VICTORIA. mm* mm ANNO DECIMO SEPTIMO VICTORIA REGINiE. .By jffis Excellency CHARLES JOSEPH LA TIIOBE, ESQUIRE, Lieutenant Governor of the Colony of Victoria and its Dependencies with the advice and conse?it of the Legislative Council. M^tummma^tkiM No. XXX. An Act to amend the Law relating to the Post Office. [Assented to 12th April, 1854.] f ? II E R E A S it is expedient to amend the Law relating to the preamble. Post Office in Victoria Be it therefore enacted by His Excellency the Lieutenant Governor of Victoria by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council thereof as follows— I. From and after the passing of this Act an Act of the Lieu- l^peai of is Vie., tenant Governor and Legislative Council of Victoria passed m the No-9- fifteenth year of the Reign of Her present Majesty Queen Victoria intituled "An Act to amend the Law for the Conveyance and Postage of " Letters" shall be and the same is hereby repealed except as to any proceedings commenced or instituted under the said recited Act previously to the passing hereof. II. It shall be lawful for the Lieutenant Governor with the advice Rules for establishing of the Executive Council to make Rules and Regulations for the 2f0fSrC-Cei!If establishing and managing of the several Post Offices including iottcrs, &c. the imposing of fees for private boxes and the receiving despatching conveying and delivering of Letters Newspapers Packets and Parcels and the making custody and sale of Stamps and the receipt and payment of monies in connection with the said Post Offices and the conduct of all Postmasters and other Officers of the said department and the said Rules and Regulations from time to time to alter revoke or vary and such other Rules and Regulations to establish in their stead as with the advice aforesaid he shall deem expedient. III. It shall be lawful for the Lieutenant Governor from time to Appointment and re­ l time to appoint and remove a Postmaster General until Her Majesty's ™°™n ^C1^" pleasure be known and to appoint and remove or depute to the said &c. Postmaster General the power to appoint or remove such Inspectors of Stamps Postmasters Officers Clerks and Servants as may be required for the various post towns and places in Victoria and until such appointments respectively the Postmaster General or person discharging the duties of Postmaster General at the time of the passing of this Act and all Inspectors Postmasters Officers Clerks and Servants employed in the department niixlied as a Supplement in the ' Victoria Government Gazette/ of Friday, 28//* April, 1854.—No. 3-1. 1854.] 17 VICTORIA. [No. 30. department of the Post Office at the time aforesaid shall continue to exercise their several powers and discharge; their several duties as if he and they had been respectively appointed under the provisions of this Act. Declaration of oftnvrB IV. The Postmaster General of Victoria and every other Post- and rarvants, ;>nd mnster Letter Carrier or other person appointed under this Act shall c •' ' before the exercise by him of the duties of his office take and subscribe a declaration for the due execution of such duties before one of Her Majesty's Justices of the Peace which declaration such Justice is hereby authorized and required to administer in the form set forth in the Schedule to this Act annexed marked A and the said Postmaster General and such and so many of the Postmasters Letter Carriers and other persons as aforesaid as the Lieutenant Governor with the advice of the Executive Council may require shall give such security for the due and faithful dis­ charge of the duties of their offices respectively as the Lieutenant Governor with the advice aforesaid may consider reasonable Letters charged V. All letters transmitted or received by post shall (save as herein­ weight. after excepted) be charged by weight only according to the following scale that is to say—on every letter iiot exceeding half an ounce in weight one rate of postage on every letter exceeding half an ounce and not exceeding one ounce in weight two rates of postage and for every additional ounce or fraction of an ounce beyond one ounce two additional rates of postage Provided that the Postmaster General or other Postmaster shall be at liberty to refuse to receive or transmit by post any letter exceeding sixteen ounces in weight or any letter of inconvenient form or dimensions or containing or reasonably suspected to contain articles likely to injure the other contents of the mail bags r Rates of Postage. VI. l he following shall be the rates of Postage payable according to the scale aforesaid upon letters (save as hereinafter excepted) transmitted or received by the Post that is to say Upon all letters received at any Post Office for delivery at such Post Office or within the limits of the City or Town in which such Post Office is situated the sum of two pence on all letters to be transmitted by Post between separate Post Towns or Places within Victoria the sum of sixpence and upon all letters to be transmitted by Ship to places beyond the limits of Victoria the sum of one shilling Postage