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Army Prize Money Act 1814
(54 Geo 3 c.86, 14th July 1814)

An Act for regulating the Payment of Army Prize Money; and to provide for the Payment of unclaimed and forfeited Shares to Chelsea Hospital.
[14th July 1814]

Note: This is a long Act of 55 clauses and eight Schedules, laying out the rules for paying Army Prize Money. Only the preamble and two clauses below relate to postal matters (free franking on Chelsea Hospital business). As such, it seemed best to simply quote these.

'WHEREAS an Act passed in the Forty fifth Year of the Reign of His present Majesty, intituled An Act for the Encouragement of Seamen, and for the better and more effectually Manning His Majesty's Navy during the present War: And Whereas another Act passed in the Forty ninth Year of His Majesty's Reign, intituled An Act to explain and amend an Act made in the Forty fifth Year of His present Majesty, for Encouragement of Seamen, and for the better and more effectually Manning His Majesty's Navy during the present War; and for the further Encouragement of Seamen; and for the better and more effectually providing for the Interest of the Royal Hospital for Seamen, at Greenwich, and the Royal Hospital for Soldiers at Chelsea; and to extend the Provisions of the said Act to Cases arising in consequence of Hostilities commenced since the passing of the said Act : And Whereas another Act passed in the Fifty first Year of His Majesty's Reign, intituled An Act for extending and amending the Regulations now in force relative to the Payment of the Royal Hospital at Chelsea,of the forfeited and unclaimed Shares of Army Prize Money : And Whereas another Act passed in the Fifty second Year of His Majesty's Reign, intituled An Act for explaining, amending and extending the several Laws relative to the Payment of forfeited and unclaimed Shares of Army Prize Money to the Royal Hospital at Chelsea;and for directing the Mode of Making up the Accounts of Pensions paid to the Widows of Officers of the Army : And Whereas another Act passed in the Fifty third Year of His Majesty's Reign, intituled An Act to extend Two Acts of the Forty fifth and Forty ninth Years of His present Majesty, to American Prizes: And Whereas His Majesty hath of His Royal Munificence been graciously pleased by several Proclamations, to declare His Will and Pleasure to Five the Benefit of all Prizes taken during the Hostilities in which His Majesty is engaged to the Captors thereof, being in His Majesty's Service, or duly Commissioned, save as therein excepted: And Whereas it is expedient to make further Regulations for the Payment of Prize and other Monies to the Land Forces, and for the Interests of the said Royal Hospital at Chelsea; and it will greatly tend to the better Execution of such Provisions of the said Acts as relate to Prize and other Monies due and Payable to the Land Forces, and to the Rights and Interests of the Royal Hospital at Chelsea, and of such other Provisions as may be necessary in that behalf, that the whole thereof should be consolidated into One Act; and for that Purpose that the Provisions of the said recited Acts in that behalf made should be repealed;' 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 all and every the Provisions and Regulations, Clauses, Matters and Things in the said recited Acts or either of them contained, relative to Prize and other Monies, due and payable to the Land Forces, and to the Rights and Interests of the Royal Hospital at Chelsea, or in any way affecting or applicable to the said Royal Hospital, or the Governors, Directors, or other Officers thereof, shall be and the same are hereby repealed, save and except as to so much of the said Act of the Fifty second of His present Majesty as relates to the Payment of Widows Pensions and to Letters and Packets sent from the Office of the Paymaster General, being free of Postage, and save and except as to all Acts,Matters and Things done or required to be done under the said Acts or in pursuance of any of the Clauses or Provisions thereof, which shall be and are hereby declared to be as good, valid and effectual, and shall remain in as full force to all Purposes as if the same had been done under and in pursuance of the Provisions of this Act: Provided nevertheless, that nothing in this Act contained repealing, other Acts shall be held to revive any former Act or Acts, or Clauses thereof, by those other Acts repealed.

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XXXII. And be it further enacted, That all Letters or Packets addressed to the said Treasurer of the said Royal Hospital for the time being, upon any Business or Affairs relative to Prize Matters, or upon any other Business or Affairs of the said Royal Hospital, shall, from and after the passing of this Act, be freed from the Duty of Postage; and also that all Letters or Packets sent by the said Treasurer of the said Royal Hospital for the time being or his Deputy, upon such Business or Affairs as aforesaid, shall be sent free from the said Duty of Postage; and all Letters and Packets relating to the Matters aforesaid that shall be forwarded by the said Treasurer as aforesaid shall be under Cover, with the Words 'Pursuant to Act of Parliament, Fifty fourth George the Third,' printed upon the same; and the said Treasurer of the said Royal Hospital, or his Deputy, shall write his Name under the same; and they and each of them are and is hereby strictly prohibited from inclosing or sending under such Covers any Writing, Paper or Parcel whatsoever, excepting such as relate to the Business or Affairs of the said Royal Hospital.

XXXIII. And be it further enacted, That if any Treasurer or his Deputy shall send or convey, under any of the Covers aforesaid, any Writing, Paper or Parcel, other than those relating to the Business or Affairs of of the said Royal Hospital, the Person so offending shall, for every such Offence, forfeit and pay the Sum of One hundred Pounds.