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Postage Act 1794
(34 Geo 3 c.18, 28th March 1794)

An Act for granting Rates of Postage for the Conveyance of Letters and Packets between Great Britain and the Islands of Jersey and Guernsey, and within those Islands.
[28th March 1794.]

'WHEREAS it has been found necessary for the Convenience and Improvement of Trade and Commerce, and for the more speedy Conveyance of Letters and Packets between Great Britain and the Islands of Jersey and Guernsey, and from thence to the Islands of Alderney and Sark, to establish one or more Packet Boats between the Port of Weymouth in the County of Dorset or such other Port in Great Britain, as His Majesty's Postmaster General for the time being shall appoint, and the Ports of Jersey and Guernsey or one of them;' Be it therefore enacted by the King's Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the Advice and Consent os the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the Authority of the same, That it shall and may be lawful to and for His Majesty's Postmaster General, and his Deputy and Deputies by him thereunto sufficiently authorised, to and for the Use of His Majesty, his Heirs and Successors, at any time after the passing of this Act, to demand, have, receive and take for the Port and Conveyance of all and every the Letters and Packets that shall be carried or conveyed by Packet Boats from or to the Port of Weymouth aforesaid, or from or to any other convenient Port in the Kingdom of Great Britain, to or from any of the Ports of Jersey and Guernsey aforesaid or either of them, and to or from the Ports of Jersey from or to the Ports of Guernsey, (over and above all other Rates payable for such Letters or Packets) according to the Rates and Sums in Sterling Money hereafter mentioned, the same being rated either by the Letter or by the Ounce; that is to say,

For every Single Letter two Pence:
For every Double Letter four Pence:
For every Treble Letter six Pence:
And for every Ounce eight Pence:
And so in proportion for every Packet of Deeds, Writs or other things.
[Additional Rates, 45 G.3. c.11. §1.]

II. And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That it shall and may be lawful to and for His Majesty's Postmaster General, at any time after the passing of this Act, to establish Post Offices and Post Roads within the said Islands of Jersey and Guernsey or any of them, wherever it shall appear to him to be necessary and convenient for the Benefit of Trade and Correspondence so to do; and that it shall and may be lawful for such Postmaster General and his Deputy and Deputies by him thereunto sufficiently authorized to and for the Use of His Majesty, his Heirs and Successors, to demand, have, receive and take for the Inland Port- or Conveyance of- all Letters and Packets, sent or conveyed by the Post within the said Islands of Jersey and Guernsey, or any or either of them, such Rates of Postage, in proportion, to the Number of Miles or Stages such Letters and Packets are carried or conveyed by. the Post, ,as now are respectively settled, established and ascertained, to be paid for the Inland Port or Conveyance of Letters and Packets, within that Part of Great Britain called England.

III. And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That, from and after the Establishment of one or more Packet Boats, between Great Britain and the said Islands of Jersey and Guernsey, all and every the Clauses, Provisions, Powers, Privileges, Advantages, Disabilities, Penalties and Methods for the Recovery of the fame, and all other matters and things contained in an Act, made in the ninth Year of the Reign of her late Majesty Queen Anne, intituled, An Act for establishing a General Post Office for all Her Majesty's Dominions, and for settling a weekly Sum out of the Revenue thereof, for the Service of the War, and other Her Majesty's Occasions (and not repealed or altered by any subsequent Law); as also in an Act made in the sixth Year of the Reign of His Majesty King George the First, intituled, An Act for preventing Frauds and Abuses in the public Revenues of Excise, Customs, Stamp Duties, Post Office, and House Money, so far as the said Act relates to the Post Office; as also in an Act made in the twenty sixth Year of His late Majesty King George the Second, intituled, An Act for the more effectually preventing the fraudulent Removal of Tobacco, by Land or Water, and for the Ease of the fair Trader in Tobacco, and for ascertaining the Rates payable for the Portage of certain Letters, and for amending and explaining the Laws relating to the Sale of Spirituous Liquors by Retail, so far as the said Act relates to the Post Office; as also in 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; as also in an Act made in the fifth Year of the Reign of His present Majesty, intituled, An Act to alter certain Rates of Postage, and to amend, explain and enlarge several Provisions in an Act, made in the ninth Year of the Reign of Queen Anne, and in other Acts relating to the Revenue of the Post Office; as also in an Act, made in the seventh Year of the Reign of His present Majesty, intituled, An Act for amending certain Laws relating to the Revenue of the Post Office; and for granting Rates of Postage for the Conveyance of Letters and Packets between Great Britain and the Isle of Man, and within that Island; as also in an Act made in the twenty second Year of the Reign of His present Majesty, intituled, An Act to enable the Commander in Chief of His Majesty's Forces, and the Secretary to the Commander in Chief of His Majesty's Forces, to send and receive Letters and Packets free from the Duty of Postage; as also in an Act made in the twenty third Year of the Reign of His present Majesty, intituled, An Act to enable the Adjutant General of His Majesty's Forces, and the Comptrollers of Army Accounts, to send and receive Letters and Packets free from the Duty of Postage; and likewise in an Act made in the twenty fourth Year of the Reign of His present Majesty, intituled, An Act for granting to His Majesty certain additional Rates of Postage for Conveyance of Letters and Packets by the Post within the Kingdom of Great Britain, for preventing Frauds in the Revenue, carried on by the Conveyance of certain Goods in Letters and Packets, and for further preventing Frauds and Abuses in relation to the sending and receiving of Letters and Packets free from Postage, or in any other Act relating to the Post Office, shall extend and be deemed and construed to extend to the said Islands of Jersey and Guernsey, and to each and every of them, and to all His Majesty's Subjects within the same Isles, as fully and effectually in every respect, as if the said several Isles, and His Majesty's Subjects therein, had been expressly included in the said several Acts or in any of them.

IV. And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That the Surplus which shall remain at the End of each Quarter, of all Monies arising by the said Rates and Duties by this Act granted, after defraying the additional Expence of conveying Letters between this Kingdom and the Islands of Guernsey and Jersey, shall be and be deemed part of the Revenue of the General Letter Office or Post Office, or Office of Postmaster General, and shall be carried to and made part of the Consolidated Fund.

V. And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That if any Person or Persons shall be sued, molested or prosecuted, for anything done by virtue or in pursuance of this Act, such Person, or Persons shall and may plead the General Issue, and give this Act and the Special Matter in Evidence in his, her or their Defence or Defences: and if afterwards a Verdict shall pass for the Defendant or Defendants, or the Plaintiff or Plaintiffs shall discontinue his, her or their Action or Prosecution, or be nonsuited, or Judgment shall be given against him, her or them, upon Demurrer or otherwise, then such Defendant or Defendants shall have Treble Costs awarded to him, her or them, against such Plaintiff or Plaintiffs.