States, when, in his opinion, the public interest or convenience requires it. (R. S., § 3967.)

Sec. 546. Carrying the Mail on Plank-roads.-The Postmaster-General may contract for carrying the mail on any plank-road in the United States, when the public interest or convenience requires it. (R. S., §3968.)

Sec. 547. Carrying the Mail on Waters of the United States.-The Postmaster-General may cause the mail to be carried in any steamboat or other vessel used as a packet on any of the waters of the United States. (R. S., § 3969.)

Sec. 548. Extending Mail Facilities to Special Post-Offices.-The Postmaster-General may enter into contracts for extending the line of posts to supply mails to post-offices not on any established route, and, as a compensation for carrying the mail under such contracts, may allow not exceeding two-thirds of the salary paid to the postmaster at such special [post] offices. (R. S., §3971.)

See "Special instructions to postmasters."

Sec. 549. Selecting Post-roads.-When there is more than one road between places designated by law for a post-road, the Postmaster-General may direct which shall be considered the post-road. (R. S., § 3972.)

Sec. 550. When Terminus of Post-roads may be Changed.-The Postmaster-General may change the terminus of post-roads connecting with or intersecting railways when the service can be thereby improved. (R. S., § 3973.)

Sec. 551. Discontinuing Service on Post-roads. Whenever, in the opinion of the Postmaster-General, the postal service cannot be safely continued, the revenues collected, or the laws maintained on any post-road, he may discontinue the service on such road or any part thereof until the same can be safely restored. (R. S., § 3974.)

Sec. 552. Authority of Postmaster-General to Establish Post-roads.-The Postmaster-General may, when he deems it advisable, contract for the transportation of the mails to and from any post-office; but where such service is performed over a route not established by law, he shall report the same to Congress at its meeting next thereafter, and such service shall cease at the end of the next session of Congress, unless such route is established a post-route by Congress. (R. S., § 3975.)

Sec. 553. Penalty for Obstructing the Mail.-Any person who shall knowingly and willfully obstruct or retard the passage of the mail, or any carriage, horse, driver, or carrier carrying the same, shall, for every such offense, be punishable by a fine of not more than one hundred dollars. (R. S., § 3995.)

The temporary detention of the mail, caused by the arrest of its carrier upon an indictment for felony, does not come within the provisions of this section, but a mailcarrier on his route cannot be detained by civil process. (U. S. vs. Kirby, 7 Wallace, 482.)

A city may prohibit by ordinance the passage of trains through its limits at a rate

of speed not exceeding six miles per hour, and not conflict with this section. (5 Opins. 554.)

Sec. 554. Delaying Mail at a Ferry, Penalty.-Any ferryman who shall delay the passage of the mail by willful neglect or refusal to transport the same across any ferry shall, for every ten minutes such mail may be so delayed, be liable to a penalty of ten dollars. (R. S., § 3996.)

CHAPTER TWO.

CARRIAGE OF THE MAIL A GOVERNMENT MONOPOLY.—UNLA WFUL CARRIAGE OF MAIL-MATTER OUTSIDE OF THE MAILS.SEIZURE AND DETENTION OF UNLAWFUL MATTER IN THE MAILS.

Sec.

555. Prohibition of private expresses.

556. Private carriers forbidden at carrier post. offices.

557. Penalty for carrying persons acting as express. 558. Penalty for sending letters by private express. 559. Penalty for carrying letters out of the mail. 560. Penalty for carrying letters on board a mail vessel.

561. Foreign letters only to be received from a post-office.

562. Vessels to deliver all letters at post-office.

Sec.

563. Special agents to search vessels for letters. 564. Seizing and detaining letters.

565. Forfeiture of seizures to the United States. 566. Letters seized may be returned to senders. 567. Letters conveyed without compensation. 568. Letters in stamped envelopes.

569. Postmasters must report violations of law. 570. Searches authorized.

571. Newspapers may be carried out of the mail. 572. Such papers deposited in post-offices must be paid.

Sec. 555. Prohibition of Private Expresses.-No person shall establish any private express for the conveyance of letters or packets, or in any manner cause or provide for the conveyance of the same by regular trips or at stated periods, over any post-route which is or may be established by law, or from any city, town, or place to any other city, town, or place between which the mail is regularly carried; and every person so offending, or aiding or assisting therein, shall for each offense be liable to a penalty of one hundred and fifty dollars. Provided, Nothing. herein contained shall be construed as prohibiting any person from receiving and delivering to the nearest post-office or postal car mailmatter properly stamped. (R. S., § 3982, as modified by act of March 3, 1879, § 1, 20 Stat., p. 356.)

