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§ 7550. (R. S. § 4018.) When inspectors to give bond.

Whenever a [special agent] is required to collect or disburse any public money, he shall, before entering upon such duty, give bond in such sum and form, and with such security, as the PostmasterGeneral may approve.

Act June 7, 1872, c. 335, § 33, 17 Stat. 289.

The words "special agent," inclosed in brackets in this section, were superseded by the change in the designation of those officers from "special agents" to "post-office inspectors" by Act June 11, 1880, c. 206, § 1, amending R. S. § 4017, and incorporated in that section as set forth ante, § 7547.

§ 7551. (R. S. § 4019.) Assistant Postmasters-General, etc., as inspectors.

The Postmaster-General may employ, when the service requires it, the Assistant Postmasters-General and superintendents in his Department as [special agents]; and he may allow them therefor not exceeding the amount expended by them as necessary traveling expenses while so employed.

Act June 8, 1872, c. 335, § 34, 17 Stat. 289.

The words "special agents," inclosed in brackets in this section, were superseded by the change in the designation of those officers from "special agents" to "post-office inspectors" by Act June 11, 1880, c. 206, § 1, amending R. S. § 4017, and incorporated in that section as set forth ante, § 4017.

(R. S. § 4020. Transferred to Title IX.)

This section, as amended by Act March 3, 1897, c. 385, § 1, 29 Stat. 648, authorized the Postmaster-General to appoint two agents to superintend the railway postal service, fixed their compensation, and required the Auditor for the Post-Office Department to charge to the appropriation for mail transportation the salary and per diem of the assistant superintendents of the postal-railway service, and to the appropriation for the free delivery system, the salary and per diem of the special agent detailed for that service. These provisions are placed, with other provisions relating to officers of the Department, ante, under Title IX, "The Post-Office Department," § 574.

(R. S. §§ 4021-4023. Transferred to Chapter 11.)

R. S. § 4021, authorized the Postmaster-General to establish mail-agencies and employ mail-agents at Panama and Aspinwall, Havana, St. Thomas, and other foreign ports.

R. S. § 4022, authorized the appointment of agents in charge of the mails on board the steamers of certain mail routes.

R. S. § 4023, authorized the establishment of mail-agencies at Shanghai, China, and Yokohama, Japan, and such other ports in those countries as the Postmaster-General deemed necessary.

All of these sections are placed, with other provisions relating to foreign mails, under chapter 11 of this Title, "Foreign Mail Service," ante, §§ 75447546.

(R. S. §§ 4024, 4025. Superseded.)

R. S. § 4024, authorized the employment of as many route agents as were necessary for the prompt and safe transportation of the mail, and fixed their compensation.

R. S. § 4025, authorized the appointment of clerks to assort and distribute the mail in railway post-offices and fixed their compensation.

These sections, as well as Act July 31, 1882, c. 361, which designated both agents and clerks as railway postal clerks, and provided for their classification were superseded by the subsequent provisions relating to the same subject, contained in Act Aug. 24, 1912, c. 389, § 7, ante, §§ 7509-7518.

§ 7552. (R. S. § 4026.) 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 Post-Office 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.

Act June 8, 1872, c. 335, § 299, 17 Stat. 322.

The words "special agent," and "agent," inclosed in brackets in this section, were superseded by the change of designation of those officers from "special agents" to "post-office inspectors" by Act June 11, 1880, c. 206, § 1, amending R. S. § 4017, and incorporated in that section as set forth ante, 7547.

The Postmaster-General was authorized to advance sums to defray expenses to employés engaged in investigating mail depredations, examining post routes, etc., by R. S. § 4055, post, § 7C04.

Sec.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The Money-Order System

7553. Money-order system established. 7554. Foreign money-order exchanges. 7555. Issuing money-orders.

7556. Who to act during absence of

postmaster.

7557. Blanks, books, etc., in money-order business.

7558. Amount of money-orders, and fees therefor.

7559. Money-order clerks; compensa-
tion; additional clerks at inter-
national exchange offices; com-
pensation of postmasters.

7560. Unpaid money-orders.
7561. Blank applications for orders.
7562. Forms for money-orders; coupons
to be forwarded with money-or-
der accounts.

7563. Limited money-order offices.
7564. Regulations; designation of offi-
cer to sign warrants.

7565. Indorsement of orders.
7566. Identification of payee, etc., of
money-order; orders to correct
errors; forms for issue of mo-
ney-orders.

Sec.

