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Sec. 517. Postmaster not to Receive Money from Predecessor, unless.-Each postmaster, on taking charge of his post-office, will not receive from his predecessor any money belonging to the Department, unless specially instructed so to do. When the accounts of the outgoing postmaster have been finally settled he will be notified by the Auditor, and directed in what manner and to whom the balance due the Department shall be paid.

Sec. 518. Assistants to be Appointed.-Precaution should be taken by each postmaster to appoint an assistant, to prevent the post-office from being left without a duly qualified person to perform its duties in case of the necessary absence, the sickness, resignation, or death of the postmaster.

Sec. 519. Oath of Office to be Sent to Department.-Each postmaster will forward the oaths of his assistant, and of the clerks and employés of his post-office to the First Assistant Postmaster-General before they enter upon their duties.

Sec. 520. Who to have Access to Mail-matter in Post-office.-A postmaster will suffer no person whatever, except his duly sworn assistant, clerks, letter-carriers, and Special Agents of the Post-Office Department to have access to the letters, newspapers, and packets in his post-office, or to whatever constitutes a part of the mail, or to the mail locks or keys. This prohibition extends to all persons who may be employed on other duties than handling the mails. He should especially exclude mail contractors and their drivers.

Sec. 521. Mails not to be Opened in Reach of Unauthorized Persons.-Mails must not be opened or ma le up by the postmaster or his assistants within the reach of persons not authorized to handle them. The postmaster will, therefore, while discharging these duties, if a room be appropriated to the use of his post-office, exclude from it all persons except his assistants regularly employed and sworn.

Sec. 522. Postmasters must Collect and Examine Waste Paper, etc.—The postmaster, or one of his assistants, before the post-office is swept or cleared, should collect and examine the waste paper which has accumulated therein, in order to gnard against the possibility of loss of letters or other mail-matter which may have fallen on the floor or have been intermingled with such waste paper during the transaction of business. The observance of this rule is strictly enjoined upon all postmasters. Postmasters should be careful to use, in mailing letters or packets, all wrapping-paper fit to be used again.

Sec. 523. No Post-office to be Located in Bar-room.-No post-office shall be located in a bar-room, or in any room directly connected therewith; nor must any mail be opened or any mail-matter delivered in any room in which liquor is sold at retail, except such liquors are sold by a druggist for medicinal purposes only.

Sec. 524. Loungers not to be Permitted in Post-office.-A postmaster must not allow his post-office to become the resort for loungers or disorderly persons, and whenever necessary he should invoke the aid of the civil authorities to enable him to free his post-office from the same. He is also required to keep his post-office in such a clean and orderly condition that it may be visited by women and children and others without impropriety and embarrassment.

Sec. 525. Business Hours at Post-offices.-Each postmaster will keep his post-office open for the dispatch of business every day, except Sunday, during the us al hours of business in the place, and attend at such other hours as may be necessary to receive and dispatch mails. When the mail arrives on Sunday, he will keep his postoffice open for one hour or more after the arrival and assortment thereof, if the public convenience requires it, for the delivery of the same only. If it be received during the time of public worship, the opening of the post-office will be delayed until services have closed.

Sec. 526. Transaction of other Business at Fourth-class Post-offices.-Postmasters at post-offices of the fourth-class will be permitted to transact other business in

the same room in which the post-office is located, provided such other business is kept separate and distinct from that of the post-office.

Sec. 527. Changing Site of Post-offices.-No postmaster should change the site or location of his post-office without permission from the Department. In making application for such change, the postmaster should state whether it involves any additional expense for transportation of the mail and is approved by the patrons of his post-office. The distance and direction of the proposed site from the present one should be also stated.

LETTER BOX.

Aperture.

(6 inches.)

Sec. 528. Receiving Box for Mail at Third and Fourth Class Post-offices.— A letter-box must be provided at third and fourth class post-offices, and must be constructed in the post-office window or in the wall; the aperture for the posting of letters must be horizontal, as shown in the margin, and must measure six inches by an inch and a half, and must be easily accessible to the public. The words "Letter-box" must be painted above the aperture. The box must be at least two feet in depth from the lower edge of the aperture, and not less than one foot wide and one foot from back to front; and directly underneath the aperture, on the inside, there should be a ledge, about two inches in width, inclining upwards, as shown in the margin, to prevent persons from seeing the contents of the box, and also to prevent letters from being drawn out of the box. The box should be shut by means of a door forming the entire back or side of the box. The door must always be securely locked, and the key kept in a safe place.

2 feet.

1 in.

2 in.

1 foot.

Dool.

Sec. 529. Place for Mail-matter awaiting Delivery and for Stamps, etc.— At fourth-class post-offices a press or drawer must be provided to hold letters, &c., awaiting delivery, and a separate drawer to hold official papers (including instructions), which should never be placed with the letters. A drawer must be provided in which to keep postage stamps, and a box or till with a secure lock in which to place official cash, which must be kept entirely separate from the postmaster's private

money.

Sec. 530. Sanctity of Seals Inviolable. The several enactments of law defining crimes and offenses against the post-office establishment, to which reference should be frequently made by Special Agents, admonish every person in the employ of the Department that the law-making power intends to throw around the privity of correspondence the solemn sanction of its protection. One of the highest obligations of the Department to the people is to preserve, by all the means in its power, the absolute sanctity of a seal. The enactments referred to are entirely explicit. Special Agents are required to impress on postmasters and their subordinates, at all times, that the Postmaster-General will visit with punishment to the full extent of the law any violation of the law in this particular.

