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Postage Act 1813
(53 Geo 3 c. 58, 3rd June 1813)

An Act to repeal certain Rates and Duties upon Letters and Packets sent by the Post from or to Dublin, to or from the several Post Towns in Ireland, and to grant other Rates and Duties in lieu thereof; and to make further Regulations for securing the Duties on Letters and Packets sent by the Post in Ireland.
[3d June 1813]

'WHEREAS it is expedient to alter the Rates and Duties now in force on the Postage and Conveyance of Letters and Packets sent by the Post, so far as relates to the Rates from Dublin to the several Post Towns in Ireland, and from the several Post Towns in Ireland to Dublin; and to grant other Rates and Duties in lieu thereof:' May it therefore please Your Majesty that it may be enacted; and 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, That, from and after the Expiration of Ten Days after the passing of this Act, all and singular the Rates and Duties now in force upon or for the Portage, Postage and Conveyance of Letters and Packets by the Post from Dublin to the several Post Towns in Ireland, and from the several Post Towns in Ireland to Dublin, shall cease and determine; and that, from and after the Expiration of Ten Days after the passing of this Act, it shall and may be lawful to and for the Postmaster or Postmasters General of Ireland for the time being, and his or their Deputy or Deputies, Servants and Agents, to and for the Use of His Majesty, his Heirs and Successors, to demand, have, receive and take for the Portage, Postage and Conveyance of all Letters and Packets which he or they shall convey, carry or send Post from the General Post Office in Dublin to the several Post Towns in Ireland, or from the several Post Towns in Ireland to the General Post Office in Dublin, according to the several Rates and Sums of Money Irish Currency hereinafter mentioned; that is to say,

For the Port and Conveyance of every Single Letter or Piece of Paper, where the Distance of the Post Town to or from which such Letter or Piece of Paper shall be sent, shall not exceed Ten Miles Irish Measure from the Post Office in Dublin, the Sum of Two pence:

Where such Distance shall exceed Ten Miles, and shall not exceed Twenty Miles, the Sum of Three pence:

Where such Distance shall exceed Twenty Miles, and shall not exceed Thirty Miles, the Sum of Four pence:

Where such Distance shall exceed Thirty Miles, and shall not exceed Forty Miles, the Sum of Five pence:

Where such Distance shall exceed Forty Miles, and shall not exceed Fifty Miles, the Sum of Six pence:

Where such Distance shall exceed Fifty Miles, and shall not exceed Sixty Miles, the Sum of Seven pence:

Where such Distance shall exceed Sixty Miles, and shall not exceed Eighty Miles, the Sum of Eight pence:

Where such Distance shall exceed Eighty Miles, and shall not exceed One hundred Miles, the Sum of Nine pence:

And where such Distance shall exceed One hundred Miles, the Sum of Ten pence:

And for the Port and Conveyance of every Double Letter, Double the said Sums respectively:

And for every Treble Letter, Treble the said Sums respectively:

And for every Ounce in Weight, and for every Packet not exceeding One Ounce in Weight, Four times the said Sums respectively, and so in Proportion for any greater Weight than One Ounce, reckoning every Quarter of an Ounce equal to a Single Letter.

