agree to insert the same in three separate issues or publications of such Newspaper or XI. And be it enacted, That it shall be lawful for the Postmaster General to contract Rail-roads, for conveying the Mail with any Rail-road Company in this Province, either with or without advertising for such contract. Annual Report to XII. And be it enacted, That it shall be the duty of the Postmaster General to make to the Governor General of this Province, annually, for the purpose of being laid before Parliament. the Provincial Parliament at each Session thereof, the following reports, namely: First. A report of the Finances, Receipts and Expenditure of the Post Office Department for the year ending on the fifth day of April previous, in the form of a General Account Current, shewing on the one side the whole amount of balances due to the Department from Postmasters or others at the beginning of the year, the whole amount of Postage that accrued within the year, and any and every other item of Revenue or Receipt; and on the other side of the Account, the charges and expenditure incurred by the Department within the said year, of every kind and nature, shewing in separate amounts the charges for Mail transportation, for Salaries and Commission and allowances to Postmasters, for Printing and Advertising, and for incidental and miscellaneous items of Expenditure, shewing also the balance remaining due from Postmasters and others at the close of the year; and shewing in the shape of a Balance what the result of the operations of the Department has been for the said year, whether to produce a surplus of Revenue in excess of Expenditure, or to cause the Expenditure to exceed the Revenue, and in either case, to what amount. Second. A report shewing in detail all payments made and charges incurred for Mail transportation during the said year, stating in each case the name of the Contractor or party receiving payment, the Mail Route, the mode and frequency of transportation, and the sums paid. Third. A report in detail of all charges for Salaries, Commissions and Allowances, shewing in each case the name of the person, the service or duty performed, and the amount paid. Fourth. A report in detail of the Expenditure of the Department within the said year for Printing and Advertising, and for all incidental and miscellaneous items of disbursement, shewing the sum paid under each head of expenditure, and the names of the persons to whom paid. Fifth. A report of all contracts made for the transportation of the Mail within the year ending on the fifth day of April next preceding such report, stating in each case of contract its date and intended duration, the name of the Contractor, the routes embraced in the Contract, with the length of each, with the times of arrival and departure at the ends of each route, the mode of transportation contracted for, and the price stipulated to be paid by the Department. Sixth. A report of all allowances made to Contractors within the year preceding, beyond the sums originally stipulated in their respective Contracts, and the reasons for the same, and of all orders made by the Department whereby additional expense Post routes may be dis continued in certain cases. Proviso. Branch Post Offices in Cities. Penny Post Office for Appointment of Inspectors of Post Offices, is or will be incurred beyond the original Contract price on any land or water route, specifying in each case the route to which the order relates, the name of the Contractor, the original service provided by the Contract, the original price, the date of the order for additional service, the additional service required, and the additional allowance therefor, also a report of all curtailments of expenses effected by the Department within the preceding year, specifying in each case the same particulars, as required in cases of additional allowances. Seventh. A report of all fines imposed and deductions from the pay of Contractors made during the preceding year, for failures to deliver the Mail or for any other cause, stating the names of the delinquent Contractors, the nature of the delinquency, the route on which it occurred, the time when the fine was imposed, and whether the fine has been remitted, or order for deduction rescinded, and for what reason. Eighth. A report of the new Offices and Post Routes established, and of the Offices and Post Routes discontinued or closed within the preceding year, shewing in the case of each Office and Post Route discontinued or closed, the reason for the proceeding. Ninth. A report of all cases occurring within the said year of the abstraction or loss of letters containing money sent through the Post, shewing the particulars of each case, and stating the result of the proceedings instituted therein by the Department. XIII. And be it enacted, That every Post Route which, hereafter within the term of three successive years, shall fail to yield one-fourth of the expense incident to its establishment, shall be discontinued by the Postmaster General, unless in cases where it may be