Notwithstanding anything in section nine of the Parliamentary and Municipal Registration Act, 1878, a notice or list to which that section applies, shall not be affixed in or on any post office or any place or property belonging to or used by or on behalf of the Postmaster-General, without authority from the Postmaster-General; and, where the Postmaster-General is of opinion that any such notice or list cannot be so affixed without obstruction or inconvenience to the business of the post office, he may refuse that authority.
(1) Where it appears to the Postmaster-General that any post office letter box, by reason of being on the premises of any private person or otherwise, is so situate as not to afford the same security against the improper removal of postal packets therefrom or other fraud as exists in the case of other post office letter boxes, he may declare that that post office letter box shall be a private posting box, and shall affix upon or near the box a notice of its being and of the effect of its being a private posting box, and a postal packet put into that box shall not for the purpose of any enactment, law, or contract, whereby the due posting of a postal packet is evidence of the receipt thereof by the addressee, be deemed to have been duly posted.
(2) A certificate purporting to be signed by the Postmaster-General or any secretary or assistant secretary of the Post Office, and to the effect that any box or receptacle is or was provided by the permission or under the authority of the Postmaster-General for the purpose of receiving postal packets or any of them, shall in any legal proceedings be evidence of the facts stated in the certificate.
(1) The Treasury may, by warrant, on the representation of the Postmaster-General, make regulations with respect to any matter which is authorised or required by this Act to be effected by Post Office regulations.
(2) All Post Office regulations shall be laid as soon as may be before both Houses of Parliament, and a notice of the regulations having been made, and of the place where copies of them can be purchased, shall be published in the London Gazette.
Any warrant of the Treasury under this Act may be signified in manner provided by the Treasury Instruments (Signature) Act, 1849, and any order, consent, authority, or direction of the Treasury (not being a warrant) under this Act may be signified either in manner provided by that Act or under the hand of one of their secretaries or assistant secretaries.
Where there is in any British possession a post established by the Postmaster-General this Act shall apply to that possession in like manner as it applies to the United Kingdom, subject to such modification, if any, as may be made by His Majesty by Order in Council, or as may be made by any enactment of the legislature of the possession.
85 Power of legislature of British possession to establish posts
(1) The legislature of any British possession may by any enactment make such provision as may seem fit for the establishment, maintenance, and regulation, of posts within the possession, and for charging rates of postage, and for appropriating the revenue derived therefrom.
(2) Provided that, where there is in the possession any post established by the Postmaster-General, the enactment shall not come into operation until His Majesty's consent thereto given by Order in Council is declared in the possession, or until such later date as may be fixed by the Order in Council.
86 Cesser of powers of Postmaster-General in British possession
Where the legislature of a British possession has passed any enactment for establishing, maintaining, and regulating posts in the possession, the powers and privileges of the Treasury and the Postmaster-General in relation to posts within the possession shall cease after the date at which the enactment comes into operation.
87 Arrangements with British possessions and foreign countries as to money orders
Where an arrangement is made with the Government of any British possession, or with the Government, or with any person on behalf, of a foreign State or British protectorate for the transmission of small sums through the post offices of the British Islands and the British possession, foreign State, or British protectorate by means of money orders of a like character to postal orders, the provisions of this Act with respect to postal orders shall, so far as is consistent with the tenor thereof, and subject to any modifications prescribed by Post Office regulations, apply in like manner as if an order issued in pursuance of the arrangement, whether by an officer of the Post Office or by an officer of a British possession, foreign State, or British protectorate, were a postal order within the meaning of those provisions, and such portions of those provisions as enact punishments shall apply accordingly.
Provided that—
(a) Any Post Office regulations in relation to any money orders issued in pursuance of any such arrangement as aforesaid may differ from the regulations respecting any other money orders; and
(b) Any money orders issued in pursuance of any such arrangement as aforesaid may be of such amount not exceeding the maximum amount fixed by this Act for postal orders, and in such form and subject to such conditions respecting poundage, commission, the periods during which they are payable, and other matters, as may be prescribed by Post Office regulations.
