Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the following sums of money be, and they are hereby, appropriated for the service of the Post-Office Department for the year ending the thirtieth of June, one thousand eight hundred and fifty, out of any moneys in the treasury arising from the revenues of the said department, in conformity to the act of the second of July, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-six, viz. :

For transportation of the mails within the United States, two millions five hundred and forty thousand dollars.

For transportation of the mails in four steamships, at one hundred thousand dollars each per year, from New York to Bremen, by way of Southampton, under the contract made with the Ocean Steam Navigation Company, of New York, in addition to the sum of three hundred and eighty-three thousand six hundred and nine dollars of former appropriations for the same object, which it is estimated will remain unexpended on the thirtieth of June eighteen hundred and forty-nine, sixteen thousand three hundred and ninety-one dollars.

For transportation of the mails between Charleston, South Carolina, and Havana, by way of Key West, calling at Savannah, under the contract made with M. C. Mordecai, fifty thousand dollars; and for transportation of the mail by said line, or by other steamers, to such other places on the coast of Florida as the Postmaster-General may deem practicable and expedient five thousand dollars.

For compensation of postmasters, one million two hundred and twenty thousand dollars.

For ship, steamboat, and way letters, thirty thousand dollars.

For wrapping paper, twenty-two thousand dollars.

For office furniture, (in the offices of postmasters,) three thousand dollars.

For advertising, fifty thousand dollars.

For mail bags, twenty-five thousand dollars.

For blanks, twenty-one thousand dollars.

For mail locks, keys, and stamps, six thousand dollars.

For the detection and prevention of mail depredations and for special agents, including the two agents for Oregon and California, twenty thousand dollars.

For clerks for offices, (the offices of postmasters,) two hundred and sixty thousand dollars.

For miscellaneous, sixty thousand dollars.

That the better to enable the postal treaty with Great Britain to go into full effect with equal advantage to both countries, letters shall be mailed as composing one rate only where the letter does not exceed the weight of a half ounce avoirdupois; where it exceeds a half ounce, but does not exceed an ounce, as composing two rates; where it exceeds an ounce, but does not exceed two ounces, as composing four rates; where it exceeds two ounces, but (does) not exceed three ounces, as composing six rates; where it exceeds three ounces, but does not exceed four ounces, as composing eight rates; and in like progression for each additional ounce, or fraction of an ounce, and that each rate

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shall be subject to the full postage charge; that letters refused, or which cannot be delivered, may be immediately returned to the dead letter office, and that newspapers not sent from the office of publication shall be charged with the same postage as other papers, to be prepaid.

Approved, March 3, 1849.