law but they deal chiefly with rates of postage. The only enactments now in force relating to the offences of which Mr Lister complains.
are to be found in the Acts 1 Vic: Cap: 36 passed in 1837, and 2 & 3 Vic. Cap. 96, the Penny Postage Act passed in 1840.
3. The Act 2 & 3 Vic. c.96 (sec. 33) empowers the Postmaster General to fix rates of postage out of the United Kingdom and (sec. 34) to enforce payment of the rates, but the gratuities allowed to Masters of vessels for carrying letters (sec. 36) are confined to vessels outward or inward bound from or to the United Kingdom or conveying letters between places within the United Kingdom.
The same Act (sec. 37) extends to the Master of every vessel outward bound the penalty which by 1 Vic. cap. 36 s: 6 was imposed only upon vessels outward bound to Ceylon, the Mauritius, the East Indies, and the Cape of Good Hope, and the general law concerning offences is contained in the last mentioned section as thus summarised as follows:
4. A penalty of Two Hundred pounds is imposed upon:
a. Every Master of an outward bound vessel who refuses to take a post letter Bag delivered or tendered by an Officer of the Post Office.
b. Every master of a vessel who opens...