The committee to whom the subject of mail routes was referred Report
That during the present interesting period in the affairs of Texas facilities of communication between the different parts of the country are all important and the best interests of the people clearly require that weekly mails be established on the following routs and that they be immediately put in operation to wit.
1st.
From San Felipe de Austin by Whitesides' in Coles settlement Washington &Nacogdochez to San Augustine.
2nd.
From San Felipe by Orozimbo Columbia Brazoria &Quintana to Velasco
3.
From San Augustine by Zavala to Bevils Mill
4.
From San Felipe by Harrisburg &Liberty to Belems Ferry on the Sabine River, and so soon as it can be done with safety to the mail, From San Felipe de Austin to Bexar
This committee beg leave further to report that it is expedient and necessary at this time that some suitable person be by this General Council appointed to take charge of, and have the superintendence of the Post Office establishment as Post Master General and that in their opinion John Rice Jones of San Felipe is compitent and will be faithful in the discharge of the duties of said office. Whereupon it was Resolved by the General Council of Texas that having full faith and confidence in the integrity &qualification of the said John Rice Jones of San Felipe he is hereby appointed Post Master General of Texas, which appointment shall be subject to the confirmation or rejection of the convention, whose duty it shall be to appoint and commission assistants and deputies, &establish Post offices at such places as shall appear to him expedient on the post roads that are or may be established by this council or other authorized body. He shall give his assistant Postmasters &all other persons employed by him instructions relative to their duty. He shall contract with persons for carrying the mail on all post roads that are or may be established by the proper authorities. He shall require all Post masters by him appointed to account to him for all moneys they may have received for
postages up to the 31st day of December 1835 &thereafter to account to him quarterly. He shall superintend the business of the department and discharge all the duties that may be assigned to it and generally to take for his guide &the government of the Post office establishment the laws, rules, instructions, &forms of the General Post office in the United States of America.
And for the better fulfillment of the duties of his office &the furtherance of the object of this committee the said John Rice Jones is hereby authorized to open subscriptions by himself, his deputies, &such other persons as he may appoint for the purpose of obtaining contributions or loans of money to aid in carrying this project into immediate operation, which sums of money so obtained by him are to be refunded as soon as the receipts of the Post office department will enable the Post Master General to do so. And it shall be his duty to account quarterly to the ayuntamiento or other properly constituted authority for all money which he may receive from postages or otherwise.
Be it further resolved That the Post Master Genl be &he is hereby authorized to ask and demand and receive the following rates of postage upon all letters &packets transported by mail (excepting such as are hereafter excepted).
For every letter composed of a single sheet of paper conveyed any distance under 20 miles 6¼ cents; over 20 and not exceeding 50 miles 12½ cents; over 50 ¬ exceeding 100 miles 18¾ cents; over 100 miles and not exceeding 200 miles 25 cents; and all over 200 miles 37½ cents and upon all ship letters six and one-fourth cents shall be charged in addition to the above rates, which it shall be the duty of all masters of vessels to deposit in the first or nearest office on their entering within the Territory of the State. All letters or packets directed to or from the Postmaster General his assistants &deputies shall be free of postage as also all communications to or from the President &members of the Genl Council &the President of the Consultation, members and Secretary, during the time of their being engaged in transacting public business. The commander in chief of the army and all other officers thereof who may have communications to make or receive while in the public service shall be received and conveyed free of postage.
For every double letter or letter composed of two pieces of paper double the rates above mentioned, and for every packet of letters weighing one ounce quadruple those rates; and in that proportion for all greater weights.
And for the postage on newspapers published in Texas, within one hundred miles of the General Post office the Post Masters are authorized to charge &receive one cent each; and for all newspapers carried in the mail over one hundred miles or that are printed out of the State there shall [be] a postage of one &a half cents charged thereon, which post
masters are hereby authorized to require the payment of one quarter postage in advance and without such payment not to deliver the newspapers.
The postage on magazines and pamphlets shall be as follows to wit:
For each sheet carried not over 25 miles two cents.
'' '' '' '' over 25, under fifty four cents.
'' '' '' '' over 50, 6¼
Adopted this 30th Oct 1835.
R R Royall
President of Council
A. Houston Secty
Archives of Texas, A, file 1 No. 15.
