Post Office Act 1806
(46 Geo 3 c.83, 12th July 1806)

An Act for the better Regulation of the Office of Receiver General of the Post Office in England.
[12th July 1806]

'WHEREAS it is expedient that Regulations should be established by Law in the Post Office, that all Monies, Bills, and Drafts received on Account of the Revenue under the Management of the General Post Office, should be lodged in the Bank of England, and that all Payments previous to its being carried into the Exchequer should be made by Drafts on the Bank:' 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 Fifth Day of July One thousand eight hundred and six, all Sums of Money, Bills, and Drafts, received by the Receiver General of the Post Office, on Account of the Revenue under the Management of the General Post Office, shall, the Day after the same shall have been received, or the Day after any Bill shall have been accepted (if the same was not accepted at the Time it was received by the Receiver General) be paid by him into the Hands of the Governor and Company of the Bank of England, for which the Receipt of the Cashier or Cashiers of the said Governor and Company shall be a sufficient Discharge; and all such Monies, Bills, and Drafts so to be paid to the Governor and Company of the Bank of England, shall be placed to an Account to be raised in the Books of the said Governor and Company, and to be intituled, The Account of the Publick Monies of the Receiver General of the Post Office, inserting the Name of such Receiver General for the Time being.

II. Provided nevertheless, and be it further enacted, That it shall be lawful for the Receiver General of the Post Office from Time to Time to retain in his Hands, out of the Monies received by him as such Receiver General, such Sums of Money, not exceeding the Sum of Three hundred Pounds in each Week (unless any larger Sum shall be allowed to be retained with the Permission in Writing of any Three or more of the Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury) as the Post Master General shall from Time to Time direct for the making of Payments of Tradesmen's Bills, and casual and ordinary and small Disbursements.

III. And be it further enacted, That the Governor and Company of the Bank of England, or some Person duly authorized in that Behalf, shall daily upon receiving any Money, Bills, or Drafts from the Receiver General of the Post Office, make an Entry of the Money, Bills, and Drafts so received, in a Book to be provided and sent for that Purpose by the Receiver General of the Post Office, which shall be forthwith returned to the Post Office, and inspected daily after its Return by the Accountant General of the Post Office, or his Deputy, who shall compare the same with the Book kept by such Accountant General, for the Purpose of seeing that the Receiver General constantly pays into the Bank all the Money, Bills, and Drafts, which he ought to do under the Provisions of this Act; and any Default which such Accountant General or his Deputy may discover in that Behalf, shall be immediately reported to the Postmaster General.

IV. And be it further enacted, That the weekly Payments into the Exchequer of the Monies arising by the Duties under the Management of the Post Office pursuant to Law, shall be made in Manner following, (that is to say) the said Receiver General shall make an Order upon the Governor and Company of the Bank of England to write off from his Account the Sum desired, which Order shall be countersigned by the Accountant General of the Post Office or his Deputy, and the said Governor and Company or some Person duly authorized in that Behalf, shall upon Receipt of such Order write off such Sum and deliver a spoiled or cancelled Note for the Amount to the Receiver General or his Clerk, who shall pay the same into the Exchequer; and the Bank Clerks attending there shall receive the same as so much Cash.

V. And be it further enacted, That the said Receiver General shall make all other Payments required to be made out of the Monies to be deposited in the Bank of England by Drafts on the said Bank, which Drafts shall be countersigned by the Accountant General of the Post Office, or his Deputy, and shall specify the particular Service, Salary, or other Charge or Expence, for the Payment whereof the said Draft was given; and every such Draft shall also have marked in the Margin thereof a Figure corresponding to the Page in a Book to be kept by the said Receiver General, wherein Entry shall be made of the particular Service, Salary, or other Charge or Expence, for the Payment of which such Draft shall be given.

VI. And be it further enacted, That all Drafts drawn pursuant to any of the Directions of this Act but not otherwise, shall be sufficient Authority to the Bank of England to pay the Amount thereof to the Persons mentioned in such Drafts, or to the Bearer of them.

VII. And be it further enacted, That upon the Death, Resignation, or Removal of the present and of every other Receiver General of the Post Office hereafter to be appointed, the Balance of for which he shall at that Time have Credit on his Account as Receiver General with the Governor and Company of the Bank of England, shall, as soon as a Successor shall be appointed to the said Office, actually vest in such Successor in Trust for the Service of the Publick, and be forthwith transferred, carried over, and placed to the Account of such Successor, to be applied to the said Service in pursuance of the like Drafts and Orders as aforesaid; and the Receiver General for the Time being shall and he is hereby directed and required to issue his Drafts and Orders as aforesaid for all unsatisfied Charges and Demands on Account of the Publick Services, although the same shall have accrued in the Time of any former Receiver General.

VIII. And be it further enacted, That from and after the Fifth Day of July One thousand eight hundred and six, the Receiver General of the Post Office for the Time being, shall keep the Account with the Bank of all Monies issued on his Account for the Service of the Publick; and the said Receiver General, observing the Rules and Regulations hereby prescribed, shall not be answerable for any Money which he shall have so paid into the Bank of England ; and the Governor and Company of the Bank of England shall be answerable for all the Monies which shall be actually received by them as aforesaid from the Receiver General of the Post Office.

IX. And be it further enacted, That if any Person or Persons shall knowingly and wilfully forge or counterfeit, or cause or procure to be forged or counterfeited, or knowingly and wilfully act or assist in forging or counterfeiting the Name or Hand Writing of the Receiver General of the Post Office for the Time being, or his Clerk, to any Draft, Instrument, or Writing whatsoever, for or in order to the receiving or obtaining any of the Money in the Hands or Custody of the Governor and Company of the Bank of England, on Account of the Receiver General of the Post Office, or shall forge or counterfeit, or cause or procure to be forged or counterfeited, or knowingly and wilfully act or assist in the forging or counterfeiting any Draft, Instrument, or Writing, in Form of a Draft made by such Receiver General or his Deputy, or shall utter or publish any such, knowing the same to be forged or counterfeited, with an Intention to defraud any Person whomsoever, or any Corporation, every such Person or Persons so offending, being thereof lawfully convicted, shall be and is and are hereby declared and adjudged to be guilty of Felony, and shall suffer Death as in Cases of Felony, without Benefit of Clergy.

'Act may be altered this Session, ∥ 10.'