Post Office Act 1908
| Jurisdiction | UK Non-devolved |
| Citation | 1908 c. 48 |
| Year | 1908 |
Post Office Act, 1908.
(8 Edw. 7.) CHAPTER 48.
An Act to consolidate Enactments relating to the Post Office.
[21st December 1908]
Be it 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, as follows:
Duties of Postage.
Duties of Postage.
1 Postal packets subject to charge.
1. Subject to the provisions of this Act, there shall be charged by the Postmaster-General for the use of His Majesty the King on all postal packets which are conveyed or delivered for conveyance by post under the authority of the Postmaster-General such postage and other sums as may be fixed in manner provided by this Act.
2 Power of Treasury to fix rates of postage.
(1) The Treasury may, by warrant, fix the rates of postage and other sums to be charged in respect of postal packets under this Act, and regulate the scale of weights and the circumstances according to which those rates and sums are to be charged, and the power of the Postmaster-General, with or without the consent of the Treasury, to remit any such rates or sums: Provided that—
(a ) The lowest rate of postage in the British Islands for an inland letter shall not be less than one penny; and
(b ) The highest rate of postage in the British Islands when prepaid—
(i) for an inland post card shall not exceed one halfpenny; or, if it is a reply post card (that is to say, a post card of such a description that the person receiving it through the post can, without further payment, again transmit the same or part thereof through the post), double that sum; and
(ii) for an inland book packet shall not exceed one halfpenny for every two ounces in weight, or for any fractional part of two ounces over and above the first or any additional two ounces; and
(iii) for each inland registered newspaper, whether with or without a supplement or supplements, and whether single or in a packet of two or more, shall not exceed one halfpenny; but
(iv) for an inland packet of two or more registered newspapers, with or without a supplement or supplements, shall not exceed the prepaid postage for an inland book packet of the same weight; and
(c ) The highest rate of prepaid postage on a single newspaper sent by post between the British Islands and places out of the British Islands or between places out of the British Islands whether through the British Islands or not, shall not exceed threepence, exclusive of any additional charge made by any British possession or any foreign country:
(d ) warrant under this section may fix special rates for postal packets consisting of books and papers impressed for the use of the blind, and may specify any special conditions and regulations in respect of the transmission by post of such packets.
(2) Where an inland letter or packet (other than votes or parliamentary proceedings) in the British Islands is not prepaid, or is insufficiently prepaid, the postage charged on the letter or packet shall, subject to any warrant of the Treasury under this Act, be double the amount, if the letter or packet is not prepaid, of the postage otherwise chargeable thereon, and, if it is insufficiently prepaid, of the deficiency.
(3) Post Office regulations may determine—
(a ) what circulars or what commercial, legal, and other similar documents; and
(b ) what marks or indications referring to the contents of a registered newspaper, when written or printed on the newspaper or on the cover thereof,
shall not be charged with postage as letters.
(4) Post Office regulations may make provisions respecting the re-direction of postal packets, and the transmission of postal packets so re-directed, either free of charge or subject to such postage as may be specified in the regulations.
3 Payment of postage by addressee or sender.
(1) Where the postage or any other sum chargeable on any postal packet is not prepaid by the sender or is insufficiently prepaid, the postage or sum, or the deficiency, as the case may be, shall be paid by the person to whom the postal packet is addressed (in this Act styled the addressee) on the delivery thereof to him; or, if the postal packet is refused, or the addressee is dead or cannot be found, by the sender.
(2) Where the postage or any other sum chargeable on a postal packet has not been prepaid or has been insufficiently prepaid by the sender, and the addressee on receiving the packet and paying the postage or other sum, or the deficiency, as the case may be, desires to reject it, and to compel the sender thereof to pay the postage or other sum, or the deficiency, as the case may be, the Postmaster-General, on the application of the addressee, and subject to Post Office regulations, may charge the postage or other sum, or the deficiency, as the case may be, to the sender, with the additional postage of returning the packet to him, and in every such case the sender of the postal packet shall pay the postage or other sum chargeable on sending the packet, or the deficiency, as the case may be, and also the postage of returning the packet, and on the payment thereof by the sender the amount paid in respect of postage by the addressee shall be repaid to him by the Postmaster-General.
(3) Provided that nothing in this section shall release the addressee from his liability to pay the postage or other sum chargeable on a packet or any deficiency thereon on the delivery thereof to him.
4 Power of Treasury to carry into effect postal arrangements with foreign states.
4. Where an arrangement has, either before or after the passing of this Act, been made by His Majesty with any foreign state with respect to the conveyance by post of any postal packets between the British Islands and places out of the British Islands, or between places out of the British Islands whether through the British Islands or not, the Treasury may, by warrant, make such regulations as may seem to them necessary for carrying the arrangement into effect, and may make provisions as to the charges for the transit of postal packets, single or in bulk, and the scale of weights to be adopted, and the accounting for and paving over to any foreign state of any money received by the Postmaster-General.
5 Postage on petitions and addresses to His Majesty or to Parliament, and on votes and parliamentary proceedings.
(1) Petitions and addresses forwarded to His Majesty by post shall be exempt from postage.
(2) Members of each House of Parliament may receive by post petitions and addresses to His Majesty, and petitions addressed to either House of Parliament, not exceeding thirty-two ounces in weight, exempt from postage, provided those petitions and addresses are sent without covers, or in covers open at the sides
(3) Where in the British Islands any votes or parliamentary proceedings are sent by post addressed to places in the British Islands and are not prepaid, or are insufficiently prepaid, the postage charged on them shall, subject to any warrant of the Treasury under this Act, be, if they have not been prepaid, the postage which would otherwise be chargeable on them, and, if they have been insufficiently prepaid, the deficiency in the postage.
6 Exemption of letters of seamen and soldiers.
(1) Any of the privileged persons herein-after mentioned may send and receive letters, not exceeding half an ounce in weight, by post, or by private ships between the British Islands and places beyond the seas, on their own private concerns, at a postage of one penny for each letter when prepaid, subject in the case of letters sent by private ship to the payment of the gratuities payable to the master of the ship.
(2) The enjoyment of the privilege shall be subject to the following provisions:—
(a ) The postage of any such letters sent by a privileged person (unless sent from parts beyond the sea) must be duly prepaid on the letter being posted:
(b ) In the case of letters sent by a privileged person the name of the writer and his class or description in the vessel, regiment, corps, or detachment, to which he belongs must appear with the direction on the letter, and the name of the vessel, regiment, corps, or detachment, to which the privileged person belongs, and the signature of the officer commanding it, must be written on the letter by the said officer in his own handwriting:
(c ) The postage on any such letter to be received by a privileged person (unless sent from parts beyond the sea) must have been duly prepaid on the letter being posted:
(d ) Any such letter to be received by a privileged person must be directed to that person, and the vessel, regiment, corps, or detachment to which he belongs must be specified in the direction:
(e ) Any such letter to be received by a privileged person must not be delivered to any person except the privileged person to whom it is addressed, or to some person authorised in writing to receive the letter by the officer in command:
(f ) Where any such letters are sent or received by privileged persons from parts beyond the seas and the postage of one penny is not prepaid, every such letter shall be charged to the party receiving the letter with the postage of twopence.
(3) A Treasury warrant under this Act with respect to rates of postage shall, if necessary provide for the delivery of letters of privileged persons on their own private affairs (not exceeding, in the case of privileged...
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