Postage Act 1814
(54 Geo 3 c.169, 30th July 1814)

An Act for making certain Regulations respecting the Postage of Ship Letters and of Letters in Great Britain.
[ 30th July 1814 ]

WHEREAS it is expedient to alter and enlarge the Powers of an Act passed in the thirty ninth Year of the Reign of His present Majesty, intituled An Act for the more secure Conveyance of Ship Letters, and for granting to His Majesty certain Rates of Postage thereon; and to grant other Rates of Postage in lieu of some of the Rates therein mentioned;
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 Tenth Day of October One thousand eight hundred and fourteen, so much of the said recited Act as grants a Rate of Postage of Four pence for every Single Letter, and so in Proportion for Packets in Addition to any Inland Postage which may arise upon the Inland Conveyance of such Letters and Packets, for Letters and Packets brought by Ships and Vessels other than Packet Boats from Places within His Majesty's Dominions, and from Kingdoms and Countries beyond the Seas into Great Britain, shall be and the same is hereby repealed, except so far as relates to the Rates imposed by the said Act, which may be then remaining unpaid.

II. And be it further enacted, That it shall and may be lawful for His Majesty's Postmaster General, and his Deputy and Deputies by him thereunto authorized, to and for the Use of His Majesty, his Heirs and Successors, to demand, have, receive and take for every Letter and Packet which shall be brought by Ships and Vessels, other than Packet Boats, in the manner in the said recited Act mentioned from Places within His Majesty's Dominions, and from Kingdoms and Countries beyond the Seas into Great Britain, the Sum of Six pence for every Single Letter and so in Proportion for Packets, in addition to any Inland or Internal Postage which may arise upon the Inland Conveyance of such Letters and Packets.

III. And be it further enacted, That it shall and may be lawful for His Majesty's Postmaster General and his Deputies to receive Letters and Packets directed to Places within His Majesty's Dominions and to Kingdoms and Countries beyond the Seas, from any Person or Persons who may bring the same to any Post Office in Great Britain, and who may be desirous to forward such Letters themselves, and to affix upon each Letter or Packet such Stamp, Mark of Postage or Designation as the Postmaster General in his Discretion shall think proper and order, and thereupon to demand and receive for the Use of His Majesty, his Heirs and Successors, a Rate of Postage of One third Part of the Rates and Duties payable by Law for such respective Letters and Packets if the same were conveyed by Packet Boats, and in cases were no Rate of Postage is already established, then to demand, have, receive and take for such Letters and Packets, Rates as near as can be ascertained equal to One third Part of what is now paid for Letters sent beyond the Seas, and upon Payment thereof to return such Letters and Packets to the Person or Persons bringing the same, and that it shall and may be lawful for such Person and Persons to forward such Letters and Packets to the Places to which they may be directed by any Ships or Vessels that he or they may think proper, not being Packet Boats without incurring any Penalty therefore, and without Payment of any other Rate or Duty of Postage; any Law, Statute, Custom or Usage to the contrary notwithstanding.

IV. And be it further enacted, That it shall and may be lawful for His Majesty's Postmaster General, by writing under his Hand, and under Seal of the Office of Postmaster General, to license and authorize any Person or Persons whatsoever to collect Letters and Packets in Great Britain directed to Places within His Majesty's Dominions, and to Kingdoms and Countries beyond the Seas, for the Purpose of being forwarded according to their Directions by any Ships or Vessels, other than Packet Boats, provided that such Persons so to be licensed shall previous to forwarding the same bring such Letters and Packets to the Post Office of the Town or Place to have a Stamp, Mark of Postage or Designation put thereon, which Stamp, Mark of Postage or Designation, the Postmaster General and his Deputies are hereby authorized and required to put thereon, and to demand, receive and take, for the Use of His Majesty, his Heirs and Successors, the same Rates of Postage as are hereby made payable for Letters and Packets to be forwarded by Persons bringing the same in manner hereinbefore provided; and upon such Payment being made to return such Letters and Packets to the Persons so to be licensed, and that it shall and may be lawful for such authorized Persons to forward such Letters and Packets by any Ships or Vessels that he or they may think proper, not being Packet Boats, without incurring any Penalty therefore, and without Payment of any other Rate of Postage; any Law, Statute or Usage to the contrary notwithstanding.

V. And be it further enacted, That it shall be lawful for any Person or Persons authorized by the Postmaster General in Places within His Majesty's Dominions and Countries beyond the Seas to receive from Masters of Vessels coming from thence into any Port in Great Britain, Letters and Packets which may collected and brought by such Masters to them for the Purpose of being transmitted by the Authority or Postmaster General, and also to receive from such Masters with such Letters at the Rate of Three for every Fifty Letters or Packets, and so in Proportion for a greater or lesser Number; and such Person or Persons so authorized by the Postmaster General shall make up in a Bag or Parcel all such Letters so received, and inclose therein a Certificate of the Number of Letters contained in the same, and an Impression of Seal which shall be used to seal such Bag or Parcel, and the Date when the same shall be sealed, and shall seal the Bag or Parcel with the Seal of which an Impression shall have been so inclosed, and deliver the same Bag or Parcel to such Masters for the Purpose of being brought by them to the Port at which they shall arrive Great Britain.