necessary as a connection or continuance of a route or routes: Provided always, that this section shall not be so construed as to deprive the Seat of Justice in any Circuit or County of one Mail going to and from the same. XIV. And be it enacted, That the Postmaster General be authorized and directed, when in his judgment the public interest or convenience may require it, to establish one or more Branch Post Offices to facilitate the operation of the Post Office in any city or place which in his opinion may require such additional accommodation for the convenience of the inhabitants: And it shall be the duty of the Postmaster General to prescribe the rules and regulations for the Branch Post Offices which may be established by virtue of this Act; and no additional Postage shall be charged for the receipt or delivery of any letter or packet at such Branch Post Office. XV. And be it enacted, That the Postmaster General shall be authorized, whenever the same may be proper for the accommodation of the public in any city, to employ Letter Carriers for the delivery of letters received at the Post Office in said city, except such as the persons to whom they are addressed may have requested, in writing, addressed to the Postmaster, to be retained in the Post Office, and for the receipt of letters at such places in the said city as the Postmaster General may direct, and for the deposit of the same in the Post Office; and for the delivery by a Carrier of each letter received from the Post Office, the person to whom the same may be delivered shall pay not exceeding One Penny, and for the delivery of each newspaper and pamphlet One Half-penny, and for every letter received by a Carrier to be deposited in the Post Office, there shall be paid to him, at the time of the receipt, not exceeding One Half-penny; all of which receipts, by the Carriers in any city, shall, if the Postmaster General so direct, be accounted for to the Postmaster of said city, to constitute a Fund for the compensation of said Carriers, and to be paid to them in such proportions and manner as the Postmaster General may direct. Each of such Carriers shall give Bond, with sureties to be approved by the Postmaster General, for the safe custody and delivery of all letters, and for the due account and payment of all moneys received by him. XVI. And be it enacted, That it shall be lawful for the Postmaster General, from time to time, by Commissions under his Hand and Seal of Office, to nominate three fit and proper persons as his Deputies, to be and to be called Inspectors of Post Offices, and to be stationed at such places and exercise their powers and perform their duties and functions within such limits respectively as he may from time to time think fit to appoint; and that it shall be the duty of such Inspectors of Post Offices, under such instructions as may from time to time be given to them by the Postmaster General, to superintend the performance of the Mail service, taking care that, as far as the state of the roads and other circumstances will permit, the stipulations of all Contracts for the conveyance of the Mail are strictly complied with by the Contractors,to make monthly reports to the Postmaster General of the manner in which the Mail has been carried on each route, stating what fines they recommend should be imposed,to instruct new Postmasters in their duties,-to keep the Postmasters to their duty in rendering their accounts and paying over their balances,-to examine at every Post Office from time to time the Books of Mails received at and sent from the same, and see that they are properly kept, and that the Received Bills are properly numbered and filed, and that the Postmasters and their Assistants perfectly understand their instructions, and perform their duty well in every particular,―to inquire into complaints of losses of money letters, and generally to do all and whatsoever they may from time to time be lawfully instructed or required to do for the service of the Post Office Department by the Postmaster General. XVII. And be it enacted, That in all cases where letters are posted for places Insufficient stamps to without this Province on which stamps for pre-payment are affixed of less value than be disregarded. the true rate of Postage to which such letters may be liable, or when stamps for pre-payment are affixed to letters addressed to any place as aforesaid for which pre-payment cannot be taken in this Province, it shall be lawful for the Postmaster General to forward such letters, charged with postage, as if no stamp had been thereon affixed. XVIII. And be it enacted, That no allowance or compensation shall be made to any Clerk or other Officer in the General Post Office, by reason of the discharge of duties which belong to any other Clerk or Officer in the same Department; and no allowance or compensation shall be made for any extra service whatever which any such Clerk or Officer may be required to perform. No allowances to Clerks for extra ser vices. XIX. And be it enacted, That it shall be the duty of