered the post-road.

Act June 8, 1872, c. 335, § 206, 17 Stat. 309.

§ 7466. (R. S. § 3973.) Change of post-road terminus.

The Postmaster-General may change the terminus of post-roads connecting with or intersecting railways when the service can be thereby improved.

Act June 8, 1872, c. 335, § 207, 17 Stat. 309.

The Postmaster-General was authorized to extend the service on a mail route under contract for a distance not exceeding 25 miles in the aggregate beyond either terminus, by a provision of Act March 4, 1911, c. 241, § 1, ante, 7449.

§ 7467. (R. S. § 3974.) Discontinuing service on post-road.

Whenever, in the opinion of the Postmaster-General, the postal service cannot be safely continued, the revenues collected, or the laws maintained on any post-road, he may discontinue the service on such road or any part thereof until the same can be safely restored. Act June 8, 1872, c. 335, § 208, 17 Stat. 309.

§ 7468. (R. S. § 3975.) Contract for service over routes not established by law.

The Postmaster-General may, when he deems it advisable, contract for the transportation of the mails to and from any post-office; but where such service is performed over a route not established by law, he shall report the same to Congress at its meeting next thereafter, and such service shall cease at the end of the next session of Congress, unless such route is established a post-route by Congress. Act June 8, 1872, c. 335, § 209, 17 Stat. 309.

(R. S. § 3976. Repealed.)

This section provided that the master of any vessel of the United States bound from or to any foreign port should, before clearance, receive on board and securely convey all the mail the Post-Office Department or any diplomatic or consular officer of the United States abroad should offer, and that he should promptly deliver the same at the port of destination at two cents for each letter so delivered, and required the master upon the entry of the vessels returning from a foreign port to make oath that he had promptly delivered the mail placed on board the vessel before clearance from the United States, and prescribed a penalty for failing to make the oath.

It, and R. S. § 4203, and all other compulsory laws that obliged American vessels to carry the mails to and from the United States, were repealed by Act June 26, 1884, c. 121, § 23, post, § 7469.

§ 7469. (Act June 26, 1884, c. 121, § 23.) Repeal of laws compelling vessels to carry mails.

That sections thirty-nine hundred and seventy-six and forty-two hundred and three of the Revised Statutes of the United States, and all other compulsory laws and parts of laws that oblige American vessels to carry the mails to and from the United States arbitrarily, or that prevent the clearance of vessels until they shall have taken mail matter on board, be and the same are hereby repealed, but such repeal shall not take effect until the first day of April eighteen hundred and eighty-five. (23 Stat. 58.)

See note under R. S. § 3976.

Provisions for ocean mail service were made by Act March 3, 1891, c. 519, post, $$ 7530-7538.

Section 4203, repealed by this section, provided that all vessels belonging to citizens of the United States, and bound from any port in the United States to any foreign port, or from any foreign port to any port in the United States, should, before clearance, receive on board and securely convey all mail offered by the Post-Office Department or any diplomatic or consular officer of the United States abroad, and should promptly deliver the same on arrival, and should receive such reasonable compensation as might be allowed by law.

(R. S. § 3977. Repealed.)

This section required the master of a steamboat to deliver to the postmaster within a designated time after arrival at any port where there was a post-office all letters or packets brought by him addressed to that place, and made a failure to do so punishable. It was incorporated into the Criminal Code in section 200 thereof, post, § 10370, and was repealed by section 341 thereof, post, § 10515.

§ 7470. (R. S. § 3978.) Mail-carrying by vessels not in mail serv

ice.

The Postmaster-General may pay, to the master or owner of any vessel not regularly employed in carrying the mail, two cents for

each letter carried by such vessel between ports or places in the United States, or from any foreign port to any port in the United States; but all such letters shall be deposited in the post-office at the port of arrival.

Act June 8, 1872, c. 335, § 224, 17 Stat. 310.

Provisions for water-route contracts between ports of the United States were made by Act May 17, 1878, c. 107, § 5, ante, § 7454, and provisions for ocean mail service were made by Act March 3, 1891, c. 519, post, §§ 75307538.

(R. S. § 3979. Repealed.)

This section made it punishable to paint, etc., upon any vessel or vehicle not used in carrying the mail the words "United States Mail" or words of life import, or to advertise that a vessel or vehicle was used in carrying the mail when it actually was not so used. It was incorporated into the Criminal Code in section 188 thereof, post, § 10358, and was repealed by section 341 thereof, post, § 10515.

§ 7471. (R. S. § 3980.) Prepaid way-letters to be received.

Every route-agent, postal clerk, or other carrier of the mail shall receive any mail-matter presented to him, if properly prepaid by stamps, and deliver the same for mailing at the next post-office at which he arrives; but no fees shall be allowed him therefor.

Act June 8, 1872, c. 335, § 226, 17 Stat. 310.

(R. S. § 3981. Repealed.)

This section made it punishable for any person concerned in carrying the mail to receive or carry any letter or packet contrary to law. It was incorporated into the Criminal Code in section 180 thereof, post, § 10350, and was repealed by section 341 thereof, post, § 10515.

(R. S. § 3982. Repealed.)

This section made it punishable to establish a private express for the conveyance of letters or packets over any post route or between places where the mail was regularly carried. It was construed so as not to prohibit a person from receiving and delivering to the nearest post-office or postal car mailmatter properly stamped, by Act March 3, 1879, c. 180, § 1, 20 Stat. 356. This section and said act were both incorporated into the Criminal Code in section 181 thereof, post, § 10351, and were repealed by section 341 thereof, post, 10515.

(R. S. § 3983. Repealed.)

This section made punishable the carrying of any person employed as a private express for the conveyance of letters or packets by any stage-coach, railway-car, vessel, or other vehicle with the knowledge of the owner or of the driver, conductor or master. It was incorporated into the Criminal Code in section 182 thereof, post, § 10352, and was repealed by section 341 thereof, post, 10515.

(R. S. § 3984. Repealed.)

This section made it punishable to transmit letters or packets by private express. It was incorporated into the Criminal Code in section 183 thereof, post, § 10353, and was repealed by section 341 thereof, post, § 10515.

(R. S. § 3985. Repealed.)

This section made it punishable for any stage-coach, railway-car, vessel, etc., which regularly performed trips over any post route, to carry any letters or packets otherwise than in the mail, except such as related to the cargo and except as provided by R. S. § 3993, post, § 7476. It was incorporated into the Criminal Code in section 184 thereof, post, § 10354, and was repealed by section 341 thereof, post, § 10515.

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