POST OFFICE.
No. 6 of 1900.
1099
28.-(1) The powers of the Governor-in-Council, as defined by section 9, shall apply to the rates of gratuity to be paid to masters of vessels for the delivery of mails, either generally or in particular cases.
(2) The gratuities fixed by any order of the Governor-in-Council under this section shall not be less on the average than the sums otherwise required by this Ordinance to be paid.
29. Every master of a vessel shall be held to contract with the Postmaster General that, in consideration of such gratuities, he will duly deliver all letter bags and correspondence received from the Post Office to the person to whom the same are addressed immediately on his arrival in port, without wilful or avoidable delay, and that, if he fails in any respect to perform such contract, he will pay to the Postmaster General the sum of 500 dollars as liquidated damages for the breach thereof.
30.-(1) Every person proposing to despatch a vessel 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 the time for the departure of such vessel has been arranged, give the first intimation thereof to the Postmaster General, and also of any alteration in the day or hour of departure of the said vessel, and the Postmaster General shall give notice to the public of the day and hour for closing the mails, if any are to be made up for transmission by such vessel.
(2) Every alteration of the hour of departure of any vessel plying daily or on fixed days to Macao or to places on the Canton River shall, in like manner, be intimated to the Postmaster General by the person despatching such vessel.
31. (1) The Postmaster General, or any officer of the Post Office authorised by him, may attend on board any vessel, and may receive all fully prepaid correspondence which is brought on board up to the time of departure to be transmitted by such vessel.
(2) The master of every such vessel shall give all proper facilities to such officer to enable him to discharge his duties, to make up such mails, and to leave the vessel on her departure.
(3) If there is no officer of the Post Office in attendance on board any vessel, the master of such vessel may receive all correspondence
*As amended by No. 1 of 1912 and No. 2 of 1912.
1.