A.D. 1763* Anno quarto Georgii III* C. 2$i i'77 cap. xxiv. An Aft for preventing Frauds and Abufes in relation to the fending and receiving of Letters and Packets free from the Duty of Poftage.
- "IT 7 HEREAS, under Colour of the Privilege of fending and receiving Poll Letters by Mem- Preamble.
1 VV Ders of Parliament, free from the Duty of Poftage, many great and notorious Frauds have For Former Laws rda-
- been and ftill are frequently pradtifed, as well in Derogation of the Honour of Parliament, as to ting hereto, refer to
- the Detriment of the Publick Revenue ; divers Perfons having prefumed to counterfeit the Hand, 9 -*»»• e - i°-
' and otherwife fraudulently to make ufe of the Names, of Members of Parliament, upon Letters 6 £ e ° '■ ei "• e and Packets to be lent by the Poft, in order to avoid the Payment of the Duty of Poftage : And X-lg^.'i.'cJI's.
- whereas the Allowance of fending and receiving Letters and Packets free from the Duty of Pof- 2 6G«. z. e, 13',
' tage, heretofore granted to, or cuftomarily exercifed by, certain Perfons not being Members of
- Parliament, in refpect of their Offices, has not been fufficiently confined to fuch Letters and
' Packets only as relate to the Bufinefs of their refpeftive Offices, and may therefore, if continued ' without further Reftrictions and Limitations, be liable to great Abufe :' In order, therefore, to put the more effectual Stop to thefe and the like Frauds and Abufes, and at the fame Time to afcertain, for the better Guidance and Direction of his Majefty's Poft Mafter General, and the Officers to be employed under him, in the Performance of their Duty, by what Perfons only, and under what Regulations or Redactions, the Privilege or Allowance of fending and receiving Let- ters and Packets free from the Duty of Poftage ftiall thenceforth be enjoyed and exercifed, May it pleafe your Majefty that it May be enacted ; And be it enacted by the King's moft Excellent Ma- jefty, by and with the Advice and Confent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this prefent Parliament aflembled, and by the Authority of the fame, That from and after the From and after 1 May firft Day of May one thoufand feven hundred and fixty-four, fo long as the Revenue arifing in the J 7 6 4> while theReve- General Letter Office or Poft Office, or Office of Poft Mafter General, {hall continue to be carried aX^Lue to^'ca - to, and made Part of the Aggregate Fund, no Letters or Packets fent by the Poft, to or from any ried t0 the ^ It tJ"" Place whatfoever, {hall be exempted from paying the Duty of Poftage, according to the Rates efta- Fund, blifhed by the feveral Acts of Parliament now in Force ; other than and except fuch Letters and Packets as are herein after excepted, and in fuch Manner, and under fuch Reftrictions, as are herein after declared and enacted concerning the fame ; that is to fay, Except all fuch Letters and Jj^u e b " e " e or P e a j k f ets Packets as {hall be fent from or to the King's moft Excellent Majefty; all Letters arid Packets, p ft a ge, but luch as""" not exceeding the Weight of two Ounces, fent from and to any Places (within the Kingdoms of /hall be' fent from or to Great Britain or Ireland) during the Sitting of any Seffion of Parliament, or within forty Days be- the King; fore or forty Days after any Summons or Prorogation of the fame, which {hall be figned, on the and ^ ch . not exceeding Outfide thereof, by any Member of either of the two Houfes of Parliament of Great Britain, and ^ftaMbTfen" S whereof the whole Superscription fhall be of the Hand Writing of fuch Member, or which {hall be the Seflion of Parlia^ directed to any Member of either Houfe of the Parliament of Great Britain, or at any of the Places mem, of his ufual Refidence, or at the Place where he {hall actually be at the Time of the Delivery there- or within 40 Days be- of, or at the Houfe of Parliament, or the Lobby of the Houfe of Parliament of which he is a Mem- { ° re OT 3her . bumrt| ons ber; all Letters and Packets, not exceeding" the Weight of two Ounces, fent from and to any and be figned'on the Out- Places within the Kingdom of Ireland, during the Sitting of any Seffion of Parliament of Ireland, or fide by a Member of ei-° within forty Days before or forty Days after any Summons or Prorogation thereof, which {hall be ther Houfe, figned, on the Outfide thereof, by any Member of either of the two Houfes of the Parliament of and 'he Whole of the Ireland, and whereof the whole Superscription fhall be of the Hand Writing of fuch Member, or f u u c p h sr ] l^ ript ! on , to J: e . of which being fent, during fuch Time as aforefaid, from any Part of Great Britain or Ireland to any (i u n c g . em " s "" Part of Ireland, fhall be directed to any Member of either Houfe of the Parliament of Ireland, at any or, d'hefled to a Mem- of the Places of his ufual Refidence, or at the Place where he mail actually be at the Time of the ber at his ufual Refi- Delivery thereof, or at the Houfe of Parliament, or the Lobby of the Houfe of Parliament of which dence > he is a Member; all Letters and Packets directed to the Lord High Treafurer, or Commiffioners °^ a l *£ where he fta]1 of the Treafury, or the Secretaries to the Treafury ; to the Lord High Admiral, or Commiffioners or a t the Houfe &c. of of the Admiralty, or the Secretaries of the Admiralty ; to his Majefty's Principal Secretaries of State, Parliament : or their Under Secretaries; to the Commiffioners for Trade and Plantations, or their Secretary ; And in like Manner, to his Majefty's Secretary at War, or the Deputy Secretary at War ; or to his Majefty's Lieutenant Letters and Packets fent General, or other Chief Governor or Governors of Ireland, and his or their Chief Secretary, his or (°^f toPlacesin their Secretary for the Provinces of Uljier and Munjier in that Kingdom, his or their Secretary re- during the Seffion there fiding always in Great Britain, the Under Secretary and Firft Clerk in the Office in Ireland of the or vithin40Days be- faid Chief Secretary, the Firft Clerk in the Office in Ireland of the faid Secretary for the Provinces fore or after Summons of Ulfter and Munjier ; or to his Majefty's Poft Mafter General, or to the Deputy of the Poft Ma- or p f° r °g a tion, figned iter General, for that Part of Great Britain 'called Scotland, for the Kingdom of Ireland, or for his ^Mh^fZi^ _,. Packets to the Lord High Treafurer, or Commiffioners, and Secretaries to the Treafury ; Lord High Admiral, Commiffioners and Secretaries to the Admiralty ; Principal Secreta- ries of State, and their Under Secretaries ; Commiffioners for Trade and Plantations, or their Secretary ; Secretary at War, or his Deputv ; Lieutenant General or other Chief Governor or Governors of Ireland ; or their Chief Secretary, or Secretary for the Provinces of Ulfter and Munfter ; their Secretary refidin» in Great Britain ; the Under Secretary, and Firft Clerk, in the Office in Ireland of the Chief Secretary, and the Firft Clerk in the Office of the Secretary' for Ulfter and Munfter,. the Poftmafter General, or Deputy foi Scotland, Ireland, and America ; Vol. IX. A a Majefty's
