THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 22nd MARCH, 1884.
regulations made thereunder, the decision thereon of the Postmaster General shall be final, provided that the Governor may, if he thinks. fit, on the application of any person interested, reverse or modify such decision, and order accordingly.
13. All correspondence which arrives in this Colony fully paid according to the rates in force for the time being shall be delivered or transmitted from the Post Office without further charge.
14. All letters received or sent by sailors or soldiers of Her Majesty's seu or land forces shall be charged with such reduction in the rates of postage as is allowed to them by any Act of the Imperial Parliament.
15. The Governor may, from time to time, provide proper postage stamps and proper dies and other imple- ments for denoting, by adhesive stamps or otherwise, the rates of postage payable under this Ordinance, or any regulation thereunder.
16. The Postmaster General may if necessary open and if possible return to the sender :-
(1) Any correspondence upon which the prepayment of postage is compulsory, and which cannot be sent unpaid by any other route, and upon which the proper postage has not been paid.
(2) Any correspondence which is returned to the General Post Office for want of a proper address, or from inability to find the person to whom it is addressed, and which remains unclaimed for ten days after being advertised in the Gazette.. 17. When any packet is delivered to the Post Office and has thereby become liable to postage, and evidence is addaved to the satisfaction of the Postmaster General that such parket 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 of the Post Office, and may return the same without charge to the person interested; unless such packet is found to contain any letter or manu- seript liable to postage; in which case the Postmaster General shall retain the packet until he is paid the full rate of postage chargeable upon such letter or mauscript.
18. After any correspondence has been delivered to the Post Ollice, no person employed by or under the Post Office shall, except in the cases above mentioned, open the same, or return the same to any person, or procure or suffer the samo to be opened or returned, unless he is authorised by express warrant in writing under the hand of the Governor, or the British Consul at 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.
19. 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, and shall make the declaration contained in the sehedule C hereto annexed before an officer of the Post Office.
20. 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; Provided always that no gratuity shall be payable,--
(1) For a second transmission of any correspondence; (2.) Ou correspondence delivered to any Post Ofiec to
be thence transmitted by contract packet: (3.) On correspondence the gratuity on which is certified
by the despatching office to have been paid. (4.) The Gratuity payable on such letters transmitted between Hongkong, Canton, and Macao, in either direction, shall be one cent only.
21. The Postmaster General may pay like gatuities to any master of a vessel leaving Hongkong on every article of correspondence delivered to such master from the Post Office, or evrified by the Post Oflice of destination to have been duly received from him,
Paid corres- pagnience to be delivered or transmitted WİLİKUL further charge.
Seamen's and Noirs' letters.
Plus, v. for Postage Sisulps.
Opening let-
turs
Unpaid letters,
Dead lettera,
Postage may be remitted on packers not containing letters if sent in mistake.
Warrants for openia er gretuting cor-
respondence.
Delivery of mails.
Gremities to
11. Td Vega sels lourds
Gratuities to Faster saf varte
in outward-.
193