Sec. 531. Postmasters not to give Information respecting Mail-matter.Postmasters and all others in the service are forbidden to furnish information concerning mail-matter received or delivered, except to the persons to whom it is addressed or to their authorized agents. The messages on postal cards must not be read, except when necessary to facilitate their delivery, or for the purpose of determining whether the same are unmailable by reason of the presence of obscene words or pictures thereon, nor made known to others. A disregard of this regulation will be considered a violation of official trust, and will render the offender liable to removal. Postmasters may, however, when the same can be done without interference with the regular business of the post-office, furnish to officers of the law, to aid them in discovering a fugitive from criminal justice, information concerning the postmarks and addresses of letters, but must not delay or refuse their delivery to the persons addressed.

Sec. 532. Postmasters Powerless to Remit Overcharges on Mail-matter.—

A postmaster has no discretionary power for the remission of penalties or overcharges on mail-matter. Under special circumstances cases will undoubtedly occur in which the strict observance of a general rule may inflict more or less injustice upon individuals. In such cases the postmaster should advise the party to appeal directly to the First Assistant Postmaster-General, he himself keeping, if possible, a record of the facts, so that he may verify or disprove the statement of the party appealing. The mail-matter upon which the appeal may be taken should remain in the possession of the post-office until after the decision of the First Assistant Postmaster General, though circumstances may present themselves where the matter should be delivered pending a decision.

Sec. 533. Official Correspondence, Return of Official Papers.-Applications and inquiries addressed to an officer of the Department become official papers, and when a paper is referred to the postmaster for any purpose, it must on no account be retained by him, but must be carefully returned, as speedily as possible, together with the report that may be required, to the officer from whom it has been received. Under no circumstances may official papers be allowed to pass into the hands of the public without express instructions to that effect.

Sec. 534. How Postmasters should Reply to Official Correspondence.-No official paper of any kind, whether requiring a reply or not, should be returned by the postmaster without some observations denoting that it has been received; and such observations should be written, if possible, directly following the communication to which they refer, in order that the questions and answers, or observations or rejoinders, may appear in consecutive order, according to their dates, and so that the papers may be read as the pages of a book. The postmaster must not fail to sign and date the papers containing every observation or reply that he may make, and the name of his post-office should also be added thereto.

Sec. 535. Postal Guide Supplied Officially and to be Consulted.-A copy of the United States Postal Guide is officially supplied to every postmaster, and he must consider the Guide as an instruction, to be carefully perused and attended to by himself and by his assistants, as well as a book of reference for the public.

Sec. 538. Postmasters in Doubt as to Law to Ask Instructions.-Whenever a postmaster is in doubt as to any provision of the law or regulations, he should, before making a decision or taking any action, address the proper office of the Department for instructions; and no expenditure of any kind must be made without the consent of the Department has been first obtained.

Sec. 537. Attention to be Given to Official Printed Circulars.-Postmasters are required to give the same attention to instructions contained in 'printed circulars sent from the different bureaus of the Department as to official manuscript letters.

Sec. 538. How Postmasters are to Address the Department.-Every postmaster, in addressing the Department, should write the name of his post-office, county, and State at the head of his letter, and avoid writing upon more than one subject in the same letter. Postmasters will be expected to obey this instruction to the letter. Letters must be plainly addressed to the proper office of the Department.

Sec. 539. Public Documents and Property to be Turned over to Successor.— All instructions, circulars, and orders received by a postmaster from any officer of the Department are to be filed in the post-office and turned over to his successor. In like manner he will turn over to his successor, or, in the event of the discontinuance of the post-office, deliver to the postmaster designated by the First Assistant Postmaster-General, as public property, all safes, desks, cases, and other furniture and fixtures, and all books, office records (such as duplicate pay-rolls, records of arrivals and departures of mails, and of employés of the railway mail service), all maps, blanks, stationery, copies of this book, and other articles which have either been furnished to him as postmaster or have been charged and allowed at any time, and which may remain on hand when the vacancy or discontinuance occurs.

Sec. 540. Credentials of Special Agents to be Demanded.-Postmasters should always insist upon the exhibition of the credentials of persons representing themselves to be Special Agents of the Department unless personally known to them to be such. A Special Agent's credentials are always signed by the Postmaster-General himself.

Sec. 541. Postmasters not to Act as Lottery Agents.-No postmaster shall act as agent for any lottery office, or under any color of purchase, or otherwise vend lottery tickets; nor shall he receive or send any lottery scheme, circular, or ticket free of postage. For any violation of this section the offender shall be liable to a penalty of fifty dollars. (R. S., § 3851.)

TITLE III.

TRANSPORTATION OF THE MAIL.

CHAPTER ONE.

DESIGNATION OF POST-ROADS OVER WHICH THE MAIL MAY BE

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Sec. 542. What are Post-roads.-The following are established postroads:

All the waters of the United States, during the time the mail is carried thereon.

All railroads or parts of railroads which are now or hereafter may be in operation.

All canals, during the time the mail is carried thereon.

All plank-roads, during the time the mail is carried thereon.

The road on which the mail is carried to supply any court-house which may be without a mail, and the road on which the mail is carried under contract made by the Postmaster-General for extending the line of posts to supply mails to post-offices not on any established route, during the time such mail is carried thereon.

All letter-carrier routes established in any city or town for the collection and delivery of mail matters. (R. S., § 3964.)

Sec. 543. The Postmaster-General may Establish Service on Post-roads.-The Postmaster-General shall provide for carrying the mail on all post-roads established by law, as often as he, having due regard to productiveness and other circumstances, may think proper. (R. S., § 3965.)

Sec. 544. All Court-houses to be Supplied with Mail.-The PostmasterGeneral shall cause a mail to be carried from the nearest post-office on any established post-road to the court-house of any county in the United States which is without a mail. (R. S., § 3966.)

Sec. 545. Carrying the Mail on Canals.-The Postmaster-General may contract for carrying the mail on the navigable canals of the several

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