THIRTIETH CONGRESS. Sess. I. Ch. 79. 1848. 241 Cru?. LXXIX. - An Act to amend the Act to providcfor the Transportation of June Q7, 1818. the Mail between the United Stalzs and foreign Countries, and for other Pur- """"‘·‘*••f*· poses. 1845, ch. (:9. Ba it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Post· The Pmmsg. master-General, under the direction of the President of the United *¤¤'·G¤¤<>f¤l W States, be, and he is hereby, authorized and empowered to charge 2::322 uggzlagl upon, and collect from, all letters and other mailable matter carried to letters, &c., useor from any port of the United States, in any foreign packet ship or "::ml"thf°'°l€“ other vessel, the same rate or rates of charge for American postage gm of pig; which the government to which such foreign packet or other vessel be- which the 20*- longs imposes upon letters and other mailable matter conveyed to or from Qggggngsuch I-of such foreign country in American packets or other vessels, as the post- eign packets beage of such government, and at any time to revoke the same. And it {gag;"!?? “P°” shall be the duty of all custom-house officers and other United States ried izl Argergll agents, designated or appointed for that purpose, to enforce or carry P¤¤k¢*¤· into effect the foregoing provision, and to aid or assist in the collection dC“$°m·*‘Q¤*° of such postage. And to that end it shall be lawful for such officers gags 0°i§;;`Qtf£ and agents, on suspicion of fraud, to open and examine, in the pres- quiregi rc aid in ence of two or more respectable persons, being citizens of the United States, any package or packages supposed to contain mailable matter, Examination nifound on board such packets or other vessels, or elsewhere, and to pre- packages authorvent, if necessary, such packets or other vessels from entering, break- "°d· ing bulk, or making clearance, until all such letters or other mailable matter are duly delivered into the United States post-office. Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That all letters or other maila- AIlletters,&c., ble matter conveyed to or from any port of the United States, by any foreign packet or ship except such unsealed letters relating to said ship to or from ship or vessel, or any part of the cargo thereof, as may be directed to $‘XtPé”'é °l` W6 the owner or owners, consignee or consignees, of said ship or other hom esubjgaé? vessel, shall be so subject to postage charge as aforesaid, whether pcstagqclmge as addressed to any person in the United States or elsewhere: Provided, f;’[:;‘;‘;ya€if‘°°{’; It is done by the packet or other ship of a foreign country imposing thevcsselsorgan postage on letters or mailable matter conveyed to or from such coun- ggés, di*<·>¤wd f¤ try, by any packet or other ship of the United States; and such letters coisigggsgs mg? or other mailable matter carried in foreign packet ships or other said vessels. vessels, except such unsealed letters relating to the ship or vessel, or any part of the cargo thereof, as may be directed to the owner or owners, consignee or consignees, as aforesaid, are hereby required to be delivered into the United States post-oiflce by the master or commanders of all such packets or other vessels when arriving, and to be taken from a United States post-office when departing, and the postage paid thereon justly chargeable by this act; and for refusing or failing to do Penalty for vc. so, or for conveying said letters, or any letters intended to be conveyed €:S·;*§m<>¤; f¤ili}:§ in any ship or vessel of such foreign country, over or across the United the p,°§3;0n`;'°t- States, or any portion thereoi the party offending shall, 011 conviction, this section. forfeit and pay not exceeding five thousand dollars for each offence. Sec. 3. And be itjbrther enacted, That in case the person or per- Penalty on com sons, or the directors of any incorporated company, who have entered ;‘;;;‘;"z*’l:i° sbfdl into any contract, or who may hereafter enter into any contract, with upimhe aP:,;;; the Postmaster-Geueral,.for conveying the mail of the United States to ed value, me any foreign country, in pursuance of the act entitled "An Act to pro- ‘{°"“‘c]“h;l" °‘“‘ _ _ p oye y them vide for the transportation of the maxl between the United States and in carrying ma foreign countries, and for other purposes," approved the third day.0f mms- March, eighteen hundred and forty-five, or of any other act, m whxch 1845r °h·f°· said contract there is a stipulation, on the part of such contractor, gwing to the United States the right to purchase, at an nppralsed value, the steam·shlp or ships required by such contract to be employed an Vox,. IX. Pun. -31
