Postage Act 1820
(1 Geo 4 c.89, 24th July 1820)

An Act for imposing additional Rates and Duties on the Conveyance of Letters between Port Patrick in Scotland and Donaghadee in Ireland.
[24th July 1820.]

WHEREAS it is expedient that additional Duties of Sea Postage should be imposed on Letters and Packets passing between Great Britain and Ireland by the Way of Port Patrick in Scotland and Donaghadee in Ireland: Be it therefore enacted by the King's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the Authority of the same, That from and after the passing of this Act, it shall be lawful for His Majesty's Postmaster General, and his Deputy and Deputies by him thereunto sufficiently authorized, to demand, have, receive, and take, for the Port and Conveyance of Letters by the Post from Great Britain to Ireland and from Ireland to Great Britain, passing between the Ports of Port Patrick in Scotland and Donaghadee in Ireland, the following Rates of Sea Postage, in addition to the Amount of the Rate of Postage now chargeable upon all Letters; (that is to say.) for every Single Letter, Two-pence; for every Double Letter, Four-pence; for every Treble Letter, or other Letter under an Ounce in Weight, Sixpence; and for every Ounce in Weight, and for every Packet not exceeding an Ounce in Weight, Eight-pence; and so in Proportion for every other Letter or Packet of greater Weight than an Ounce.

II. And be it further enacted, That all the Powers, Provisions, Privileges, Advantages, Disabilities, Penalties, Forfeitures, and' Distribution thereof, and all Clauses and other Matters and Things contained in any Act or Acts of Parliament in force at the Time of the passing of this Act, relating to the Post Office, or any Rates or Duties payable on the Port or Conveyance of Letters or Packets, and not repealed or altered by this Act, shall, so far as the same are applicable, continue in force, and be applied and extended, and shall be construed to apply and extend, to this present Act, and to the Rates and Duties hereby granted, as fully and effectually to all Intents and Purposes as if the same had been particularly repeated and re-enacted in the Body of this Act.

III. And be it further enacted, That the several Rates and Duties herein-before granted shall be paid from Time to Time into the Hands of the Receiver General for the Time being of the Revenue of the Post Office in Great Britain, who shall pay the same (the necessary Charges for collecting, paying, and accounting for the same-being first deducted) into the Receipt of His Majesty's Exchequer at Westminster, on such Days and Times and in such Manner as the present Rates and Duties are directed by Law to be paid; and the said Duties, so to be paid into the said Receipt as aforesaid, shall be carried to and1 made Part of the Consolidated Fund of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

IV. And be it further enacted, That if any Person or Persons shall at any Time or Times be sued, molested, or prosecuted for any thing by him, her, or them done or executed in pursuance of this Act, or of any Clause, Matter, or Thing herein contained, such Person and Persons shall and may plead the General Issue and give the special Matter in Evidence for his, her, or their Defence; and if upon the Trial a Verdict shall pass for the Defendant or Defendants, or the Plaintiff or Plaintiffs shall become nonsuited, then such Defendant or Defendants shall have Treble Costs awarded to him, her, or them, against such Plaintiff or Plaintiffs.