the Postmaster General, upon Postmasters to give the appointment of any Postmaster, to require and take of such Postmaster a Bond, bonds, with good and approved security, in such penalty as he may judge sufficient, conditioned for the faithful discharge of all the duties of such Postmaster required by law, or which may be required by any instruction or general rule for the government of the Department: And when any Surety of a Postmaster shall notify to the Postmaster Sureties may be chang General his desire to be released from his Suretyship, or when the Postmaster ed. General shall deem it necessary, he shall be entitled to require such Postmaster to execute a new Bond, with Sureties, which Bond, when accepted by the Postmaster General, shall be as valid as the Bond given upon the original appointment of the Postmaster, and the Sureties in the prior Bond shall be released from responsibility for all acts or defaults of the Postmaster which may be done or committed subsequent to the acceptance of the new Bond, the date of which acceptance shall be duly endorsed on such prior Bond: Provided that payments made subsequent to the execution of Proviso. the new Bond by such Postmaster shall be applied first to the discharge of any balance which may be due on the old Bond, unless he shall, at the time of payment, expressly direct them to be applied to the credit of his new account: And provided also, that no Proviso. Suit shall be instituted against any Surety of a Postmaster after the lapse of two years from the death, resignation or removal from office of such Postmaster, or from the date of the acceptance of a new Bond from such Postmaster, as the case may be. XX. And be it enacted, That if any Postmaster or other person authorized to receive the postage of letters and packets shall neglect or refuse to render his accounts, and pay over to the Postmaster General the balance by him due at the end of every three months, it shall be the duty of the Postmaster General to cause a Suit to be commenced against the person or persons so neglecting or refusing; that all Suits which shall be hereafter commenced for the recovery of debts or balances due to the Post Postmasters to render accounts, and pay over balances quarterly. Penalty for neglect. Postmasters to render, also, quarterly ac Post Office, whether they appear by Bond or Obligation made in the name of the existing or any preceding Postmaster General, or otherwise, shall be instituted in the name of "The Postmaster General." XXI. And be it enacted, That if any Postmaster shall neglect to render his accounts for one month after the time and in the form and manner prescribed by the Postmaster General's instructions, he shall forfeit double the value of the postages which shall have arisen at the same office in any equal portion of time previous or subsequent thereto; or, in case no account shall have been rendered at the time of trial of such case, then such sum as the Court and Jury, if in Upper Canada, or the Court alone, if in Lower Canada, shall estimate equivalent thereto, to be recovered by the Postmaster General in an action of debt on the Bond against the Postmaster and his securities, and for which the securities shall be liable. XXII. And be it enacted, That it shall be the duty of the Postmaster of each of counts of emoluments. the Cities of Quebec, Montreal, Kingston, Toronto and Hamilton in this Province, each and every year hereafter, to render Quarter-yearly Accounts to the Postmaster General, under oath, in such form as the latter shall prescribe, for the purpose of giving full effect to this section, of all emoluments or sums by them respectively received for boxes or pigeon-holes, or other receptacles for letters or papers, and by them charged for to individuals, or for the delivery of letters or papers at or from any places in such Cities respectively other than the actual Post Offices of such Cities respectively, and of all emoluments, receipts and profits that have come to their hands by reason of keeping Branch Post Offices in such Cities respectively; and if from such accounting it shall appear that the net amount received by the Postmaster at any City for such boxes and pigeon-holes, and other receptacles for letters and papers, and for delivering letters or papers at or from any place in such City other than said Post Office, and by reason of keeping a Branch Post Office or Branch Post Offices in such City, shall, in the aggregate, with the salary of such Postmaster, exceed the sum of Four Hundred Pounds in any one year, such excess shall be paid to the Postmaster General for the use of the Post Office Department; and no Postmaster shall hereafter, under any pretence whatsoever, have or receive or retain for himself, in the aggregate, more than Four Hundred Pounds per year, including salary, commissions, boxes and all other fees, perquisites and emoluments, of any name or character whatsoever, and for any service whatsoever. Embezzlement, what, and a felony, XXIII. And be it enacted, That if any Officer of or connected