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Postage Act 1806
(46 Geo 3 c.73, 3rd July 1806)

An Act for the better Regulation of the Office of Receiver General of the Stamp Duties in England.
[ 3d July 1806 ]

WHEREAS it is expedient that Regulations should be established by Law, for depositing all the Monies, Bills and Drafts received on Account of the Revenue under the Management of the Commissioners of Stamps, except as hereinafter is mentioned, in the Bank of England, until the same shall be paid into the Exchequer, as now required by Law; Be it therefore enacted by the King's most Excellent Majesty, by and with 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, Drafts and Notes, which shall be received by the Receiver General of the Duties under the Management of the Commissioners Stamps, shall be paid by him into the Hands of the Governor and Company of the Bank of England; that is to say, the Money and Notes and such of the Bills and Drafts as shall be already accepted, or not require Acceptance, on the Day after the same shall be received, and such of the Bills and Drafts as shall require Acceptance, and not be already accepted when received, on the Day after the same shall be accepted; and all such Monies, Bills, Drafts and Notes shall be placed to an Account to be raised in the Books of the said Governor and Company, and to be entitled ” The Account of the Public Monies of the Receiver General of the Stamp Duties,” 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 said Receiver General 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 One thousand Pounds in each Week, unless any larger Sum shall be allowed in Writing by any Three or more of the Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury, as the Commissioners of Stamps shall from time to time direct, for the Payment of casual and ordinary Charges and Expences, payable out of the Revenue under the Management of the Commissioners of Stamps.

III. And be it further enacted, That the Governor and Company of the Bank of England, or some Person duly authorized by them in that Behalf, shall daily upon receiving any Money, Bills, Drafts or Notes from the Receiver General of Stamps, make an Entry of the Money, Bills, Drafts and Notes so received, in a Book to be provided for that Purpose, which Book shall be forthwith returned to the Stamp Office, and inspected daily after its Return by the Comptroller and Accountant General, or Deputy Comptroller and Accountant General of the Stamp Duties, who shall compare the same with the Books kept by him, for the Purpose of seeing that the Receiver General constantly pays into the Bank all the Money, Bills, Drafts and Notes, which he ought to do under the Provisions of this Act; and any Default which such Comptroller and Accountant General, or Deputy Comptroller and Accountant General, may discover in that Behalf, shall be immediately reported to the Commissioners of Stamps, who shall report the same, unless the same shall appear to them to have happened by Mistake or Inadvertence, to the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury.

IV. And be it further enacted, That the Weekly Payments into the Exchequer pursuant to Law, of the Monies arising from the Duties under the Management of the Commissioners of Stamps, shall be made in Manner following; (that is to say,) the said Receiver General, or One of his Clerks, to be deputed and authorized by Him for that Purpose, 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 in such Manner as the Lords of the Treasury shall direct, and the said Governor and Company, or some Person duly authorized in that Behalf, shall upon Receipt of such Order write off the Sum therein mentioned accordingly, and deliver a Note for the Amount (which for greater Security shall be cancelled) to the Bearer of such Order, who shall pay the same into the Exchequer, and the Bank Clerks, attending there to receive Monies paid into the Exchequer, shall receive such Note as so much Cash.

V. And be it further enacted, That for the Payment of Salaries, Incidents and other Charges and Expences, payable out of the Revenue under the Management of the Commissioners of Stamps, (and which the Money to be retained by the said Receiver General as before directed may be insufficient to pay,) it shall be lawful for the said Receiver General, or One of his Clerks, to be deputed and authorized by him for that Purpose, to draw out of the Bank of England, as Occasion may require, such Sum or Sums of Money as the Commissioners of Stamps shall from time to time allow and direct in that Behalf; and that every Draft or Order on the Bank for Money for any of the last mentioned Purposes, shall be countersigned in such Manner as the Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury shall direct, and shall specify the Head of Service for which the same shall be issued; and the said Receiver General shall from time to time account for the Monies so to be drawn by him or his Clerk out of the Bank, as well as for the Monies so to be retained by him as aforesaid, and for the Application thereof respectively, in such Manner as the Commissioners of Stamps, with the Approbation of the Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury, shall direct.

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 Stamp Duties hereafter to be appointed, the Balance of Cash 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 Public, 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 payable out of the aforesaid Revenue, although the same shall have accrued in the Time of any former Receiver General.

VIII. And be it further enacted, That from and after Fourteen Days after the passing of this Act, the Receiver General of the Stamp Duties for the time being shall keep the Account with the Bank of all Monies issued by and paid to the Bank on his Account for the Service of the Public; and the said Receiver General, observing the Rules and Regulations hereby prescribed, shall not be answerable for any Money, Bills, Drafts or Notes, 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, Bills, Drafts or Notes, which shall be actually received by them as aforesaid from the Receiver General of the Stamp Duties.

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 Stamp Duties for the time being, or of his Clerk, or of either of the Commissioners of Stamps, 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 Stamp Duties, 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 Clerk, or shall utter or publish any such, knowing the same to be forged or counterfeited, with Intention to defraud any Person whomsoever, 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 a Felon without Benefit of Clergy.

X And be it further enacted, That this Act may be altered, varied or repealed by any Act to be made in this present Session of Parliament Receiver General.

[ Receiver General of Stamp Duties to pay into Exchequer in the Manner directed by this Act, in respect of Payments into the Bank, 59 G.3. c.39. ]