Regulations

way-letters.

ployed, shall be concerned in setting up or maintaining any foot or horse post, stage waggon, or other stage carriage or sleigh on any established post road, or from one post town to another post town, on any road adjacent or parallel to an established post road, or any packet boat or other vessel to ply regularly from one place to another, between which a regular communication by water shall be established by the United States, and shall receive any letter or packet, other than newspapers, magazines or pamphlets, and carry the same by such foot or horse post, stage waggon or other stage, carriage, or sleigh, packet boat or vessel, (excepting only such letter or letters as may be directed to the owner or owners of such conveyance, and relating to the same, or to the person to whom any packet or bundle in such conveyance is intended to be delivered) every person so offending shall forfeit for every such offence the sum of fifty dollars: Provided, That it shall be lawful for any person to send letters or packets by a special messenger.

Sec. 17. And be it further enacted, That concerning the deputy postmasters and other agents of the postmaster general shall duly account and answer to him, for all way-letters which shall come to their hands; and for this purpose the post riders and other carriers of the mail, receiving any way-letter or letters (and it shall be their duty to receive them, if presented more than two miles from a postoffice) shall deliver the same, together with the postage, if paid, at the first post-office to which they shall afterwards arrive, where the postmaster shall duly enter the same, and specify the number and rate or rates in

the post bill, adding to the rate of each wayletter, one cent, which shall be paid by the postmaster to the mail carrier from whom such way-letters shall be received. And that letters directed to persons living between post offices may be delivered, and the postage thereof duly collected, it shall be the duty of the carriers of the mail to take charge of, and deliver all such letters as shall for that purpose be committed to them by any postmaster, and collect the 'postage thereof, which shall be paid over to such postmaster on demand. And for every letter so delivered, the mail carrier delivering the same shall be allowed to demand and receive two cents to his own use, besides the ordinary postage. And if any postmaster or other agent of the postmaster general shall neglect so to account, he or they so offending shall, on conviction thereof, forfeit for every such offence a sum not exceeding fifty dollars: Provided, That no mail carrier shall make such deliveries at any place not on the post road: Provid ed also, That the receipt and delivery of letters on the way, between post offices, shall not be required of the mail carriers in cases where, in the opinion of the postmaster general, the time or manner of carrying the mail, or the speed of conveyance, is incompatible with such receipts and deliveries.

Penalties for

pening let

Sec. 18. And be it further enacted, That if any person, employed in any of the de- unlawfully partments of the general post office, shall detaining, deunlawfully detain, delay or open any letter, laying, or opacket, bag or mail of letters, with which ters, packets, he shall be entrusted, or which shall have &c. &c. come to his possession, and which are intended to be conveyed by post, or if any

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such person shall secrete, embezzle or de-
stroy any letter or packet entrusted to him
as aforesaid, and which shall not contain any
security for, or assurance relating to money,
as hereinafter described, every such offender,
being thereof duly convicted, shall, for every
such offence, be fined, not exceeding three
hundred dollars, or imprisoned, not exceed-
ing six months, or both, according to the
circumstances and aggravations of the of
fence. And if any person, employed as afore,
said, shall secrete, embezzle or destroy any
letter, packet, bag or mail of letters, with
which he shall be entrusted, or, which shall
have come to his possession, and are intend-
ed to be conveyed by post, containing any
bank note or bank post bill, bill of exchange,
warrant of the treasury of the United States,
note of assignment of stock in the funds, let-
ters of attorney for receiving annuities or
dividends, or for selling stock in the funds,
or for receiving the interest thereof, or any
letter of credit, or note for or relating to pay-
ment of monies, or any bond or warrant,
draft, bill or promissory note, covenant,
contract or agreement whatsoever, for or
relating to the payment of money, or the de-
livery of any article of value, or the perform-
ance of any act, matter, or thing, or any
receipt, release, acquittance or discharge of
or from any debt, covenant or demand, or
any part thereof, or any copy of any record
of any judgment or decree, in
or decree, in any court of
law or chancery, or any execution which
may have issued thereon, or any copy of any
other record, or any other article of value, or
any writing representing the same; or if any
such person, employed as aforesaid, shall

steal or take any of the same out of any letter, packet, bag or mail of letters, that shall come to his possession, he shall, on convic. tion, for any such offence, be imprisoned not exceeding ten years. And if any person, who shall have taken charge of the mail of the United States, shall quit or desert the same, before he delivers it into the post office kept at the termination of his route, or to some known mail carrier, or agent of the general postoffice authorised to receive the same, every such person, so offending, shall forfeit and pay a sum not exceeding five hundred dollars for every such offence. And if any person, concerned in carrying the mail of the United States, shall collect, receive or carry any letter or packet, or shall cause or procure the same to be done, contrary to this act, every such offender shall forfeit and pay, for every such offence, a sum not exceeding fifty dol

lars.

Sec. 19. And be it further enacted, That if any person shall rob any carrier of the mail of the United States or other person entrusted therewith, of such mail, or of part thereof, such offender or offenders shall, on conviction, be imprisoned not exceeding ten years, and if convicted a second time of a like offence, he or they shall suffer death; or if in effecting such robbery of the mail, the first time, the offender shall wound the person having custody thereof, or put his life in jeopardy, by the use of dangerous weapons, such offender or offenders shall suffer death. And if any person shall attempt to rob the mail of the United States, by assaulting the person having custody thereof, shooting at him or his horse or mule, or threatening him

with dangerous weapons, and the robbery is not effected, every such offender, on conviction thereof, shall be punished by imprisonment not exceeding three years. And if any person shall steal the mail, or shall steal or take from or out of any mail, or from or out of any post office, any letter or packet, or if any person shall take the mail, or any letter or packet therefrom or from any post office, whether with or without the consent of the person having custody thereof, and shall open, embezzle, or destroy any such mail, letter, or packet, the same containing any article of value, or evidence of any debt, due, demand, right or claim, or any release, receipt, acquittance or discharge, or any other article, paper or thing mentioned and described in the eighteenth section of this act, or if any person shall, by fraud or deception, obtain, from any person having custody thereof, any mail, letter or packet, containing any article of value, or evidence thereof, or either of the writings referred to, or next above mentioned, such offender or offenders, on conviction thereof, shall be imprisoned not exceeding seven years. And if any person shall take any letter or packet, not containing any article of value or evidence thereof, out of a post office, or shall open any letter or packet which shall have been in a post office, or in the custody of a mail carrier, before it shall have been delivered to the person to whom it is directed, with a design to obstruct the correspondence, to pry into another's business or secrets, or shall secrete, embezzle or destroy any such mail, letter or packet, such offender, upon conviction, shall pay for every such offence a sum not exceeding five hundred dollars.