on packet". VII. The sum of sixpence only for any weight not exceeding four ounces and the additional sum of three pence for every additional two ounces or portion of two ounces of weight above four ounces shall be paid on packets of the following descriptions transmitted by post between towns or places within the said colony, that is to say :— (1.) Bankers' packets containing notes orders or pass-books sent by or to any Bank or Banker. (2.) Packets containing patterns or samples of merchandise bona fide sent as such (3.) Packets open at each end containing prices' current and catalogues of merchandise. (4.) Packets containing writs and proceedings in any Court of Justice deeds conveyance affidavits or letters of attorney or any deposi­ tions or recognizances sent by or to any Justice of the Peace or Coroner. (5.) Packets open at each end containing printed Votes and Proceedings of Parliament and of Colonial Legislatures. (6.) Packets containing pamphlets magazines reviews or periodical publications (newspapers excepted.) (7.) Packets or covers enclosing maps or plans transmitted by or addressed to the Surveyor General or the Department of the Surveyor General or returns made from or to any part of the Public Service pursuant to any law or duly authorised regulation. (8.) Packets 1854.] 17 VICTORIA. [No. 30. 3 (8.) Packets containing placards and prospectuses. (9.) Packets containing a single printed book. Provided ^ that upon every such packet received at any Post Office for transmission by ship to any place beyond the limits of Victoria there shall be paid the sum of one shilling as sea postage thereon in addition to such sum of sixpence^ payable as inland postage Provided also that there shall not be in or upon any such packets any letter or or epistolary communication or intelligence and that on the outside thereof in addition to the name and address of the person to whom the same is to be delivered the sender thereof shall subscribe with his name and address a statement of the contents thereof in the following form,, that is to say—"Bankers' Packet" or u Patterns of Merchandise" or other proper description within the terms of this Enactment together with the words " Packet without letter or writing " And provided that the Postmaster General or other Postmaster shall be at liberty to refuse to transmit by Post any such Packet when of the weight of more than one pound or unless it be folded within dimensions not exceeding fifteen inches in length by six inches in breadth or any packet containing or reasonably believed to contain any article likely to injure the other contents of the mail bags Provided lastly that no such packet as aforesaid shall be transmitted by post to any place to which either partly or for the entire distance the mail shall be conveyed on horseback unless the Lieutenant Governor with the advice of the Executive Council shall otherwise direct. VIIJ. Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to repeal so much 16 vie, No. 26, *ec. of an Act of the Lieutenant Governor and Legislative Council of Victoria si. not repealed, passed in the sixteenth year of the reign of Her present Majesty Queen Victoria intituled u An Act for Registering Births Deaths and " Marriages in the Colony of Victoria " as relates to correspondence of Registrar and Deputy Registrars and receipt by them of letters and packets under the said Act free of postage provided that all such correspondence letters and packets shall be subject to the provisoes lastly hereinbefore contained. IX. Members of the Executive Council and of the Legislature Petitions. may receive by post Petitions and Addresses to Her Majesty and to His Excellency the Lieutenant Governor and Petitions addressed to the Executive Council or any Member of the Legislature not exceeding sixteen ounces in weight exempt from postage Provided such Petitions and Addresses are sent without covers or in covers open at both sides. X. No letter from or to any Non-Commissionecl Officer Private Postage on letters ot Soldier Seaman or Marine employed on actual service in the Army Navy 8oldiera a,ld Mn°M' or Marines or the East India Company's Service shall be chargeable with a higher rate of postage than the sum of one penny Provided that upon the outside of any such letter from any such Non-Commissioned Officer Private Soldier Seaman or Marine there shall be written in the hand­ writing of and signed by the Commanding Officer for the time being of the Corps Regiment Detachment or Ship to which such Non-Commis­ sioned Officer Private Soldier Seaman or Marine belongs the name of such Officer and of such Corps Regiment Detachment or Ship Provided also that any such letter to any such Non-Commissioned Officer Private Soldier Seaman or Marine shall specify upon the same the Corps Regi­ ment Detachment or Ship to which such Non-Commissioned Officer Private Soldier Seaman or Marine belongs Provided further that the said postage of each such letter unless sent from parts beyond the seas shall be prepaid and such payment shall be made by a sufficient number of postage stamps being affixed thereon.