Papers Of Abraham Lincoln

THIRTIETH CONGRESS—FIRST SESSION.
H. R. 180.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
April 10, 1848.

Mr. Goggin, from the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads, reported the following amendments to the bill (H. R. 180) “to amend the act to provide for the transportation of the mails between the United States and foreign countries, and for other purposes.”

AMENDMENTS.
Strike out all after the word assembled in the first section, and, in lieu of the original bill, insert:

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11 That the Postmaster General, under the direction of
the President of the United States, be, and he is hereby,
authorized and empowered to charge upon, and collect
from, all letters and other mailable matter carried to or
from any port of the United States, in any foreign packet
ship or other vessel, the same rate or rates of charge for
^“^ American ^”^ postage which the government to which such
foreign packet or other vessel belongs imposes upon
letters and other mailable matter conveyed in ^“^ American^”^
packets, or other vessels, as the postage of such govern-
ment. And it shall be the duty of all custom-house

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24 officers and other United States agents, designated or
appointed for that purpose, to enforce or carry into effect,
the foregoing provision, and to aid or assist in the collec-
tion of such postage. And to that end it shall be lawful f ^fô^r to^
such officers and agents, on suspicion of fraud, to open
and examine, in the presence of two or more respectable
persons, being citizens of the United States, any package
or packages supposed to contain mailable matter, found
on board such packets or other vessels, ôr elsewhere^ and to prevent, if
necessary, such packets or other vessels from entering,
breaking bulk, or making clearance, until all such letters
or other mailable matter are duly delivered into the United
States post office.

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Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That all letters
or other mailable matter conveyed to, or from any port
of the United States, for any foreign packet or ship, ^1^st except such letters âs may be^ are addressed directed to the owner or owners, consignee or consignees of said ship or other vessels,^ whether
addressed to any person in the United States or elsewhere:
Provided, ^“^ It is done by the packet or other ship of a gov-
ernment imposing foreign postage of letters or mailable
matter conveyed by any packet or other ship of the
United States; and such letters or other mailable matter ^21 carried in foreign packet ships or other vessels^ ^3d except those di such 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 office by the master or commanders of all such
packets or other vessels when arriving, and to be take

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17 from a United States post office when departing; and for
refusing or failing to do so, or for conveying said letters
over or across the United States ^42 or any portion thereof^ the party offending shall,
on conviction, forfeit and pay not exceeding ^53 ^th “A,” five,^ 5 thou-
sand dollars for each offence.

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[ docketing ]
H R Nô 180
amendment

[ docketing ]
Whole Bill Struck out & Amen^dt pass^d as amendment
April 12. 1848

[ docketing ]
[H?] R Pass^d

1“3” changed to “2”



^Begin^1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11	That the Postmaster General, under the direction of the President of the United States, be, and he is hereby, authorized and empowered to charge upon, and collect from, all letters and other mailable matter carried to or from any port of the United States, in any foreign packet ship or other vessel, the same rate or rates of charge for ^“^ American ^”^ postage which the government to which such foreign packet or other vessel belongs imposes upon letters and other mailable matter conveyed in ^“^ American^”^ packets, or other vessels, as the postage of such govern- ment. And it shall be the duty of all custom-house
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12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24	officers and other United States agents, designated or appointed for that purpose, to enforce or carry into effect, the foregoing provision, and to aid or assist in the collec- tion of such postage. And to that end it shall be lawful f ^f^o^r to^ such officers and agents, on suspicion of fraud, to open and examine, in the presence of two or more respectable persons, being citizens of the United States, any package or packages supposed to contain mailable matter, found on board such packets or other vessels, ^or elsewhere^ and to prevent, if necessary, such packets or other vessels from entering, breaking bulk, or making clearance, until all such letters or other mailable matter are duly delivered into the United States post office.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8910 11 12	Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That all letters or other mailable matter conveyed to, or from any port of the United States, for any foreign packet or ship, ^1^st except such letters ^as may be^ are addressed directed to the owner or owners, consignee or consignees of said ship or other vessels,^ whether addressed to any person in the United States or elsewhere: Provided, ^“^ It is done by the packet or other ship of a gov- ernment imposing foreign postage of letters or mailable matter conveyed by any packet or other ship of the United States; and such letters or other mailable matter ^21 carried in foreign packet ships or other vessels^ ^3d except those di such 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 office by the master or commanders of all such packets or other vessels when arriving, and to be take
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13 141516 17	from a United States post office when departing; and for refusing or failing to do so, or for conveying said letters over or across the United States ^42 or any portion thereof^ the party offending shall, on conviction, forfeit and pay not exceeding ^53 ^th “A,” five,^ 5 thou- sand dollars for each offence.