VI. And in order to encourage Masters of Ships and Vessels, not being Packet Boats, coming from Places within His Majesty's Dominions and Places beyond the Seas, be it further enacted, That it shall be lawful for the Masters of Vessels to collect Letters and Packets in Places within His Majesty's Dominions and Countries beyond the Seas, so as such Letters shall be collected for the Purpose of being transmitted by the Authority of the Postmaster General to Great Britain, and provided that such Masters shall deliver all such Letters to some Person or Persons authorized by the Postmaster General to receive the same for the Purposes aforesaid, and that the Masters shall, upon delivering the same, pay unto the Person or Persons so authorized the Sum of Three Shillings for every Fifty Letters, or so in Proportion for a greater or lesser Number, and shall then receive the same back from such Person or Persons so authorized as aforesaid, in a sealed Bag or Parcel, and shall upon Delivery of such Bag or Parcel so made up and sealed in such manner as is hereinbefore mentioned in a perfect State at any Post Office in Great Britain, be repaid the Sum of Money which they shall have so advanced as aforesaid, and also Two pence per Letter for every Letter which shall be contained in such Bag or Parcel.

VII. Provided also, and be it further enacted, That if any Master of such Ship or Vessel shall open any Bag or Bags of Letters with which he hall have been entrusted, or shall take out of such Bag any Letter or Letters whatsoever, or shall not duly deliver such Bag with the Letters at the Place where he shall arrive, to the Person who may be authorized to receive the same without wilful or unavoidable Delay after his Arrival, every such Master so offending shall forfeit and pay the Sum of Five hundred Pounds.

VIII. And be it further enacted, That if any Person whatsoever hall send any Letter or Packet by any Ship or Vessel of which he shall not be Owner, without having the Official Mark of the Postage having been paid thereon, or if any Master shall have on board or carry any Letter, not being the Letter of his Owners, without such Official Mark thereon, every such Person or Persons so offending shall forfeit and pay the Sum of Five Pounds for every Letter or Packet so sent or found on board, or carried as aforesaid.

IX. And be it further enacted, That it shall and may be lawful to and for the Collector, Comptroller or principal Officers of His Majesty's Customs, at any Port or Place whatsoever, and they are hereby authorized and required to search every Ship or Vessel in any Port or Place for Letters or Packets which may be on board contrary to the Provisions of this Act, and to seize and take all such Letters and to forward the same to the Postmaster General or his Deputy at the Port or Place, and that the Officer seizing and sending the same shall be entitled to One Moiety of the Penalty which may be recovered for any such Offence.

X. And be it further enacted, That it shall and may be lawful for such Collector, Comptroller or Officer the Customs, and he is hereby authorized and required to administer an Oath to such Master before he departs, that he has not any Letters which have not paid the Rates of Postage hereby imposed on board his Ship or Vessel, not being the Letters of the Owners of his said Ship or Vessel.

XI. And be it further enacted, That on the Arrival of any Ship in Port, the Master shall sign a Declaration in Writing, in the Presence of the Person authorized by the Postmaster General at the Port or Place, who shall also sign the same, that to the best of his Knowledge and Belief he has delivered according to the Provisions of this Act, all the Letters or Bags or Parcels of Letters on board his Vessel, and that until such Declaration shall be signed the Officers of the Customs shall not permit such Ship or Vessel to break Bulk, and in case such Master shall wilfully neglect to make such Declaration he shall forfeit and pay the Sum of Fifty Pounds, One Moiety thereof to be paid to the Informer.

XII. And be it further enacted, That if any Collector, Comptroller or principal Officer hereby required to prohibit any Ship or Vessel breaking Bulk until the Requisites of this Act shall be complied with, shall permit such Ship or Vessel to break Bulk, such Collector, Comptroller or Officer so permitting such Ship or Vessel to break Bulk, shall forfeit and pay the Sum of Twenty Pounds, One Moiety thereof to be paid the Informer.

XIII. And be it further enacted, That One Moiety of the several pecuniary Penalties hereby shall be payable to the Use of His Majesty, his Heirs and Successors, and the other Moiety to any who shall and will inform and sue for the same, to be recovered with full Costs of Suit by Action of Debt, Bill, Plaint or Information, in any of His Majesty's Courts of Record in Great Britain, wherein no Essoin, Protection, Privilege or Wager of Law shall be admitted.

XIV. And be it further enacted, That if any Person shall forge or counterfeit, or cause to be forged or counterfeited any Stamp, Mark of Postage or Designation upon any Letter hereby authorized to be so stamped, marked or designated, with Intent to avoid the Payment of the Rate of Postage hereby imposed, each and every Person and Persons so offending shall be deemed and taken to be guilty of a Misdemeanor, to be punished by Fine and Imprisonment, and such Offence, if committed within Great Britain, shall and may be enquired of, tried and adjudged, either within the City of London, or where the Offence shall be committed.

XV. Provided always, and be it further enacted, That this Act shall not extend to restrain nor to prevent the East India Company, nor their Court of Directors, from sending and receiving, and causing to be sent and received to and from any of their Governments and Servants Abroad, all Packets, Letters and Papers whatsoever relating to the Affairs, Business and Concerns of the said Company, and of their several Governments Abroad, in the manner heretofore accustomed by the said Company and their Court of Directors, without Payment of any Postage or Duty, nor to subject any Person to any Penalty or Forfeiture in respect thereof.

XVI. And be it further enacted, That, from and after the passing of this Act, it shall and may be lawful for the President of the Board of Commissioners for the Affairs of India for the time being, to send and receive Letters and Packets by the Post free from the Duty of Postage within the United Kingdom, in the same manner and under such Restrictions as the Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain is, by an Act passed in the Forty sixth Year of the Reign of His present Majesty, authorized to send and receive Letters and Packets free from Postage.

XVII. And be it further enacted, That it shall be lawful for every Member of either House of Parliament, to receive by the Post any Petition addressed to either House of Parliament free from the Duty of Postage, so as the same be sent in a Cover open at the Sides, and that the same shall not exceed the Weight of Six Ounces.