Postage Act 1854 No 17a (NSW)

1854. IS '’ V IO . N o. 17. 2843

JPostage.

No. XVII.

P ostage

A n A c t fu r th e r to am en d tlie P o s ta g e A ct. [30^/i

September, 1854.]

T T T IT E l’ EAS it is expedient further to amend the Postage Act of

T V 1851 in various particulars as hereinafter provided Be it

therefore (macted hy Ilis Excellency the Governor of New South APah's witli the advice and conseiit of the Legislative Council thereof as follows;—

1. It shall ho competent to the Governor l)v and with the advice Governor ami exo,- of the Exi'cutive Council from time to time to enter into such arrange- authorized to make ments with Ilt'r Majesty’s Imperial Government as may be deemed

])aekets and newspapers transmitted hy post from any jiart of this ('xj)edient touching the rates of postage to he charged upon letters imnt as to imstase through this Colony and also touching the transmission through the Post Office in London of letters and packets between this Colony and places out of the United Kingdom and the rates of postage thereon and also touching the mode and place of payment of such rates of ])Ostage respectively and the distribution thereof amongst the several I\)st Offices concerned in the transmission of such letters packets and newspapers and every such arrangement shall during the continuance thereof have the force and effect of law.

2 . It shall ho competent to the Governor with the advice of the row er given to nr-

Executive Council to make or cause arrangements to he made with the co]o','̂ jog for

Governments of the neighbouring British Colonies or any of them for mutuai exemption

the mutual exemption from inward postagt; of all letters packets

hooks or other parcels conveyed hy post between this Colony and such

neighbouring Colonies rt^spcctively.

d. The rate of outward postage ujton all letters and packets Rato of outward

posted in any part of this Colonv for transmission beyond seas (except	■1 1 1 1 '*' 1 i ̂ 1 T 1 ̂ t(;rs rxcopt those	such as shall come 'within the arrangements to be made under the lirst Avitiun section i.
section of this Act shall he sueh sum not exceeding sixpence as the Governor with the advice of l l is Executive Council shall determine.
4. The provisions of section eight of the Postage Act of ] 851 m.ss. and printed shall apply to parcels open at each end containing any proof sheds or “f̂ frê ucedratê ̂ revises of any publication or manuscripts for publication addressed to
or by any printer or publislnn’ or containing any printed matter of whatsoever dt'seription.

5 . And whereas the accumulation of unclaimed newspapers in Destruction of un-

the Post Office is found to bo very inconvenient notwithstanding the expedited

])rovision already made for the dt'struction thereof after the expiration

of three months Be it enacted That it shall be lawful for the Post­

master General to cause to be sold or destroyed all newspapers which

shall have remained in any Post Office unclaimed for the period of

two months.

6. And whereas it is found impracticable without great and Lists with particulars

uureasonable expense to keep a list of all unclaimed and undelivered ]tttcrt&c.*esuoyea

letters and patffiets shewing the date and address and the Avritcr’s Act of is.n

the proviso contained in the twenty-ninth section of the said Postage tam ing valuables. name and place of writing every such letter and packet as required liy required to be kept in respect of any letters or packets Avhatsoever except such as shall upon examination be found to contain money or other valiudilc contents and in respect of all such last-mentioned letters and their contents the provisions of the second section of the Act of

Council

2844	N o.	18.	18̂ ̂ V IO .	1854.
Jury Laios.

Council passed in the Session of 1852 to amend the Postage Act of

1851 shall he applicable and shall be duly observed and kept.

Powei' to open and	7. It shall be lawful for any Postmaster to open and examine
examine letters &c.

suspected to be	any parcel posted as containing patterns or samples of merchandise
irregular.	for the purpose of ascertaining whether the same be bond fide within the provision authorizing the charge of a lower rate of postage on such parcels.

Weekly newspapers	8. Weekly newspapers coming from abroad though stitched in
from abroad stitched

in monthly parts	monthly parts shall he considered newspapers within the meaning of
transmitted on the	the Postage Acts of 1851 and 1852 and when posted in the Colony
charge of one penny.	shall be transmitted by the mail to all parts thereof at the charge of one penny for each weekly number included in each such monthly part provided that not more tlian one; monthly part sliall he forwarded under one cover.
Masters of vessels to

give notice of de­ 9. The master commander or other person having the charge

parture.

of any vessel bound to take a mail shall give timely notice to tlic Postmaster nearest to the port harbour or place of such veseel’s intended departure so as to enable him to he prepared to dispatch any mail on board such vessel and if any such master commander or other person as aforesaid shall refuse fail or neglect to give such notice he shall for every such offence forfeit and pay a penalty not exceeding fifty pounds.

No payment to mas­

ters forinwardletters 10. Ao payment shall be made to the master or other person

where payments

in charge of any vessel arriving from parts beyond the Colony for the

made at port of de­

parture.

conveyance of any letters packets or newspapers on which payments

have already been made at the port of departure.

Penalty for obstruct­

ing conveyance and 11. I f any person shall wilfully obstruct the conveyance or

delivery of mails. delivery of any mail he shall for such offence upon conviction thereof before any two Justices of the Peace forfeit and pay a penalty not exceeding twenty pounds.