Towns > Edinburgh > 1838-1846 - Post-Office annual directory and calendar > 1843-44

298
POSTAGE DIRECTORY.
unpaid, pass at these rates between places in the
United Kingdom as well as the Colonies, by
PACKET. To those planes to which there are no
psckets — New South Wales for instance — they
may be forwarded " by Private Ships, "at dodble
the above rates. They are not, however, for-
warded to the Enst Indies, via Falmouth and
Alfxaiidria, nor to places through France, under
the full rates of Letter Postage. The Postinaster-
General is authorized (if he shall see fit) to delay
the transmission of Printed Votes and Proceedings
in Parliament for any space not exceeding Twenty-
four hours from the time at which the same would
otherwise have been lorwarded.
Coin shouid not, unless in Registered Let-
ters, BE SENT BY PosT. — The great increase in the
number of Monet Letters having rendered it
impossible, without hazard to the punctual de-
spatch of the Mails, to continue the former prac-
tice of entering the addresses of sucl^ Letters, and
of taking receipts for them on delivery to the par-
ties to whom ihey were addressed ; >iich practice
being now adopted Id the case of Registered Let-
ters ONLY.
Bottles containing liquid, and other ar-
ticles OF A Brittle nature, should not be for-
waided through the Post, as they are almost
invariably broken either by the operation of stamp-
ing or by the friction of the Mail Coaches. It is,
besides, improper so to transmit such articles, as
by accidents to them the seals of Letters in the
bags may be damaged, the Letters mutilated, or
their Addresses entirely effaced. For similar rea-
sons, articles having sharp or hard edges should
not be transmitted through the post: and the Act
;5 and 4 Victoria, cap. 96, expressly directs that no
letter shall be sent by Post containing any explo-
sive OR OTHER dangerous MATERIAL OR SUB-
STANCE.
STAMPS.
The date shows when the letters were received
at the Post Office.
The circular stamp, at the back of the letter, is
used when the postage is to be paid on delivery,
or has been prepaid by stamps.
Ditto, on the face of the letter, with the word
" paid," when the postage has been paid at the
time of posting the letter.
Letters not to Be Delivered Back. — To pre-
vent the i^ossibility of Letters being surreptitiously
obtained from the Offices where put in, office-
keepers are strictly forbid returning, to any per-
sons whomsoever. Letters that may he applied lor,
under whatever circumstances the recovery may
be urged. This is, moreover, forbid by the esta-
blished principle, that the instant a letter is com-
mitted to the Post, it is no longer the property of
the Setide".
Penalties. — By the 1st Victoria, cap. 36, sec.
2, any peison illegally conveying Letters incurs
a penally of L.5 for every offence, and L.lOO for
every week the practice is continued. The Sender
also incur- a per.alty of L.5 for every offence, with
lull Costs cf Suit.
NEWSPAPERS AND SUPPLEMENTS TO
NEWSPAPERS.
It is not compulsory to send Newspapers or
Supplements to Newspapers by the Post, but
those that are intended to be so transmitted, are
entitled to pass free. All Newspapers must be
sent in covers, ojien at the sides, and no words or
communication may be printed on such papers
after the same shall have been published ; nor
must there be any writing or mwrks upon any
INewspaper, or the cover, other than the name and
address of the person to whom it is sent ; tior any
paper or thing enclosed or concealed in, or with
such Newspaper or the cuver, nor any printed
words or communication on the cover, except that
Newsvenders only may print iheir names and
addresses thereon. Newspapers may be examined
by the Officers of the Post Office; aiid if there be
any breach of the above regulations, the packet is
chargeable with treble the amount «>t postage which
a letter of the same weight would have been liable
to. And any person v^ho shall write or enclose
any thing in any Newspaper or the cover thereof,
or shall print any words or communication on a
Newspaper, after it shall have been published, lo
be sent by the Post; or any person who shall
knowingly send, or cause to be sent, by the Post,
a Newspaper, in respect of which any one of those
offences has been committed, may, at the optioit
of the Postmaster- General, be prosecuted as ior a
Misdemeanour.
Newspapers pass free by the Edinburgh Local
Posts, except in those cases where they shall be
posted and delivered within the limits, tor tlie
time being, of the General Post Delivery, when
the postage is one penny on each Newspaper.
*,* As the mere affixing a Newspaper Stamp
on anj new periodical publication will not enti le
it, as a matter of course, to pass free by the Post,
those who may be about to publish, for the first
time, any such paper, should submit a copy to the
Postmaster-General, in order that it may be de-
termined whether the puhlication is of a nature
that will entitle it to pass free of postage.
Clause of the Act of \st Victoria, cap. 34, sec. 3-.— •
" And be it further enacted, that in all cases in
which a question shall arise, whether a printed
Paper is entitled to the privileges of a Newspaper
or other Publication hereby privileged, so far as
respects the transmission thereof hy the Post un-
der the Post Office Acts, the question shall be
referred to the detei'mination of the Postmaster-
General, whose decision, with the concurrence of
the Lords of the Treasury, shall be final."
Newspapers from the British Colonies are de-
livered free of Postage at any place within the
British dominions: those for persons who may
have removed may be forwarded by Post, free of
charge, provided they have not been opt-ned at the
place to which they were originally addressed,
newspapers to the BRITISH COLONIES AND
FOREIGN parts.
Newspapers liable to the Stamp Duty may be
forwarded to the British Colonies and Possessions
by Her Majesty's Packet Boats, free of the duty of
Postage, piovided the same be duly stamped and
made up open at the ends, and put into any Post
Office within seven days alter the day of Publi-
cation. ^
Newspapers may also be forwarded to the Co-
lonies by Private Ships for a Postage of Otie
Penny each, to some Foreign Parts free, and to
others for a Postage of Twopence each^ to be paid
at the time of putting in, under the same regu-
lations as to date, <Sic.
Newspapers printed in the British Colonies,
brought to Great Britain or Ireland by Packet
Boats, if made up without covers, or i>i rovers
open at the ends, are delivered within the United
Kingdom free ol Postage.
Newspapers to the East Indies are forwarded
by the Packet r^'a Marseilles, on payment of Two-
perjce v^ith each. The Mail is made up in Lon-
don on the Fourth of every month, except it
happens to fall on a Sunday, when it is made up
on the following day.