New post roads established.From Nashville to Franklin.
From Knoxville to Burville.
In South Carolina.—The road from Edgefield to Cambridge, shall pass by Amos Richardson’s, and return by Northampton.
From Monk’s corner over Biggen bridge, by Pineville, Murray’s ferry, Santee, to Kingstree.
In Georgia.—From Oglethorpe Courthouse, by Athens, through Clarksburg, to Jackson Courthouse.
From Riceburg, by Fort James, to Tatnall Courthouse.
In Kentucky.—From Shelbyville to Louisville.
From Danville, by Pulaski Courthouse, to Wayne Courthouse.
In the Northwestern Territory.—From Marietta, by Chilicothe and Williamsburg, to Cincinnati.
Postmaster General authorized to contract for carrying the mail in coaches from Petersburg to Louisville in Georgia, for a time limited.
Additional expense not to exceed a certain amount.
He may have the mail from Suffield in Connecticut by Windsor, in Vermont, to Dartmouth College, carried in the same way.
Under a limitation of expense.
Free white persons to be only employed in carrying the mail.
Penalty for not complying with this provision.
(a) 1799, ch. 43.Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That for the better and more secure carrying of the mail of the United States, on the main post road between Petersburg, in Virginia, and Louisville, in Georgia, the Postmaster-General shall be, and hereby is authorized and directed to engage and contract with private companies, or adventurers, for carrying the mail of the United States, for a term of time not exceeding five years, in mail coaches or stages, calculated to convey passengers therein: Provided, that the expense thereof shall not exceed a sum equal to one third more than the whole of the present expense incurred for carrying the mail on such road, on horseback. And the said Postmaster-General may, hereafter at his discretion, require as a stipulation in the contract for carrying the mail from Suffield, in Connecticut, by Windsor, in Vermont, to Dartmouth College, in New Hampshire; that the same shall be conveyed in a carriage or line of stages: Provided, the expense thereof shall not exceed more than one third the sum heretofore given for carrying the mail on the last mentioned route by a post rider.
Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That from and after the first day of November next no other than a free white person shall be employed in carrying the mail of the United States, on any of the post roads, either as a post-rider or driver of a carriage carrying the mail: and, every contractor or person who shall have stipulated or may hereafter stipulate to carry the mail, or whose duty it shall be to cause the same to be conveyed, on any of the post roads, as aforesaid, and who shall, contrary to this act, employ any other than a free white person as a post-rider or driver, or in any other way to carry the mail on the same, shall, for every such offence, forfeit and pay the sum of fifty dollars, one moiety thereof to the use of the United States, and the other moiety thereof to the person who shall sue for, and prosecute the same, before any court having competent jurisdiction thereof.
Privilege of franking extended to the Attorney-General, and of receiving letters, &c. free of postage.Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, That all letters, packets and newspapers to and from the Attorney-General of the United States shall be conveyed by post free of postage: Provided, that all letters by him sent be franked in the manner in the manner required by the seventeenth section of the act to establish the post-office.(a)
Allowances may be made to the postmasters at the distributing offices;
Limitation thereof.
No allowance if the number of mails is not actually increased by the distributing system.
An additional compensation to the deputy postmaster at the city of Washington.Sec. 6. And be it further enacted, That the Postmaster-General be authorized to allow the postmasters at the several distributing offices, such compensation as shall be adequate to their several services in that respect: Provided, that the same shall not exceed in the whole five per cent. on the whole amount of postages on letters and newspapers received for distribution, and that the said allowance be made to commence on the first day of June, in the year one thousand eight hundred: Provided also, that if the number of mails received at, and dispatched from, any such office is not actually increased by the distributing system, then no additional allowance shall be made to the postmaster.
