TWENTY-NINTH CONGRESS. Sess. II. Ch. 63. 1847. 201 option, agreeably to the provisions of an act entitled "An Act to pro- ployed in canvide for the Transportation of the Mail between the United States and '°Y"’¥ mm foreign Countries, and for other Purposes," approved the third day of mi °h' 6g' March, one thousand eight hundred and forty-five: Provided, That Prcviso. the departure and return of said mail may, at the discretion of the Postmaster-General, be either from Charleston, New York, Savannah, Pensacola, or New Orleans, as may be deemed most consistent with _ the public interest. Sec. 9. And be it further enacted, That the sum of thirty thousand $30000 approdollars be, and the same is hereby, appropriated for the service herein P¤**l°<l· provided for, to be paid from the general appropriation for mail transportation. Sec. 10. And be it further enacted, That the Postmaster-General be authorized and directed, when in his judgment the public interest or convenience may require it, to establish one or more branch post B¤¤¢h P°¤°· otiices, to facilitate the operation of the post-office, in any city or °m°"’ place which, in the opinion of the Postmaster-General, may require such additional accommodation for the convenience of the inhabitants; and it shall be the duty of the Postmaster-General to prescribe the rules and regulations for the branch post-offices which may be established by virtue of this act; and no additional postage shall be charged for the receipt or delivery of any letter or packet at such branch post-office. Sec. 11. And be it further enacted, That, to facilitate the transportation of letters in the mail, the Postmaster-General be authorized to prepare postage stamps, which, when attached to any letter or Postage stamps. packet, shall be evidence of the payment of the postage chargeable on such letter; which said stamps the Postmaster-General may deliver to any deputy postmaster who may apply for the same, the deputy postmaster paying or becoming accountable for the amount of the stamps so received by him; and if any of said stamps shall not be used, but be returned to the General Post-Office, the amount so returned shall be credited to such deputy postmaster ; and such deputy postmaster may sell or dispose of any stamps so received by him, to any person who may wish to use the same; but it shall not be lawful for any deputy postmaster to prepare, use, or dispose of any postage stamps not authorized by and received from the Postmaster-General; and any person who shall falsely and fraudulently make, utter, or Penalty for forge any postage stamp, with the intent to defraud the Post-Ollice ggng &·°· °“°*' Department, shall be deemed guilty of felony, and on conviction shall P ` be subject to the same punishment as is provided in the twenty-first section of the act approved the third day of March, eighteen hundred and twenty-five, entitled "An Act to reduce into one the several Acts I825, ¤b· 64- establishing and regulating the Post-Omce Department. Sec. 12. And be it further enacted, That so much of the sixth sec- R$lP€°;,l";>Y 6:; tion of the act to which this is supplementary as requires the Post- O? ac: 3d master·General to cause accounts of the postage that would be charge- March 1845, ch. able by the rates prescribed in said act upon all matter passing free :2;°;:u"§:"§; through the mail, and that the same shall be paid to the Post-Olhce kept of the post- Department from the contingent funds of the two Houses of Con- gH¤;u°gz;h° Pubgress, and of the other departments of the government for which °P ' such mail service may have been performed, be, and the same is hereby, repealed; and that in lieu of such payment, and in compen- 3200,000 ap. sation for such mail services as may be performed for the several de- l£¤P¤i¥¤dl¤ hw partments of the government, there shall be paid to the Post-Otlice °r°°' Department, from the treasury, for each year’s service, the sum of two hundred thousand dollars, which is hereby appropriated for that urpose, out of an unappropriated money in the treasury. P Sec. 13. And bh it enacted, That it shall not be lawful to p°$°F“l*Yi£°'£f; deposit in any post-oilcice, to be conveyed in the mail, two or more pwrzdu me Von. IX. Pun.-26