7567. Changes and modification of orders.

7568. Repayment of orders; recalled
letters of advice.

7569. Replacing lost orders.
7570. Payment of unpaid money orders
after lapse of seven years.
7571. Payment of domestic money or-
ders unpaid after three years.
7572. Money orders issued January 1,
1912, to June 1, 1912, not to
be assorted; statements to be
retained.

7573. Payment of money-orders issued
in favor of lotteries, etc., may
be forbidden and money return-
ed; evidence of agency.

7574. Transfer of money-order funds. 7575. Transfer by warrant to money-order funds.

7576. Report of money-order funds. 7577. What to be money-order funds. 7578. Issuance of duplicates of lost checks by disbursing officers. 7579. Postal notes; issue and payment.

§ 7553. (R. S. § 4027.) Money-order system established.

To promote public convenience, and to insure greater security in the transfer of money through the mail, the Postmaster-General may establish and maintain, under such rules and regulations as he may deem expedient, a uniform money-order system, at all suitable post-offices, which shall be designated as "money-order offices."

Act June 8, 1872, c. 335, § 102, 17 Stat. 297.

Limited money-order offices were authorized by Act Jan. 27, 1894, c. 21, § 10, post, § 7563.

The Postmaster-General was authorized to designate postmasters at moneyorder offices as disbursing officers for the payment of the salaries of officers and employés in the postal service by Act July 5, 1884, c. 234, § 1, ante, § 7214.

A superintendent and chief clerk, and other clerks and employés, in the Division of Money Orders in the Post-Office Department, are provided for by appropriations in the annual legislative, executive, and judicial appropriation acts. The provision for the fiscal year 1914 was by Act March 4, 1913, c. 142, § 1, 37 Stat. 780.

Money orders of fixed denominations, not exceeding ten dollars, to be known as postal notes, may be issued and paid at such offices as the PostmasterGeneral may designate, by Act March 4, 1911, c. 241, § 8, set forth post, § 7579.

§ 7554. (R. S. § 4028, as amended, Act Jan. 30, 1889, c. 100, § 1.) Foreign money-order exchanges.

The Postmaster-General may conclude arrangements with the post departments of foreign governments with which postal conventions have been or may be concluded for the exchange, by means of postal orders, of small sums of money, not exceeding one hundred dollars in amount, at such rates of exchange and compensation to postmasters and under such rules and regulations as he may deem expedient; and the expenses of establishing and conducting such systems of exchange may be paid out of the proceeds of the money-order business.

Act June 8, 1872, c. 335, § 103, 17 Stat. 297. Act Jan. 30, 1889, c. 100, § 1, 25 Stat. 654.

This section was amended by Act Jan. 30, 1889, c. 100, § 1, cited above, by striking out, after the words "of small sums of money not exceeding," the word "fifty," and inserting in place thereof the words "one hundred," as set forth here. This amendment took effect six months from the date of its approval by the President, by section 2 of the amendatory act.

The limit of amount of domestic money-orders was increased from $50 to $100 by Act March 3, 1883, c. 123, § 3, post, § 7558.

Forging, counterfeiting, etc., money orders was punishable by R. S. § 5463, amended by Act Jan. 3, 1887, c. 13, § 3, which was incorporated into the Criminal Code in section 215 thereof, post, § 10385, and was repealed by section 341 thereof, post, § 10515.

7555. (R. S. § 4029.) Issuing money-orders.

The postmaster of every city where branch post-offices or stations are established and in operation, subject to his supervision, is authorized, under the direction of the Postmaster-General, to issue, or to cause to be issued, by any of his assistants or clerks in charge of branch post-offices or stations, postal money-orders, payable at his own or at any other money-order office, or at any branch post-office or station of his own, or of any other money-order office, as the remitters thereof may direct; and the postmaster and his sureties

shall, in every case, be held accountable upon his official bond for all moneys received by him or his designated assistants or clerks in charge of stations, from the issue of money-orders, and for all moneys which may come into his or their hands, or be placed in his or their custody by reason of the transaction by them of money-order busi

ness.

Act June 1, 1872, c. 256, § 2, 17 Stat. 201. Act June 8, 1872, c. 335, § 104, 17 Stat. 297.

(R. S. § 4030. Repealed.)

This section made punishable the issuance of a money-order by a postmaster without having previously received the money therefor. It was incorporated into the Criminal Code in section 210 thereof, post, § 10380, and was repealed by section 341 thereof, post, § 10515.