In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—
The expression “British possession ” does not include the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man :
The expression “postage ” means the duty chargeable for the transmission of postal packets :
The expression “inland,” when used in relation to any postal packet or any description thereof, means in the case of the British Islands posted within the British Islands, and addressed to some place in the British Islands, and in the case of a British possession posted within that possession and addressed to some place in it, and where used in relation to postage means the postage charged on the packet:
The expression “inward bound ” when used in relation to any vessel shall include vessels bound as well to any port in the British Islands as to any port in a British possession:
The expression “outward bound ” when used in relation to any vessel shall include vessels bound as well from any port in the United Kingdom as from any port in a British possession:
The expression “master of a vessel ” includes every person (except a pilot) having command or charge of a vessel, whether the vessel is a ship of war or other vessel:
The expression “mail ” includes every conveyance by which postal packets are carried, whether it be a carriage, coach, cart, horse, or any other conveyance, and also a person employed in conveying or delivering postal packets, and also any vessel employed by or under the Post Office for the transmission of postal packets by contract or otherwise in respect of postal packets transmitted by the vessel:
The expression “mail bag ” includes a bag box, parcel, or any other envelope or covering in which postal packets in course of transmission by post are conveyed, whether it does or does not contain any such packets :
The expression “postal packet ” means a letter, post card, reply post card, newspaper, book packet, pattern or sample packet; or parcel, and every packet or article transmissible by post, and includes a telegram:
The expression “officer of the Post Office ” includes the Postmaster-General, and any person employed in any business of the Post Office, whether employed by the Postmaster-General, or by any person under him or on behalf of the Post Office :
The expression “post office ” includes any house, building, room, carriage, or place used for the purpose of the Post Office, and any post office letter box :
The expression “post office letter box” includes any pillar box, wall box, or other box or receptacle provided by the permission or under the authority of the Postmaster-General for the purpose of receiving postal packets, or any of them, for transmission by or under the authority of the Postmaster-General:
The expression “telegraph post ” means a post, pole, standard, stay, strut, or other above-ground contrivance for carrying, suspending, or supporting a telegraph as defined by the Telegraph Act, 1869 :
The expression “indictment ” includes an information :
The expression “misdemeanour ” means as regards the Channel Islands a crime and offence :
The expression “valuable security ” has the same meaning as in the Larceny Act, 1861, and includes anything which is a valuable security within the meaning of that Act, and any part of such thing:
The expression “the purpose of the Post Office ” means any purpose of any of the Post Office Acts or of any Acts for the time being in force relating to Post Office money orders, Post Office telegraphs, or Post Office savings banks, and includes any purpose relating to or in connection with the execution of the duties for the time being undertaken by the Postmaster-General or any of his officers :
The expression “Post Office regulations ” means regulations for the time being in force made under this Act by warrant of the Treasury, whether made upon the recommendation of the Postmaster-General or otherwise.
90 Meaning of “in course of transmission by post” and “delivery to or from a post office”
For the purposes of this Act—
(a) A postal packet shall be deemed to be in course of transmission by post from the time of its being delivered to a post office to the time of its being delivered to the person to whom it is addressed ; and
(b) The delivery of a postal packet of any description to a letter carrier or other person authorised to receive postal packets of that description for the post shall be a delivery to a post office ; and
(c) The delivery of a postal packet at the house or office of the person to whom the packet is addressed, or to him or to his servant or agent or other person considered to be authorised to receive the packet, according to the usual manner of delivering that person's postal packets, shall be a delivery to the person addressed.
(1) Any reference contained in any enactment, warrant, deed, or document referring to the Post Office Acts, or any of them, or to the Post Office laws, shall be construed, so far as the context permits, as a reference to this Act, and any fines, penalties, and other sums directed to be recovered under the Post Office Acts, or any of them, or the Post Office laws may be recovered in like manner as fines and forfeitures under this Act may be recovered; and any reference in any enactment to an indictable offence under the Post Office laws shall be construed, so far as the context permits, as a reference to any offence punishable on indictment under this Act, whether it is or is not also punishable on summary conviction.
(2) Where by reason of any Act being declared to be a Post Office Act or its provisions to be Post Office laws any enactment repealed by this Act is applied for any purpose, the corresponding provisions of this Act shall apply in like manner.
(3) A reference in any enactment other than this Act to a post letter shall be construed to refer to a postal packet within the meaning of this Act.
The Acts specified in the Second Schedule to this Act are hereby repealed from and after the commencement of this Act to the extent specified in the third column of that schedule :
Provided that—
(a) Any letters patent granted, warrant made, or other instrument issued, or post established in pursuance of any enactment hereby repealed, shall continue in force as if it had been granted, made, issued, or established in pursuance of this Act:
(b) Any officer appointed under any enactment hereby repealed shall continue and be deemed to have been appointed under this Act:
(c) This repeal shall not affect any Act or Ordinance of the Channel Islands or Isle of Man or of any British possession in force at the commencement of this Act :
(d) A warrant under this Act may, subject to the limitations in this Act contained, revoke and alter any existing rate of postage or other sums and any existing warrant and regulation made under any of the Acts repealed by this Act, but, so far as not so revoked or altered, any existing rate of postage or sum may continue to be charged, and any such existing warrant or regulation shall continue in force in like manner as if it had been made in pursuance of this Act.
