THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 4TMи DECEMBER, 1886.
16. When any packet is delivered to the Post Office and has thereby become liable to postage, and evidence is ad- duced to the satisfaction of the Postmaster General that such packet has been delivered to the Post Office by mis- take, the Postmaster General may cause such packet to be opened in the presence of an officer in the Post Office, and may return the same without charge to the person inter- ested; unless such packet is found to contain any letter or manuscript liable to postage; in which case the Postmaster General shall retain the packet until he is paid the full rato of postage chargeable upon such letter or manuscript.
17. After any correspondence has been delivered to the Post Office, no person employed by or under the Post Office shall, except in the cases above mentioned, open the same or delay its transmission, or return the same to any personę or procure or suffer the same to be opened, delayed, or ros turned, unless he is authorised by express warrant in writing under the hand of the Governor, or the British Consul a the port.
The Governor, or the British Consul at the port, may at his discretion grant such warrants for opening or returning any specified letter or other article of correspondence.
Despatch and Receipt of Mails.
જે,
18. Every master of a vessel shall, immediately on arrival, and before reporting at the Harbour Office, deliver to the Post Office all letter bags and correspondence on board, except such as are exempt by law. Should such vessel be put in quarantine the master shall deliver all such letter bags and correspondence to any person authorised by the Postmaster General to receive them, or may deliver them to the Health Officer.
19. The Postmaster General shall pay to every master of a vessel, not being a contract packet, a gratuity of two cents for every letter, and one cent for every other article of correspondence delivered by him to the Post Office; No gratuity shall be payable
(1) For a second transmission of any correspondence; (2) On correspondence delivered to any Post Office to
be thence transmitted by contract packet; (3) On correspondence the gratuity on which is certi- fied by the despatching office to have been paid. (4) The gratuity payable on letters transmitted between Hongkong, Canton, and Macao, in either direc- tion, shall be ont cent only,
20. The Postmaster General may pay like gratuities to any master of a vessel leaving Hongkong on every article of correspondence delivered to, such master from the Post Office, or certified by the Post Office of destination to have been duly received from him.
21. The powers of the Governor in Council as defined and regulated by sections 8 and 9 of this Ordinance, shall equally apply to the rates of gratuity to be paid to ship inasters for tho delivery of nails, either generally or in particular cases. The gratuities fixed by any Order in Council under this section shall not be less on the average than tho sums otherwise required by this Ordinance to be paid.
22. Every master of a vessel who receives such gratuities or to whom such gratuities have been credited in the ac- counts of the Postinuster General shall be hold to have made a contract with the Postmaster General that, in con- sideration of the gratuities so paid, he will duly deliver all letter bags and correspondence received from the Post Office to the persons to whom the same are addressed immediately on his arrival in port, without wilful or avoidablo delay and that if he fail in any respect to perform his said contract he will pay to the Postmaster Genoral the sum of five hundred dollars as liquidated damages for the breach of his said contract.
23. Every person or firm proposing to despatch a vossel to any port or place out of this Colony, excepting vessels plying daily or on fixed days to Macao or to places on the Canton River, shall, so soon as he has arranged the time for the departure of such vessel, give the first intimation of such proposed departure to the Postmaster General, and
Portage may be remitted on packris not containing lettors if ment in mistake.
Warrants for opening or returning core rospondence.
Delivery of mails.
Gratuities to masters of Vessels inwards.
Gratuition co MARBLOTS OF VÕSUBİS outwards.
Rates of gratuity.
Damages for non-delivery
of mail!
Porzona
proposing to despatch vessels to give notice to the Footmasser tionsral,
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