Thirtieth Congress,
thiSecond Session,
BE IT ENACTED
By the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in
Congress Assembled.
That the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House, shall, at the commencement of each session of Congress obtain from each member and delegate the name of the post office nearest his residence, and shall with the aid of the presiding officers ascertain and fix the distance to the said post office from the seat of the general government; computed according to the—shortest continuous mail route; adding to, or subtracting from, that distance as the case may be, the distance from the said post office to the residence of the member or delegate; upon which statement, the mileage of each member and delegate shall be computed and settled: Provided, That they shall not alter the maximum of mileage now allowed to the delegate from the Territory of Oregon.
Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That hereafter no member or delegate shall be allowed mileage for attending any extra session of Congress or of either House thereof unless he shall have actually travelled the distance charged, it being the purpose of this section to prohibit compensation for constructive journeys.
Sec. 3. . And be it further enacted, That on the final settlement of the account of each member and delegate, he shall subjoin at the close of his account, a certificate that he has deducted from it all and each of the entire days on which he may have been absent from
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his seat in the House of which he is a member, and while it was in session; excepting, however, when his absence may have been occasioned by sickness, or by the order of the House on public business, or may have been with the leave of the House; in which latter case he shall be allowed only four dollars per day, during such absence.
Sec. 4. . And be it further enacted, That hereafter it shall not be lawful for any officer of either House of Congress, or other person by virtue of any order, resolution or other proceeding of either of said Houses to purchase or contract or agree for the purchase of any books for distribution among the members thereof until an appropriation shall have been regularly made for that specific purpose.
Sec 5 And be it further enacted, That no part of the appropriation which may be made for the contingent expenses of either House of Congress, shall be applied to any other than the ordinary expenditures of the Senate and House respectively; nor shall it be lawful to expend any part of said appropriation by virtue of any order resolution or other proceeding of either House as extra compensation or allowance to any Secretary, Clerk, messenger, or attendant of the said two Houses or either of them.
Sec. 6. And be it further enacted, That hereafter the mileage ^which^ may be allowed to officers or other persons in the military naval or civil service, shall be computed and settled according to the shortest mail route.
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02/21/1849
Passed the House of Representatives.
21st February 1849.
Attest.
Tho. J Campbell
Clerk

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H R . . . . . 745.
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An Act
To regulate the mileage of members and delegates in Congress, and for other purposes.
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In Senate of the United States
Resolved, That this bill
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Passed. Feby 21, 1849.
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Post Office
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Return
H

Partially Printed Document, 4 page(s), Volume Volume 2, RG 233, Entry 362: Records of the United States House of Representatives, Thirtieth Congress, 1847-1849, Records of Legislative Proceedings, Bills and Resolutions Originating in the House, 1847-1849, NAB ,