'II. And whereas an Act was passed in the Parliament of Ireland in the Twenty third and Twenty fourth Years of His present Majesty's Reign, for establishing a Post Office within Ireland, and the Fines, Penalties and Forfeitures therein and thereby inflicted and made recoverable against all Persons whatsoever, or Bodies Politic (other than such Postmaster General as should from time to time be nominated and appointed as in the said Act is mentioned, and his Deputies, Servants or Agents), carrying conveying or delivering any Letters or Packets by Sea or Land, or on any River or Canal within Ireland, are found to be totally inadequate to put a stop to or check the Conveyance of Letters and Packets by Persons not duly or legally authorized thereto, by which the Duties arising from the Portage and Conveyance of Letters and Packets sent by the Post in Ireland are greatly injured and diminished;' Be it therefore enacted, That no Person or Persons whatsoever, or Body Politic or Corporate, in any Part of Ireland, other than such Postmaster General as shall from time to time be nominated and appointed as in the said recited Act of the Twenty third and Twenty fourth Years aforesaid is mentioned, and his Deputy or Deputies, Servants or Agents, or other Persons acting under the said recited Act, shall receive, take up, order, dispatch, carry or recarry, convey or deliver, any Letter or Packet (other than as in the said recited Act is excepted), or make any Collection of Letters or Packets, or set up or employ any Foot Post, Horse Post, Stage Coach, Packet Boat or other Carriage, Vessel or Boat, or other Person or Persons, Conveyance or Conveyances whatsoever, for the receiving, taking up, ordering, dispatching, carrying, recarrying or conveying, or delivering, any Letter or Packet, by Sea or by Land, or on any River or Canal, or in any Stage Coach, Diligence or Public Carriage or Conveyance whatsoever, within Ireland, whereby or by means whereof any Letter or Letters, or Packet of Letters, shall be collected, received, taken up, ordered, dispatched, conveyed, carried, recarried or delivered by Sea or Land, or on any River or Canal, or in any Stage Coach, Diligence or Public Carriage within Ireland (other than as before excepted), on Pain of forfeiting the Sum of Ten Pounds for every Offence against the Tenor of this present Act, on being thereof convicted by the Oath of One credible Witness before any Justice of the Peace, which Oath any Justice is hereby empowered to administer, and also the Sum of One hundred Pounds for every Week that any Offender against this Act shall receive, take up, order, dispatch, convey, carry, recarry or deliver, or be in the Habit of receiving, taking up, ordering, dispatching, conveying, carrying, recarrying or delivering any Letter or Letters, or Packet of Letters, by Sea or Land, or on any River or Canal, or in any Stage Coach, Diligence or Public Carriage and Conveyance whatsoever within Ireland (other than as before excepted); or shall set up, continue or employ any Foot Post, Horse Post, Stage Coach, Diligence or other Public Coach or Conveyance, Driver or Packet Boat, or other Vessel or Boat, or any Person or Persons, Conveyance or Conveyances whatsoever, for the receiving, taking up, ordering, dispatching, conveying, carrying, recarrying or delivering, of any Letter or Packet of Letters, by Sea or by Land, or by any Stage Coach, Diligence or Public Carriage or Conveyance, or on any River or Canal within Ireland as aforesaid; and that it shall and may be lawful to and for such Postmaster General of Ireland, as shall from time to time be nominated as aforesaid, and his Deputy or Deputies, Servants or Agents acting under his Authority, at all times between Sun-rise and Sun-set, to enter all Houses, Buildings, Carriages, Boats, Vessels and Conveyances whatsoever, and to search for all such Letters and Packets as upon Information given on Oath before a Magistrate, he or they may have reason to suspect shall be illegally carried, conveyed or contained therein; and that if any Person or Persons driving any such Carriages and Conveyances, or navigating such Vessels or Boats, or the Proprietors thereof respectively, or the Owners or Inhabitants of any such Houses or Buildings, shall neglect or refuse to admit such Postmaster General, his Deputies, Servants or Agents, every such Person so neglecting or refusing as aforesaid, on being thereof convicted by the Oath of One credible Witness, before any Justice of the Peace, which Oath any Justice is hereby empowered to administer, shall forfeit the Sum of Ten Pounds, One Moiety of each and every of which Penalties shall be paid to the Informer, and the other Moiety shall be paid and payable to the said Postmaster General or his Deputy or Treasurer, in Trust for His Majesty, his Heirs and Successors; and if the said Fines respectively shall not be forthwith paid on Conviction, it shall and may be lawful for such Justice to commit such Offender to the House of Correction, there to remain and be consined to hard Labour for any time not exceeding Twenty one Days, nor less than Fourteen Days, unless such Penalty or Forfeiture shall be sooner paid.

III. And be it further enacted, That the said Rates and Duties hereby granted shall be paid and payable in Irish Currency, and shall be raised, levied, collected, managed, recovered and applied under such and the like Powers and Authorities, Rules, Regulations and Restrictions, Penalties and Forfeitures, and subject to the like Provisions, Exemptions and Exceptions and Privileges, as are mentioned, expressed and contained in an Act made in the Forty third Year of the Reign of His present Majesty, intituled An Act for granting to His Majesty certain Rates and Duties upon Letters and Packets sent by the Post within Ireland; and also in an Act made in the Fiftieth Year of the Reign of His present Majesty, intituled An Act to grant to His Majesty certain additional Duties upon Letter and Packets sent by the Post within Ireland; or in any other Act or Acts in force in Ireland relating to the Rates and Duties on Letters and Packets sent by the Post within Ireland; and that all and every the Clauses, Matters and Things in the said recited Acts of the Forty third and Fiftieth Years aforesaid, mentioned, expressed and contained, or in any other Act or Acts in force in Ireland relating to the Rates and Duties of Postage, shall be applied and extended, and shall be construed to apply and extend to this present Act, save only so far as respects the Amount of Duties under the said Acts, or any of them, and save and except so far as the said Acts, or any of them, are altered or repealed by this Act.

IV. And be it further enacted, That this Act may be altered, amended or repealed by any Act to be made in this present Session of Parliament.