2Ibid., II, 248. The most important of the amendments to the act of
December, 1836, may be noted. In December, 1838, the Second Congress
passed an act changing the rates of postage, empowering the postmaster-
general to impose fines on mail contractors for a failure to comply with
the terms of their contracts, and making it the duty of every ferryman
or keeper of a ferry on any water course to allow to pass over free of
charge the driver or carrier of the mail and any carriage or horse carry-
ing the same.