The term packet, as used in this and the following sections of the law, is restricted to mailable matter of the first class. (Opin. No. 14, Ass't Att'y-Gen. P. O. Dept.— Spence.)

A person who intends to make the carrying of letters periodically for hire his regular business, or part of his business, in opposition to the public carriers, is legally incapable of receiving authority to take letters out of the post-office for that purpose, however such authority may be attempted to be conferred. (9 Opins., 161.)

Sec. 556. Private Carriers Forbidden at Carrier Post-Offices.-Postmasters at letter-carrier post-offices will under no circumstances deliver first-class mail-matter to a private carrier, no matter what credentials he may present, whether it be a joint order from all of his employers, or a separate order from each one, a permanent standing order, or an order renewed every day.

Sec. 557. Penalty for Carrying Persons Acting as Express.-The owner of every stage-coach, railway-car, steamboat, or other vehicle or vessel, which shall, with the knowledge of any owner, in whole or in part, or with the knowledge or connivance of the driver, conductor, master, or other person having charge of the same, convey any person acting or employed as a private express for the conveyance of letters or packets, and actually in possession of the same for the purpose of conveying them, contrary to the spirit, true intent, and meaning of this title, shall, for every such offense, be liable to a penalty of one hundred and fifty dollars. (R. S., § 3983.)

Sec. 558. Penalty for Sending Letters by Private Express.-No person shall transmit by private express or other unlawful means, or deliver to any agent of such unlawful express, or deposit, or cause to be deposited, at any appointed place, for the purpose of being transmitted, any letter or packet; and for every such offense the party offending shall be liable to a penalty of fifty dollars. (R. S., § 3984.)

Sec. 559. Penalty for Carrying Letters out of the Mails.-Any person concerned in carrying the mail, who shall collect, receive, or carry any letter or packet, or cause or procure the same to be done, contrary to law, shall, for every such offense, be punishable by a fine of not more than fifty dollars. (R. S., § 3981.) No stage-coach, railway-car, steamboat, or other vehicle or vessel which regularly performs trips at stated periods on any post-route, or from any city, town, or place to any other city, town, or place, between which the mail is regularly carried, shall carry, otherwise than in the mail, any letters or packets, except such as relate to some part of the cargo of such steamboat or other vessel, or to some article carried at the same time by the same stage-coach, railway-car, or other vehicle, except as provided in section [568] [thre thousand nine hundred and ninety-three]; and for every such offense the owner of the stage-coach, railway-car, steamboat, or other vehicle or vessel shall be liable to a penalty of one hundred dollars; and the driver, conductor, master, or other person having charge thereof, and not at the time owner of the whole or any part thereof, shall for every such offense be liable to a penalty of fifty dollars. (R. S., § 3985.)

Sec. 560. Penalty for Carrying Letters on Board a Mail-Vessel.-No person shall carry any letter or packet on board any vessel which carries the mail otherwise than in such mail, except as provided in section [568] [three thousand nine hundred and ninety-three], and for every such offense the party offending shall be liable to a penalty of fifty dollars. (R. S., § 3986.)

Sec. 561. Foreign Letters only to be Received from a Post-Office.-No vessel departing from the United States for any foreign port shall receive on board or convey any letter or packet originating in the United States which has not been regularly received from the post-office at the port of departure, and which does not relate to the cargo of such vessel, except as provided in section [568] [three thousand nine hund red and ninety three]; and every collector, or other officer of the port empowered to

grant clearances, shall require from the master of such vessel, as a condition of clearance, an oath that he has not received on board, has not under his care or control, and will not receive or convey any letter or packet contrary to the provisions of this section. (R. S., § 3987.)

Sec. 562. Vessels to Deliver all Letters at Post-Office.-No vessel arriving within any port or collection-district of the United States shall be allowed to make entry or break bulk until all letters on board are delivered at the nearest post-office, and the master thereof has signed and sworn to the following declaration, before the collector or other proper customs officer:

"I, A. B., master of the, arriving from -, and now lying in the port of, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I have, to the best of my knowledge and belief, delivered, at the post-office at every letter, and every bag, packet, or parcel of letters, which were on board the said vessel during her last voyage, or which were in my possession or under my power or control."

