Papers Of Abraham Lincoln

THIRTIETH CONGRESS—FIRST SESSION.
H. R. 301.
(Report No. 325.)
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
March 9, 1848.
Read twice, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House on the state
of the Union.
Mr. Lincoln, from the Committee on Post Office and Post
Roads, reported the following bill:
A BILL
Authorizing postmasters at county seats of justice to receive
subscriptions for newspapers and periodicals to be paid
through the agency of the Post Office Department, and
for other purposes.

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10 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives of the United States of America in Congress
assembled, That from and after the passage of this act, it
shall be the duty of postmasters at post offices of seats of
justice in counties, districts, or parishes, as the case may
be, in the several States and Territories of the United
States, at the requisition of persons purposing to become
subscribers, to receive, on deposit, subscriptions for news-
papers, magazines, or other periodicals published within
the United States, at regular periodical intervals; and to

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6 issue, thereupon, for each deposit, a certificate in the fol-
lowing form, the blanks of which shall be filled up in
writing in conformity with the instructions of the de-
positor.
$Post Office at
State of184.
I certify that I have this day received from
ofthe sum of
dollars andcents, for the subscription to the
published at, and I have placed the
same to the credit of the United States for the service of
the Post Office Department, in my general account, to be
paid, (if approved by the auditor of said department,) to
the editor and proprietor of said
Postmaster.
A duplicate of which, marked as such, shall be issued
to the depositor for his protection: Provided, That no
commission shall be allowed postmasters on such de-
posites.
Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That all original
certificates, issued in pursuance of the foregoing section,
shall, upon pre-payment of postage thereon, be trans-
mitted by mail, and not otherwise, to the Auditor of the
Treasury for the Post Office Department, for his ap-
proval, record, and designation thereon in writing, of the

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14 post offices at which they shall be paid, if approved, or,
for return to the subscribers, if disapproved: Provided,
That when said auditor approves said certificates he shall
not frank them. But in all cases of returning certificates
disapproved, or corresponding on the subject of mis-
takes in certificates, misdirection, or inquiries of or
concerning the same, or lost certificates, the said auditor’s
official privilege of franking shall be in force with regard
to said correspondence as in ordinary correspondence of
his office.
Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That if any post-
master aforesaid shall, collusively, or with knowledge of
an intent to pervert to other purposes the privileges of
this act, issue a certificate of deposit not herein au-
thorized, he shall incur a penalty of two hundred dollars;
and any postmaster of any other post office than the post
offices authorized specially by this act, who shall issue
a certificate of deposit for newspaper subscription, or sub-
scriptions to other periodicals purporting to be payable
by the Post Office Department, shall incur a penalty of
two hundred dollars; which said penalties shall be prose-
cuted, recovered, and disposed of as other penalties for
breaches of the laws for the government and regulation
of the Post Office Department.

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2 Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That in cases in
which it shall appear to the Postmaster General that it
would be more expedient to the department, or more con-
venient to the inhabitants of a county, district, or parish,
by reason of local disadvantage at the seat of justice, to
appoint some other post office in said county, district, or
parish, instead of the post office at the seat of justice, for
the purpose of receiving the deposits authorized by this
act, it shall be in the power of said Postmaster General
to make such selection and appointment: Provided, That
there shall not be more than one post office in each
county, district, or parish, authorized at the same time to
issue certificates under this act.
Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, That all money
deposited with the postmaster aforesaid, under authority
of this act, shall be, and the same is hereby, declared to
be, public money, held subject in all respects as other
public money, to the provisions of the act approved six
August, eighteen hundred and forty-six, entitled “An act
to provide for the better organization of the treasury,
and for the collection, safe keeping, and disbursement
of the public revenue.”
Sec. 6. And be it further enacted, That for the
purpose of carrying into effect the objects of this act,

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6 the Secretary of the Treasury be, and he is hereby,
authorized to employ in the office of the Auditor of
the Treasury for the Post Office Department, two
additional clerks, at salaries of one thousand dollars each.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Repre- sentatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That from and after the passage of this act, it shall be the duty of postmasters at post offices of seats of justice in counties, districts, or parishes, as the case may be, in the several States and Territories of the United States, at the requisition of persons purposing to become subscribers, to receive, on deposit, subscriptions for news- papers, magazines, or other periodicals published within the United States, at regular periodical intervals; and to
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11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 1 2 3 4 5 6	issue, thereupon, for each deposit, a certificate in the fol- lowing form, the blanks of which shall be filled up in writing in conformity with the instructions of the de- positor. $Post Office at State of184. I certify that I have this day received from ofthe sum of dollars andcents, for the subscription to the published at, and I have placed the same to the credit of the United States for the service of the Post Office Department, in my general account, to be paid, (if approved by the auditor of said department,) to the editor and proprietor of said Postmaster. A duplicate of which, marked as such, shall be issued to the depositor for his protection: Provided, That no commission shall be allowed postmasters on such de- posites. Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That all original certificates, issued in pursuance of the foregoing section, shall, upon pre-payment of postage thereon, be trans- mitted by mail, and not otherwise, to the Auditor of the Treasury for the Post Office Department, for his ap- proval, record, and designation thereon in writing, of the
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7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14	post offices at which they shall be paid, if approved, or, for return to the subscribers, if disapproved: Provided, That when said auditor approves said certificates he shall not frank them. But in all cases of returning certificates disapproved, or corresponding on the subject of mis- takes in certificates, misdirection, or inquiries of or concerning the same, or lost certificates, the said auditor’s official privilege of franking shall be in force with regard to said correspondence as in ordinary correspondence of his office. Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That if any post- master aforesaid shall, collusively, or with knowledge of an intent to pervert to other purposes the privileges of this act, issue a certificate of deposit not herein au- thorized, he shall incur a penalty of two hundred dollars; and any postmaster of any other post office than the post offices authorized specially by this act, who shall issue a certificate of deposit for newspaper subscription, or sub- scriptions to other periodicals purporting to be payable by the Post Office Department, shall incur a penalty of two hundred dollars; which said penalties shall be prose- cuted, recovered, and disposed of as other penalties for breaches of the laws for the government and regulation of the Post Office Department.
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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 2	Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That in cases in which it shall appear to the Postmaster General that it would be more expedient to the department, or more con- venient to the inhabitants of a county, district, or parish, by reason of local disadvantage at the seat of justice, to appoint some other post office in said county, district, or parish, instead of the post office at the seat of justice, for the purpose of receiving the deposits authorized by this act, it shall be in the power of said Postmaster General to make such selection and appointment: Provided, That there shall not be more than one post office in each county, district, or parish, authorized at the same time to issue certificates under this act. Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, That all money deposited with the postmaster aforesaid, under authority of this act, shall be, and the same is hereby, declared to be, public money, held subject in all respects as other public money, to the provisions of the act approved six August, eighteen hundred and forty-six, entitled “An act to provide for the better organization of the treasury, and for the collection, safe keeping, and disbursement of the public revenue.” Sec. 6. And be it further enacted, That for the purpose of carrying into effect the objects of this act,
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3 4 5 6	the Secretary of the Treasury be, and he is hereby, authorized to employ in the office of the Auditor of the Treasury for the Post Office Department, two additional clerks, at salaries of one thousand dollars each.