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Postage Act 1783
(24 Geo 3 s.1 c.6)

An Act for establishing certain Regulations concerning the Portage and Conveyance of Letters and Packets by the Post between Great Britain and Ireland.

'WHEREAS by an Act made in the fourth Year of the Reign of his present Majesty, intituled, An Act for preventing Frauds and Abuses in relation to the sending and receiving of Letters, and Packets free from the Duty of Postage, it is, amongst other Things, enacted, That no Letters or Packets sent by the Post, to or from any Place whatsoever, shall be exempted from paying the Duty of Postage, except such Letters and Packets as are therein excepted : And whereas a Post-office in the Kingdom of Ireland is intended to be established, independent of that of Great Britain, in which Case it will be necessary that proper Regulations be made for carrying on the Correspondence by Post, between Great Britain and Ireland, and that no Letters or Packets (except in the Cases herein-after to be mentioned) should pass free of Postage from the one Kingdom to the other:' For which Purpose, may it 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, immediately from and after the Establishment of a General Post-office in Ireland, by the Authority of the Parliament of that Kingdom, so much. of the said Act, made in the fourth Year of the Reign of his present Majesty, as relates to Letters and Packets, printed Votes, Proceedings in Parliament, and printed Newspapers, passing by the Post free from the Duty of Postage, from Great Britain to Ireland, and from Ireland to Great Britain, shall be, and the same is hereby repealed.

'II. And whereas the Conveyance of Letters and Packets from Great Britain to Ireland, and from Ireland to Great Britain, is intended to be defrayed at the Expence of the Revenue of Great Britain,' be it therefore further enacted, That nothing herein contained shall deprive, or be construed to deprive, the Postmaster-general for the Time being, and his Deputies, of the Postage and Conveyance of Letters and Packets from Great Britain to Ireland, and from Ireland to Great Britain, or prevent the said Postmaster-general, and his Deputies, from demanding, having, receiving, and taking, for the Use of his Majesty, his Heirs and Successors, the Rates by any Act or Acts of Parliament payable for the same.

III. And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That it shall and may be lawful to and for his Majesty's Postmaster-general, and his Deputies, and he and they are hereby required to demand and receive, for the Port and Conveyance of all Letters and Packets for Great Britain, carried by the Post within any Part of Ireland, in Addition to the Rates of Postage hereby reserved, such further Rates of Postage as shall, upon the Establishment of a Post-office in Ireland, be charged for Conveyance of Letters and Packets therein, by any Act or Acts to be hereafter made by the Parliament of that Kingdom; and that his Majesty's Postmaster-general shall, and he is hereby authorised and required to account for and pay to the Revenue of the Post-office of Ireland, quarterly, such Postage so to accrue within the Kingdom of Ireland, and to be received within that or Great Britain.

IV. And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That, until the General Post-office of Ireland shall have established Packet Boats for the Port and Conveyance of Letters and Packets from Ireland to Great Britain, there shall be allowed in Account, from the General Letter-office or Post-Office in Great Britain, to the Revenue of the Post-office in Ireland, a Sum not exceeding four thousand Pounds per Annum, by quarterly Payments, in lieu as well of the Profits of the said Packets, as in Compensation for other Purposes.

V. And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That the Postmaster-general of Great Britain, and all and every other Person and Persons in whom the Buildings erected in Dublin, and known by the Name of The General Post-office in Ireland, are or shall be vested, shall, and he and they are hereby severally authorised and required, so soon as a Post office shall be established in Ireland, by Authority of the Parliament of that Kingdom, to assign over and convey to the Postmaster-general of Ireland for the Time being, for the Use of his Majesty, his Heirs and Successors, without any Consideration being paid for the same, all and singular the said Buildings, and all Right, Title, and Interest whatsoever, in and to the same.

VI. And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That it shall and may be lawful for his Majesty's Postmaster general for the Time being to authorise certain Persons to send and receive printed Votes, Proceedings in Parliament, and printed Newspapers, by the Post, to and from Great Britain and Ireland, at the Rate of one Penny only for each printed Vote and Proceeding in Parliament, and each printed Newspaper, over and above the printed Price thereon, to be carried to the Revenue of the Post-office of Great Britain; and all printed Votes and Proceedings in Parliament, and printed Newspapers, so sent and received, shall be free from any other Rate of Postage whatsoever.

VII. Provided, That it shall and may be lawful for any Person whatsoever to send any printed Votes, Proceedings in Parliament, and printed Newspapers, by the Post, to and from Great Britain and Ireland, at the Rate of one Penny only for the Carriage of each printed Vote and Proceeding in Parliament, and each printed Newspaper; such printed Votes, Proceedings, and printed Newspapers, when so sent, to be open at both Ends; the Penny required to be paid for the Carriage of the same to be paid when the said printed Votes, Proceedings in Parliament, and printed Newspapers, shall be put into the Post-office; which printed Votes, Proceedings in Parliament, and printed Newspapers, shall be marked Post paid, and the Money received thereon shall be carried to the Revenue of the Post-office of Great Britain.