with the Post Office Department shall convert to his own use, in any way whatever, or shall use, by way of investment in any kind of property or merchandize, or shall loan, with or without interest, any portion of the public moneys entrusted to him for safe keeping, transfer, disbursement, or for any other purpose, every such act shall be deemed and adjudged to be an embezzlement of so much of the said moneys as shall be thus taken, converted, invested, used or loaned, which is hereby declared to be a felony; and the neglect or refusal to pay over any public moneys in his hands, or to transfer or disburse any such moneys promptly, on the requirement of the Postmaster General, shall be prima facie evidence of such conversion to his own use of so much of the public moneys as may be in his hands; and all persons advising or knowingly and willingly participating in such embezzlement, upon being convicted thereof before any Court of competent jurisdiction, shall for every such offence forfeit and pay to Her Majesty, Her Heirs or Successors, a fine equal to the amount of the money embezzled, and shall suffer imprisonment for a term not less than three months, and not more than seven years. CAP. CAP. LXXII. An Act for raising, on the credit of the Consolidated Revenue Fund, a certain sum required for the Public Service. W [ 30th August, 1851. ] HEREAS it is expedient to authorize the raising of the sum hereinafter Preamble. mentioned by loan, to make good certain appropriations made for Public Works by the Act passed in the present Session, and intituled, An Act for granting to Her Majesty certain sums required for defraying certain expenses of the Civil Government for the year one thousand eight hundred and fifty-one, and certain other expenses connected with the Public Service: Be it therefore enacted by the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council and of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada, constituted and assembled by virtue of and under the authority of an Act passed in the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and intituled, An Act to re-unite the Provinces of Upper and Lower Canada, and for the Government of Canada, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That it shall be lawful for the Governor in Council to authorize the raising by way of loan, on the credit of the Consolidated Revenue Fund of this Province, of a sum not exceeding One Hundred and Ninety-six Thousand Five Hundred and Eighty Pounds, Fifteen Shillings and Two Pence Currency, to be placed to the credit of the said Consolidated Revenue Fund, towards making good the sums appropriated out of the said Fund by the said Act of the present Session, for certain contingencies of the Public Service connected with the Public Works. Loan of £196,580, 15s. 2d. for Public Works authorized. sued. II. And be it enacted, That for the purpose of raising such sum as aforesaid, it shall Debentures to be isbe lawful for the Governor in Council to authorize the issuing of Debentures, to an amount not exceeding in the whole the sum last aforesaid, in such form, for such separate sums, at such rate of interest not exceeding six per centum per annum, and to make the principal and interest thereon payable at such periods, and at such places, as to him shall seem most expedient, the said principal and interest being hereby made chargeable upon the said Consolidated Revenue Fund of this Province. III. And be it enacted, That accounts in detail of all moneys received and paid Certain accounts to be under this Act, and of the Debentures issued and the interest thereon, and of the kept in detail. redemption of the whole or any part of such Debentures, and of all expenses attending the collection and payment of the sums of money collected, received or paid under the authority of this Act, shall be laid before the Legislature of this Province at each Session thereof. IV. And be it enacted, That the due application of the moneys raised and expended Accounting clause. under the authority of this Act, shall be accounted for to Her Majesty, Her Heirs and Successors, through the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury, in such manner and form as Her Majesty, Her Heirs and Successors shall be pleased to direct. CAP. LXXIII. An Act to make provision for the construction of a Main Trunk Line of Rail-way throughout the whole length of this Province. W [ 30th August, 1851. ] HEREAS it is of the highest importance to the progress and welfare of this Preamble. Province, that a Main Trunk Line of Rail-way should be made throughout the length thereof, and from the Eastern frontier thereof, through the Provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, to the City and Port of Halifax, and it is therefore expedient that every effort should be made to ensure the construction of such Rail-way, whilst as an act of justice to those who have advanced their money upon Provincial Securities, and as the best means of sustaining the credit of the Province, and of readily commanding 245 such |