Nineteenth. Rent, light, and fuel for post-offices.
Twentieth. Stationery.

Twenty-first. Miscellaneous.

Act June 8, 1872, c. 335, § 41, 17 Stat. 290.

The Postmaster-General was required to submit annual estimates of the amount required for the postal service for the ensuing fiscal year, by R. S. § 3668, ante, § 6709, estimates in detail for the expenses of the money-order branch, by Act June 9, 1896, c. 386, ante, § 6711, and estimates in detail for the expenses of the free-delivery service by Act March 3, 1897, c. 385, ante, § 6712.

§ 7599. (R. S. § 4050.) Miscellaneous and money-order receipts. Unclaimed money in dead letters for which no owner can be found; all money taken from the mail by robbery, theft, or otherwise, which may come into the hands of any agent or employé of the United States, or any other person whatever; all fines and penalties imposed for any violation of the postal laws, except such part as may by law belong to the informer or party prosecuting for the same; and all money derived from the sale of waste paper or other public property of the Post-Office Department, shall be deposited in the Treasury, under the direction of the Postmaster-General, as part of the postal revenue. And the Postmaster-General shall cause to be placed to the credit of the Treasurer of the United States, for the service of the Post-Office Department, the net proceeds of the money-order business; and the receipts of the Post-Office Department derived from this source during each quarter shall be entered by the [Sixth Auditor] in the accounts of such Department, under the head of "revenue from money-order business."

Act June 8, 1872, c. 335, § 42, 17 Stat. 290.

The words "Sixth Auditor," inclosed in brackets in this section, were superseded by the change of the designation of that officer to "Auditor for the Post-Office Department," by the Dockery Act of July 31, 1894, c. 174, § 3, ante, § 417.

§ 7600. (R. S. § 4051.) Postal revenue to be accounted for.

All postages, box-rents, and other receipts at post-offices, shall be accounted for as part of the postal revenues; and each postmaster shall be charged with and held accountable for any part of the same, accruing at his office, which he has neglected to collect, the same as if he had collected it.

Act June 8, 1872, c. 335, § 43, 17 Stat. 290.

Postmasters are accountable for all postage-stamps and stamped envelopes furnished to them, by R. S. § 3918, ante, § 7399.

Box-rent is payable quarterly in advance by R. S. § 3901, ante, § 7352. Provisions for refunding postage paid for which service was not rendered, or in excess of the legal rate, were made by Act March 3, 1905, c. 1480, § 2, ante, § 7368.

§ 7601. (Act May 27, 1908, c. 206.) Disposal of moneys recovered for loss of registered matter, and not restored to owners. Hereafter all moneys recovered or collected on account of loss of first-class domestic registered matter which in the course of adjust

ment are not restored to the original owners, shall be covered into the Treasury of the United States. (35 Stat. 415.)

This was a provision accompanying an appropriation for payment of indemnity for loss of registered matter in the postal service appropriation act for the fiscal year 1909, cited above.

§ 7602. (R. S. § 4052.) Box-holders may provide lock-boxes. Postmasters may allow box-holders who desire to do so to provide lock-boxes or drawers for their own use, at their own expense, which lock-boxes or drawers, upon their erection in any post-office, shall become the property of the United States, and be subject to the direction and control of the Post-Office Department, and shall pay a rental at least equal to that of other boxes in the same office, or, if there be no other boxes in such office, of boxes in other offices of the same class, which rental shall be accounted for as other box-rents. Act June 8, 1872, c. 335, § 44, 17 Stat. 290.

(R. S. § 4053. Repealed.)

This section made it punishable for any person employed in the postal service to neglect to deposit postal revenues received by him in the Treasury or some authorized depository, or to pledge or hypothecate stamps or stamped envelopes, or refuse to account for them. It was incorporated into the Criminal Code in section 225, thereof, post, § 10395, and was expressly repealed by section 341 thereof, post, § 10515.

§ 7603. (R. S. § 4054.) Revenues to be appropriated for postal service.

The money required for the postal service in each year shall be appropriated by law out of the revenues of the service.

Act June 8, 1872, c. 335, § 46, 17 Stat. 291.

Provisions for the transfer, account, entry, and withdrawal of postal deposits were made by R. S. §§ 3641-3644, ante, §§ 6640-6644.

Appropriations to supply deficiencies in the revenues for the Post-Office Department to meet the appropriations made by the postal service appropriation acts are made by each of said acts for the particular fiscal year. The provision for the fiscal year 1914, Act March 4, 1913, c. 143, 37 Stat. 801, was as follows:

"That if the revenues of the Post-Office Department shall be insufficient to meet the appropriations made by this Act, a sum equal to such deficiency of the revenue of said Department is hereby appropriated, to be paid out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to supply said deficiencies in the revenues for the Post-Office Department for the year ending June thirtieth, nineteen hundred and thirteen and the sum needed may be advanced to the Post-Office Department upon requisition of the PostmasterGeneral."