§ 7556. (R. S. § 4031.) Who to act during absence of postmaster. In case of the sickness or unavoidable absence from his office of the postmaster of any money-order post-office, he may, with the approval of the Postmaster-General, authorize the chief clerk, or some other clerk employed therein, to act in his place, and to discharge all the duties required by law of such postmaster; and the official bond given by the principal of the office shall be held to cover and apply to the acts of the person appointed to act in his place in such cases; and such acting officer shall, for the time being, be subject to all the liabilities and penalties prescribed by law for the official misconduct in like cases of the postmaster for whom he shall act. Act June 8, 1872, c. 335, § 106, 17 Stat. 297.

(R. S. § 4032. Superseded.)

This section provided that no money-order should be issued for more than $50, and fixed the fees therefor. It was superseded by Act March 3, 1883, c. 123, § 3, post, § 7558.

§ 7557. (Act March 3, 1883, c. 123, § 2.) Blanks, books, etc., in money-order business.

All blanks, blank-books, and printed or engraved matter supplied to postmasters by the Postmaster-General or used in his department for the transaction of the money-order business shall be obtained from the lowest responsible bidders for furnishing printed and engraved matter, respectively, under separate advertisements calling for proposals to furnish the same for a period of four years, upon such conditions as the Postmaster-General may prescribe: Provided, That the Public Printer and the Chief of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing of the Treasury Department shall submit, respectively, estimates of the cost of furnishing such printed and engraved matter as may be required for use in the money-order business, and they shall furnish such printed and engraved matter whenever upon their estimates of cost the expenditure therefor will be less than upon proposals made as above provided for. (22 Stat. 527.)

These provisions were part of section 2 of an act entitled "An act to modify the postal money order system, and for other purposes," cited above. Section 1 of said act authorized the issuance of postal notes payable to bearer in sums less than five dollars. It was amended by Act Jan. 3, 1887,

c. 13, 24 Stat. 354. It was repealed by Act Jan. 27, 1894, c. 21, § 1, 28 Stat. 30.

The issuance and payment of postal notes was again authorized by Act March 4, 1911, c. 241, § 8, post, § 7579.

The portion of this section preceding the provisions set forth here provided that R. S. §§ 3834, 4027, 4030, 4039, 4041-4046, 4048, should be applicable to postal notes as well as to money orders, and authorized the payment of agents necessary to distribute postal notes to postmasters out of the proceeds of the money-order business. These provisions, also, were repealed by Act

Jan. 27, 1894, c. 21, § 1, 28 Stat. 30.

Sections 3-5 of this act are set forth post, §§ 7558-7560.

Section 6 of this act provided that it should be put in force six months after its approval, and that all laws or parts of laws inconsistent with its provisions should be void in so far as they might apply to cases arising under the act.

§ 7558. (Act March 3, 1883, c. 123, § 3, as amended, Act Jan. 27, 1894, c. 21, § 2.) Amount of money-orders, and fees therefor. A money order shall not be issued for more than one hundred dollars, and that fees for domestic money orders shall be as follows, to wit:

For orders not exceeding two dollars and fifty cents, three cents. For orders exceeding two dollars and fifty cents and not exceeding five dollars, five cents.

For orders exceeding five dollars and not exceeding ten dollars, eight cents.

For orders exceeding ten dollars and not exceeding twenty dollars,

ten cents.

For orders exceeding twenty dollars and not exceeding thirty dollars, twelve cents.

For orders exceeding thirty dollars and not exceeding forty dollars, fifteen cents.

For orders exceeding forty dollars and not exceeding fifty dollars, eighteen cents.

For orders exceeding fifty dollars and not exceeding sixty dollars, twenty cents.

For orders exceeding sixty dollars and not exceeding seventy-five dollars, twenty-five cents.

For orders exceeding seventy-five dollars and not exceeding one hundred dollars, thirty cents. (22 Stat. 527. 28 Stat. 31.)

See notes to section 2 of this act, ante, § 7557.

This section, as originally enacted, limited the amount of a money order to $100, and fixed the fees therefor, varying with the amount of the order. It was modified by Act June 29, 1886, c. 568, § 1, 24 Stat. 86, which reduced the fees on orders less than five dollars. It was amended, as so modified, by Act Jan. 27, 1894, c. 21, § 2, cited above, to read as set forth here.

This section superseded R. S. § 4032. See note under that section, ante. The Superintendent of the Money-Order System may draw money-orders without the exaction of a fee therefor, for the correction of errors by issuing or paying postmasters, by Act March 1, 1899, c. 327, § 5, post, § 7566. § 7559. (Act March 3, 1883, c. 123, § 4, as amended, Act Jan. 27, 1894, c. 21, § 3.) Money-order clerks; compensation; additional clerks at international exchange offices; compensation of postmasters.

Postmasters at money-order post offices of the first and second

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