103231-1926-Supplementary-Draft-Bill--Post-Office — Page 8

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(5) Reasonable notice in writing shall be given to the Postmaster General of every alteration of the hour of departure of any ship plying daily or on fixed days to Macao or to any place on the Canton River or West River. The obligation to give such notice shall lie on the person on whom it would have lain if the ship had not been within the exception specified in sub-section (I).

(6) In general a notice shall not be deemed to be reasonable for the purposes of this section unless it is given in time to enable the Postmaster General to in- form the public by notice in the public press of the day and hour for closing the mails by the ship in question.

accept postal

18. Every master of a ship (not being or having the Masters of status of a ship of war) about to depart from the Colony ships to to any place outside the Colony shall receive on board packets or any postal packets or mail bags tendered to him by any mail bags for officer of the Post Office for conveyance, and shall give conveyance. a receipt therefor in such form as the Postmaster General 8 Edw. 7. prescribes.

c. 48, s. 26.

musters of ships for

19.-(1) It shall be lawful for the Postmaster General Gratuities to to pay to the masters of ships, not being Government or contract ships, for the conveyance of postal packets, conveyance gratuities at such rates as may be prescribed in any of postal regulations made under this Ordinance.

(2) Before payment is made, the Postmaster Genera may require the master of any ship by which any postal packets have been conveyed to produce a certificate from the post office of destination that such postal packets have been duly received from him.

(3) No gratuity shall be payable-

(a) unless application be made for payment within

twelve months of the receipt by the master of the ship of the postal packets in respect of which the gratuity is claimed; or

(b) if there has been unreasonable delay on the part of the master in delivering the postal packets at the post office of destination; or (c) if any of the postal packets have been damaged in transit, unless the master proves to the satis- faction of the Postmaster General that such damage was not due to any fault or lack of sufficient care on his part.

(4) If the master of any vessel satisfies the Postmaster General that he will not return to the Colony within the twelve months prescribed by sub-section (3) (a), it shall be lawful for the Postmaster General to pay a gratuity in advance.

packets.

1 8 Edw. 7,

c. 48, s. 31.

20. Every master of a ship to whom any postal Damages for packets are delivered under section 18 shall be deemed non-delivery

of postal to contract with the Postmaster General that, in consi- packets or deration of the gratuity payable in respect of such postal mail bags. packets, he will duly deliver the said postal packets to the postal authority to whom the same are addressed immediately on his arrival in any 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 five hundred dollars as liquidated damages for the breach thereof,

21.-(1) The postage chargeable on every postal Liability for packet posted in the Colony, except a letter, shall be payment of prepaid in full.

(2) It shall be lawful for the Postmaster General to refuse to receive any postal packets, including letters tendered for posting, unless the postage and any other sum chargeable thereon shall have been fully prepaid.

postage, etc.

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