Appropriations for the service of the Post Office Department are not to be expended for any of the purposes provided for in the legislative, executive, and judicial appropriation act on account of the Post Office Department at Washington, by a provision of each legislative, executive and judicial appropriation act for recent fiscal years. The provision for the fiscal year 1914, by Act March 4, 1913, c. 142, 37 Stat. 781, was as follows:

"No part of any appropriations made for the service of the Post Office Department in conformity with the Act of July second, eighteen hundred and thirty-six, shall be expended for any of the purposes herein provided for on account of the Post Office Department at Washington, District of Columbia." Act July 2, 1836, c. 270, 5 Stat. 80, mentioned in this paragraph, in section 5 thereof, contained a provision that the aggregate sum required "for the service of the Post Office Department" in each year, should be appropriated by law out of the revenue of the Department, which provision was substantially the same as that of this section. The annual appropriations for the

postal service are expressed to be "for the service of the Post Office Department, in conformity with the Act of July second, eighteen hundred and thirty six," as in Act March 4, 1913, c. 143, 37 Stat. 791. The annual appropriations for the Post Office Department are made by the legislative, executive, and judicial appropriation acts, such as Act March 4, 1913, c. 142, cited above, to which appropriations the words of this paragraph, "purposes herein provided for," refer.

§ 7604. (R. S. § 4055.) Payments, how made; advances.

All payments on account of the postal service shall be made to persons to whom the same shall be certified to be due by the [Sixth Auditor]; but advances of necessary sums to defray expenses may be made by the Postmaster-General to [agents] employed to investigate mail depredations, examine post routes and offices, and on other like services, to be charged to them by the Auditor, and to be accounted for in the settlement of their accounts.

Act June 8, 1872, c. 335, § 48, 17 Stat. 291.

See note to R. S. § 4054, ante, § 7603.

The words "Sixth Auditor," inclosed in brackets in this section, were superseded by the change of the designation of that officer to "Auditor for the Post-Office Department", by the Dockery Act of July 31, 1894, c. 174, § 3, ante, § 417.

The word "agents," also inclosed in brackets in this section, was superseded by the change of designation of "special agents" to "post-office inspectors," by Act June 11, 1880, c. 206, § 1, amending R. S. § 4017, and incorporated in said section as set forth ante, § 7547.

§ 7605. (R. S. § 4056.) Transfer of debts to contractors.

The Postmaster-General may transfer debts due to the Department from postmasters and others to such contractors as have given bonds, with security, to refund any money that may come into their hands over and above the amount found due them on the settlement of their accounts; but such transfers shall only be in satisfaction of legal demands for which appropriations have been made.

Act June 8, 1872, c. 335, § 49, 17 Stat. 291.

§ 7606. (R. S. § 4057.) Suits to recover wrongful or fraudulent payments.

In all cases where money has been paid out of the funds of the Post-Office Department under the pretense that service has been performed therefor, when, in fact, such service has not been performed, or as additional allowance for increased service actually rendered, when the additional allowance exceeds the sum which, according to law, might rightfully have been allowed therefor, and in all other cases where money of the Department has been paid to any person in consequence of fraudulent representations, or by the mistake, collusion, or misconduct of any officer or other employé in the postal service, the Postmaster-General shall cause suit to be brought to recover such wrong or fraudulent payment or excess, with interest thereon.

Act June 8, 1872, c. 335, § 50, 17 Stat. 291.

Interest is recoverable on balances due the Post-Office Department, by R. S. § 964, ante, § 1602.

Provisions allowing judgment in suits under the postal laws to be taken at the return term were made in R. S. § 958, ante, § 1596.

§ 7607. (R. S. § 4058.) Delivery of stolen money to owner. Whenever the Postmaster-General is satisfied that money or property stolen from the mail, or the proceeds thereof, has been received at the Department, he may, upon satisfactory evidence as to the owner, deliver the same to him.

Act June 8, 1872, c. 335, § 51, 17 Stat. 291.

§ 7608. (R. S. § 4059.) Disposal of fines, penalties, and forfeitures. All penalties and forfeitures imposed for any violation of law affecting the Post-Office Department for its revenue or property shall be recoverable, one-half to the use of the person informing and prosecuting for the same, and the other half to be paid into the Treasury for the use of the Post-Office Department, unless a different disposal is expressly prescribed. All fines collected for violations of such laws shall be paid into the Treasury for the use of the Post-Office Department.

Act June 8, 1872, c. 335, §§ 57, 317, 17 Stat. 292, 325.

In suits arising under the postal laws, the court was required to proceed to trial and render judgment at the return term, except in specified cases by R. S. § 958, ante, § 1596.

§ 7609. (R. S. § 4060.) Accounts to be preserved two years.

The Postmaster-General may dispose of any quarterly returns of mails sent or received, preserving the accounts-current and all accompanying vouchers, and use such portions of the proceeds as may be necessary to defray the cost of separating and disposing of them; but the accounts shall be preserved entire for at least two years. Act June 8, 1872, c. 335, § 58, 17 Stat. 292.

Subsequent general provisions for the disposal of useless files of papers which have accumulated in the post-offices were made by Act May 11, 1906, c. 2448, ante, 7203.

(R. S. § 4061. Transferred to Chapter 7.)

This section authorized the Postmaster-General to make regulations for the disposal of printed and mailable matter in the post-offices not called for by the party addressed. It is placed, with other provisions for the disposition of unclaimed mail matter, ante, under chapter 7 of this Title, "Unclaimed, Dead and Request Letters, and Unclaimed Printed Matter," § 7423.

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TITLE XLVII

FOREIGN RELATIONS