Papers Of Abraham Lincoln

THIRTIETH CONGRESS—FIRST SESSION.
H. R. 421.
(No Report.)
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
April 26, 1848.
Read twice, and committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
state of the Union.
Mr. George W. Jones, from the Committee on the Post Office
and Post Roads, reported the following bill:
A BILL
To limit the amount of compensation to be paid for the transportation
of the mail over railroads, and on steamboats, in
certain cases.

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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 the Postmaster General to class the
service, required of the several railroad companies in the
Union, in transporting the mail into three classes; and in
no case shall a higher rate of compensation be paid to any
such company, for transporting the mail over their road,
than the following amounts for the several classes of
service. For the first class service two hundred dollars

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4 per mile per annum. For second class service one hun-
dred dollars per mile, per annum. For third class ser-
vice fifty dollars per mile per annum.
Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That if the Post-
master General shall, at any time, require the mail to be
transported twice each day, or oftener, over any railroad
of first class service, he is hereby authorized to contract
with the company owning or having the control of the
railroad for increased compensation, which shall in no case
except one hundred dollars per mile per annum for such
additional service required over and above the daily trans-
portation of the mail.
Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That all future
contracts for the transportation of the mail with railroad
companies shall be in writing, and a condition shall be
inserted, obligating the contractors to conform to the hours
prescribed by the Postmaster General for the departure
and arrival of the mail. And in no case whatever shall
any railroad company be continued as mail contractors,
who shall intentionally fail or refuse to comply with such
condition.
Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That in all cases
in which a contract shall hereafter be made for the trans-
portation of the mail, partly over railroad and partly on
steamboats, the compensation paid for the steamboat

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3 portion of the route shall be at least twenty-five per cen-
tum less than that for the railroad portion of the route.
Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, That nothing in
this act shall be so construed as to affect any contract ex-
isting at the time of its passage.

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 the Postmaster General to class the service, required of the several railroad companies in the Union, in transporting the mail into three classes; and in no case shall a higher rate of compensation be paid to any such company, for transporting the mail over their road, than the following amounts for the several classes of service. For the first class service two hundred dollars
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11 12 13 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 2 3 4	per mile per annum. For second class service one hun- dred dollars per mile, per annum. For third class ser- vice fifty dollars per mile per annum. Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That if the Post- master General shall, at any time, require the mail to be transported twice each day, or oftener, over any railroad of first class service, he is hereby authorized to contract with the company owning or having the control of the railroad for increased compensation, which shall in no case except one hundred dollars per mile per annum for such additional service required over and above the daily trans- portation of the mail. Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That all future contracts for the transportation of the mail with railroad companies shall be in writing, and a condition shall be inserted, obligating the contractors to conform to the hours prescribed by the Postmaster General for the departure and arrival of the mail. And in no case whatever shall any railroad company be continued as mail contractors, who shall intentionally fail or refuse to comply with such condition. Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That in all cases in which a contract shall hereafter be made for the trans- portation of the mail, partly over railroad and partly on steamboats, the compensation paid for the steamboat
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5 6 1 2 3	portion of the route shall be at least twenty-five per cen- tum less than that for the railroad portion of the route. Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, That nothing in this act shall be so construed as to affect any contract ex- isting at the time of its passage.