And any master who shall break bulk before he has delivered such letters shall be liable to a penalty of not more than one hundred dollars, recoverable, one-half to the officer making the seizure, and the other to the use of the United States. (R. S., § 3988.)

Sec. 563. Special Agents to Search Vessels for Letters.-Any special agent of the Post-Office Department, when instructed by the Postmaster General to make examinations and seizures, and the collector or other customs officer of any port, without special instructions, shall carefully search all vessels for letters which may be on board or which have been conveyed contrary to law. (R. S., § 3989.)

Sec. 564. Seizing and Detaining Letters.-Any special agent of the PostOffice Department, collector, or other customs officer, or United States marshal or his deputy, may at all times seize all letters and bags, packets or parcels, containing letters which are being carried contrary to law on board any vessel or on any post-route, and convey the same to the nearest post-office, or may, by the direction of the Postmaster-General or Secretary of the Treasury, detain them until two months after the final determination of all suits and proceedings which may, at any time within six months after such seizure, be brought against any person for sending or carrying such letters. (R. S., 3990.)

Sec. 565. Forfeiture of Seizures to the United States.-Every package or parcel seized by any special agent of the Post-Office Department, collector, or other customs officer, or United States marshal or his deputies, in which any letter is unlawfully concealed, shall be forfeited to the United States, and the same proceedings may be had to enforce the forfeiture as are authorized in respect to goods, wares, and merchandise forfeited for violation of the revenue laws; and all laws for the benefit and protection of customs officers making seizures for violating revenue laws shall apply to officers making seizures for violating the postal laws. (R. S., § 3991.)

See Title xxxiv, chap. 10, Rev. Stat.

Sec. 566. Letters Seized may be Returned to Senders.-All letters, packets, or other matter which may be seized or detained for violation of law shall be returned to the owner or sender of the same, or otherwise disposed of as the Postmaster-General may direct. (R. S., § 3895.)

Sec. 567. Letters Conveyed Without Compensation.-Nothing herein contained shall be construed to prohibit the conveyance or transmission of letters or packets by private hands without compensation, or by special messenger employed for the particular occasion only. (R. S., § 3992.)

Sec. 568. Letters in Stamped Envelopes.-All letters inclosed in stamped envelopes, if the postage-stamp is of a denomination sufficient to cover the postage that would be chargeable thereon if the same were sent by mail, may be sent, conveyed, and delivered otherwise than by mail, provided such envelope shall be duly directed and properly sealed, so that the letter cannot be taken therefrom without defacing the envelope, and the date of the letter or of the transmission or receipt thereof shall be written or stamped upon the envelope. But the Postmaster-General may suspend the operation of this section upon any mail-route where the public interest may require such suspension. (R. S., § 3993.)'

Sec. 569. Postmasters must Report Violations of Postal Monopoly.—Whenever a postmaster receives information or has good reason to believe that letters are illegally brought to or sent from any city, town, landing, station, or place, near his post-office, whether by steamboat, railroad, private carrier for hire, or any other mode of conveyance, or in any way in violation of the preceding section, he will give immediate notice of such violation of law to the Postmaster-General, with all the facts concerning it in his possession.

Sec. 570. Searches Authorized.-The Postmaster-General may, by a letter of authorization under his hand, to be filed among the records of his Department, empower any special agent or other officer of the PostOffice Establishment to make searches for mailable matter transported in violation of law; and the agent or officer so authorized may open and search any car or vehicle passing, or having lately before passed, from any place at which there is a post-office of the United States to any other such place, or any box, package, or packet, being, or having lately before been, in such car or vehicle, or any store or house, other than a dwelling-house, used or occupied by any common carrier or transportation company, in which such box, package, or packet may be contained, whenever such agent or officer has reason to believe that mailable matter, transported contrary to law, may therein be found. (R. S., § 4026.)

Sec. 571. Newspapers may be Carried out of the Mail.-Contractors or mail-carriers may convey out of the mail newspapers for sale or distribution to subscribers. (R. S.. § 38SS.)

Sec. 572. On such Papers Deposited in Post-Office Postage must be Paid.If newspapers which have been carried outside of the mail are placed in a post-office for delivery, postage must be charged and collected. Contractors and other persons may also convey books, pamphlets, magazines, and newspapers (not intended for immediate distribution), done up in packages as merchandise, and addressed to some bona-fide news-agent or bookseller.