postmaster

An officer who keeps a postofiice, attending to the receipt, forwarding, and delivery of letters and other matter passing through the mail. Postmasters must reside within the delivery district for which they are appointed. For those offices where the salary or compensation is less than a thousand dollars a year, the postmaster-general appoints; where postmaster at New York, according to the amount of salary; those of the first class receiving three thousand or more, those of the fourth less than one thousand; 1 Supp. R. S. 110, 417. They must give bond to the United States; see IT. S. v. Le Baron, 10 How. (U. S.) 73, 15 L. Ed. 525; which remains in force, for suit upon violation, (luring the term; Boody v. U. S., 1 W. & M. 150, Fed. Cas. No. 1,036; for three, formerly two, years after the expiration of the term of office; R. S. § 3838; Jones v. TJ. S., 7 How. (U. S.) 681, 12 L. Ed. 870. See R. S. § 3836. Where an office is designated as a moneyorder office, the bond of the postmaster shall contain an additional condition for the faithful performance of all duties and obligations in connection with the money-order business; R. S. § 3834. The presumption that public officers do their duty applies to the duty of postmasters to report a contractor's delinquencies; U. S. v. Carr, 132 U. S. 644, 10 Sup. Ct. 182, 33 L. Ed. 483. Every postmaster is required to keep an office in the place for which he may be apl»ointed; and it is his duty to receive and forward by mail, without delay, all letters, papers, and packets as directed, to receive the mails, and deliver, at all reasonable hours, all letters, papers, and packets to the persons entitled thereto. Every person who, without authority from the postmaster-general, sets up any office bearing the title of postoffice is liable to a penalty of $500 for each offence; R. S. § 3829. A postmaster is liable for all losses occasioned by his own default in office; 5 Burr. 2709; 2 Kent 474; Story, Bailm. § 463; see Raisler v. Oliver, 97 Ala. 710, 12 South. 238, 38 Am. St. Rep. 213; but in order to make him liable for negligence, it must appear that the loss or injury sustained was in consequence of such negligence; Dunlop v. Munroe, 7 Cra. (U. S.) 242, 3 L. Ed. 329; Wiggins v. Hathaway, 6 Barb. (N. Y.) 632. He is bound only to the exercise of due diligence in the care of matter deposited in the postoffice; U. S. v. Thomas, 15 Wall. (U. S.) 337, 21 L. Ed. 89. See 1 Ld. Raym. 646, where the question is elaborately discussed. A postmaster is liable for the acts of his clerks or servants who were not regularly appointed and sworn as his assistants; Christy v. Smith, 23 Vt. 663; Fitzgerald v. Burrill, 106 Mass. 446. He is not responsible for their secret delinquencies; though, perhaps, he is answerable for want of attention to the official conduct of his subordinates; Schroyer v. Lynch, 8 Watts (Pa.) 453; but see Raisler v. Oliver & Co., 97 Ala. 710, 12 South. 238, 38 Am. St. Rep. 213. An attempt to induce a postmaster to sell stamps on of the United States to a violation of his lawful duties; In re Palliser, 136 U. S. 257, 10 Sup. Ct. 1034, 34 L. Ed. 514. A postmaster is liable for the full value of a registered letter embezzled, regardless of the liability of the government to the sender of the letter; Gibson v. U. S., 208 Fed. 534.

An officer of the United States, appointed to take charge of a local post-office and transact the business of receiving and forwarding the mails at that point, and such other business as is committed to him under the postal laws.

— Postmaster general. The head of the post-office department. He ls one of the president's cabinet.

or Deputy Postmaster, is an officer of the United States appointed by the postmaster general to hold his office during the pleasure of the former. Before entering on the duties of his office, he is required to give bond with surety to be approved by the postmaster general. Act of 3d March, 1825, s. 3. Every postmaster ts required to keep an office in the place for which he may be appointed; and it is his duty to receive and forward by mail, without delay, all letters, papers, and packets as directed; to receive the mails and deliver, at all reasonable hours, all letters, papers and packets to the persons entitled commission on the postage by him collected,,as shall be adequate to his services and expenses; provided his commission shall not exceed the following several rates on the amount received in one quarter, viz. on a sum not exceeding one hundred dollars, thirty per cent.; on any sum over and above the first hundred dollars, and not exceeding four hundred dollars, twenty-five per cent. On any sum over and above the first four hundred, and not exceeding two thousand four hundred dollars, twenty per cent. On any sum over and above the first two thousand four hundred dollars, eight per cent. Besides these commissions, postmasters employed in receiving and despatching foreign mails, are allowed an extra compensation. But whenever the annual emoluments of any postmaster, after deducting therefrom the necessary expenditures incidental to his office, shall amount to more than two thousand dollars, the surplus shall be accounted for, Act of 3d March, 1825, s. 41. Although not subject to all the responsibilities of a common carrier, yet, a postmaster is liable for all losses and injuries occasioned by his own default in office. 3 Wils. Rep. 443; Cowp. 754; 5 Burr. 2709; 1 Bell’s Com. 468; 2 Kent, Com. 474; Story on Bailm. § 463. Whether a postmaster is liable for the acts of his clerks or servants seems not to be settled. 1 Bell’s Com. 468, 9. Vide Frank; Post Office. —