Section 27.
I, A.B., master of the [state the name of the ship or vessel], arriving from [state the place], do, as required by law, solemnly declare that I have, to the best of my knowledge and belief, delivered or caused to be delivered to the Post Office every mail bag, package, postal packet, or parcel of postal packets that was on board the [state the name of the ship], except such packets as are exempted by law.
Section 92.
Session and Chapter. | Title or Short Title. | Extent of Repeal.
9 Anne c. 11. | The Post Office (Revenues) Act, 1710. | So much as is unrepealed.
7 Will. 4. and 1 Vict. c. 32. | The Post Office (Repeal of Laws) Act, 1837. | The whole Act.
7 Will. 4. and 1 Vict. c. 33. | The Post Office Management Act, 1837. | The whole Act.
7 Will. 4. and 1 Vict. c. 36. | The Post Office (Offences) Act, 1837. | The whole Act.
3 & 4 Vict. c. 96. | The Post Office (Duties) Act, 1840. | The whole Act.
7 & 8 Vict. c. 49. | The Post Office (Duties) Act, 1844. | The whole Act.
10 & 11 Vict. c. 85. | The Post Office (Duties) Act, 1847. | The whole Act, except sections sixteen and twenty. Section twenty from " and . . . . the following “to ” eighth “year of the reign of Her ” present Majesty."
11 & 12 Vict. c. 88. | The Post Office (Money Orders) Act, 1848. | The whole Act.
12 & 13 Vict. c. 66. | The Colonial Inland Post Office Act, 1849. | The whole Act.
17 & 18 Vict. c. 94. | The Public Revenue and Consolidated Fund Charges Act, 1854. | So much as relates to charges or 1 payments charged upon the Post Office Revenue.
18 & 19 Vict. c. 78. | The Inland Revenue Act, 1855. | Section four.
23 & 24 Vict. c. 65. | The Post Office (Duties) Act, 1860. | The whole Act.
26 & 27 Vict. c. 43. | The Post Office Lands Act, 1863. | The whole Act.
32 & 33 Vict. c. 73. | The Telegraph Act, 1869 | Section twenty-three to " Provided always that."
33 & 34 Vict. c. 79. | The Post Office Act, 1870 | The whole Act.
38 & 39 Vict. c. 22. | The Post Office Act, 1875 | The whole Act.
42 & 43 Vict. c. 49. | The Summary Jurisdiction Act, 1879. | In section fifty-three the words “The Summary Jurisdiction ” Acts shall apply to all in“formations, complaints, and ” other proceedings before a “court of summary jurisdiction under the statutes ” relating to the Post Office."
43 & 44 Vict. c. 33. | The Post Office (Money Orders) Act, 1880. | The whole Act,
44 & 45 Vict. c. 19. | The Post Office (Newspaper) Act, 1881. | The whole Act.
44 & 45 Vict. c. 20. | The Post Office (Land) Act, 1881. | The whole Act.
45 & 46 Vict. c. 2. | The Post Office (Reply Post Cards) Act, 1882. | The whole Act.
46 & 47 Vict. c. 58. | The Post Office (Money Orders) Act, 1883. | The whole Act.
47 & 48 Vict. c. 76. | The Post Office (Protection) Act, 1884. | The whole Act, except the first and third paragraphs of section one and sections eleven and seventeen.
52 & 53 Vict. c. 34. | The Telegraph (Isle of Man) Act, 1889. | Subsection seventeen of section one.
54 & 55 Vict. c. 46. | The Post Office Act, 1891 | The whole Act, except sections eleven and fourteen.
55 & 56 Vict. c. 24. | The Post Office Act, 1892 | The whole Act,
58 & 59 Vict. c. 18. | The Post Office Amendment Act, 1895. | The whole Act.
60 & 61 Vict. c. 41. | The Post Office and Telegraph Act, 1897. | Section two.
61 & 62 Vict. c. 18. | The Post Office (Guarantee) Act, 1898. | The whole Act.
61 & 62 Vict. c. 37. | The Local Government (Ireland) Act, 1898. | Section seventy-five.
61 & 62 Vict. c. 59. | The Post Office Guarantee (No. 2) Act, 1898. | The whole Act.
3 Edw. 7. c. 12 | The Post Office (Money Orders) Act, 1903. | The whole Act.
4 Edw. 7. c. 14 | The Post Office Act, 1904 | The whole Act.
6 Edw. 7. c. 4 | The Post Office (Money Orders) Act, 1906. | The whole Act.
6 Edw. 7. c. 22 | The Post Office (Literature for the Blind) Act, 1906. | The whole Act.