FORTIETH CONGRESS. Sess. II. Ch. 260. 1868. 229 CHAP. CCLX. -- An fict to provide for an Ammban Line ty Mail and Emigrant Pas- July 27, meg, senger Steamshzps between New York and one or more European Ports. -——""*‘ Bc it enacted by the Senate and Hnwc of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Postmaster-General Postmasteris empowered and hereby authorized to contract with the Commercial gigigtlmlgl Navigation Company of the State of New York, a corporation existing Commergdl under the laws of the State of New York, under a special charter passed N*“’lS*"°¤ Cmby the legislature of said State under the date of April twenty-three, eighteen hundred and sixty-six, for the weekly or semi-weekly convey- of mails of the ance of all European and foreign mails of the United States between Fllwd S§“°“ New York and Bremen, touching at Southampton, England, or Liverp0ol,_y{,;;°:l;d ew touching at Queenstown, in first-class sea-going steamships, to be con- P¤'°¤¤°¤,*>¤¤<=h· structed in the United States and owned by said company, for a term not Lg l;;,?";?' exceeding fifteen years, in the manner and on the conditions hereinafter <hass.`¤t‘ ves· Stated. sels,where to ba Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That the said navigation company Eilg;},?:,°;;8rm shall, with a purpose of performing the above service, build, contract, and Seven firstq fit out, within one year from the passage of this act, at least sevennrst- fg';;; T:§§?’;}}‘p° • ¤ • 7 class sea-going steamships, live of which shall not be of less than three what tonnage, thousand tons each, government measurement, and two others of not less and wllhm what than two thousand tons each, all of which vessels shall be constructed in umn the best manner, under the supervision and inspection of the American Lloyds, or, if ordered by the Postmaster·General, under the inspection of the most competent engineer, to be detailed for this purpose by the Secretary of the Navy, upon a written application of the Postmaster-General, so that when completed each vessel shall be of the first class in every respect, and with all known modern improvements in model, machinery, and outfit, so as to secure the greatest possible speed and safety; which steamships, when so constructed. shall be organized into and compose the to compose United States mail steamship line, for the proper conveyance of mails and ¥;;iP§;;;‘£§*°’ passengers, as hereinafter provided; the time of sailing, and all other Liu, fo,,;,,, coe,- details, to be arranged and agreed upon between the said company and v¤y=¤¤c<> <>f mails the Postmaster-General, with power to modify such agreements, from time md P““°“g°”‘ to time, as may best promote the object in view : Provided, That no let- Letters, &o. ters or mail matter shall be detained for the purpose of being sent by 3* *:1*;:g*- t this line: And provided further, That the average rate of speed of the bbmlisling °°° steamships of the said navigation company shall not be less than that of Rate of speed; the steamships of other lines upon the same or similar routes, and if for ii-,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,!' the space of three months the trips successively of the steamships of said contract may company shall be made in longer time than that employed by other steam- "°“s°· ships as aforesaid, then any contract made under the provisions of this act shall cease and determine at the pleasure of the government of the United States. Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That the compensation for carrying Compensation and transporting the mails by sea, as herein provided, shall be agreed §g;c;‘g§"§‘;‘l°; upon, and shall be in conformity with the act of Congress, approved June 1858, l,1,_ ;6'4_ fourteen, eighteen hundred and fifty-eight, and shall in no event or con- VOL XL p- 364- tingency exceed the su_m therein provided, being all postage on letters, newspapers, and all other matter transported by or in the mails carried hy said navigation company, shall belong to said company, and shall be paid to be paid to to said navigation company quarterly, or applied to their use or benefit, *h° °°mP¤·¤>' , . . . quarterly. as hereinafter provided: Provzdcd, Tlgat when the rpctgpiss of (said navi- tpl,,,,, Su d ation com ian from sea postages, un er any contrac e ma e in pur- pos ages excee guance of ihiszct, shall equal or exceed the sum of four hundred thou- g0?lg·£2g*;gt°g· sand dollars per annum, then the Tlghh of said company to receive the w,8Mi,,;,md inland postages shall cease and determine, and said company shall only gg3g:;:;,;;;::; receive the sea postages: Provided, That such postages shall not exceed $600,000_ six hundred thousand dollars per annum, after the chscontinuance of said inland postage.
