522
Power to open dead letters.
Letters not to be opened or delay-
ed, with certain exceptions.
Postage may be remitted on packets not containing letters, if sent in mistake.
Governor to
provide postage dies and stamps.
Crimes and punishment as
to the Post Office continued.
ORDINANCE No. 8 OF 1862.
Post Office.
19. It shall be lawful for the Postmaster General to open any correspondence addressed to any person residing in any place where the prepayment of postage is compulsory and upon which correspondence the proper postage shall not have been paid, and as soon as conveniently may be to return the same to the writer, if he be able so to do, and also after any correspondence shall have been returned to the Post Office of this Colony for want of true directions, and in any case where the person or persons to whom any correspondence shall have been directed cannot be found, and after the same respectively shall have been advertised in the Hongkong Government Gazette, at any time after three days thereafter to open every such correspondence and to return the same to the writer of such correspondence respectively or to his authorized agent or representative, upon payment of the postage due upon such correspondence; and in case any such returned correspondence shall be again returned, the Postmaster General shall have liberty forthwith to open the said correspondence so returned to him, and to destroy the same.
20. No person shall wittingly, willingly, or knowingly open, detain or delay, or cause, procure, or suffer any correspondence to be opened, detained, or delayed after delivery into the Post Office, or into the hands of any person employed for the receiving or carrying post letters, and before delivery to the person to whom the same shall be directed, or for his use; except by express warrant in writing under the hand of His Excellency the Governor, or except where the person to whom directed or who is chargeable with the payment of the postage shall refuse to pay the same.
21. When any packet containing patterns or other articles being not properly letters shall be brought to the General Post Office and shall have become liable to postage, and evidence shall have been adduced to the satisfaction of the Postmaster General that such packets have been actually sent through the post in mistake and contrary to the intention of the parties interested, it shall be lawful for the Postmaster General to reduce the postage provided any such packet be opened in the presence of an officer of the Post Office, and is not found to contain any letter or manuscript liable to a charge or rate of postage, equivalent to the cost for freight on such packet, together with a fine of not less than one shilling nor exceeding five shillings.
22. It shall be lawful for His Excellency the Governor to cause to be provided at the public expense proper and sufficient postage stamps and dies or other implements for expressing and denoting the rates or duties of postage for this Colony, and such dies, stamps, and implements shall be kept in such custody, and such stamps shall be made or impressed from such dies or other implements and sold in such manner as His Excellency the Governor shall from time to time direct.
23. All Statutes or parts of Statutes of the Imperial Parliament which have relation to the commission and punishment of offences against the Post Office or the revenue thereof shall be deemed and taken to be incorporated herein, so far as they can be made applicable to the local circumstances of this Colony and to the Post Office establishment authorized by this Ordinance to be established; and all offenders shall on conviction be liable to the punishments or penalties set forth in such Statutes. And all