PROCLAMATION

Lyttelton Times, Volume V, Issue 295, 29 August 1855, Page 6

PROCLAMATION

By His Excellency Sir George Gkey, X.C.8., Governor in Chief in and over the Islands of New Zealand, and Governor of the Provinces of New Ulster and New Minister, and Vice-Admiral of the same, &c, &c, &c. "TXTHEREAS by an Ordinance enacted by » * the Governor-in-Chief of New Zealand, with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council thereof, Session 9, No. 2, intituled, "An Ordinance for Regulating the conveyance and Postage of Letters," it is amonirst other things enacted, that it shall be lawful for the Governor-in-Chief, from time to time, by Proclamation to be published in the Government Gazette, to abolish, alter, and fix the Colonial Postage, payable for the transmission by Post of letters, and other papers, and from time to time by such Proclamation as aforesaid, to alter, repeal, or abolish any Colonial Postage so altered or fixed as aforesaid, and to make and establish any new or other Postage in lieu thereof. And whereas it is expedient that by prepaying the postage, persons should be enabled to send letters to and from the Colony of New Zealand to Great Britain free of Postage to the persons receiving the same, and that a system of pre-payment of letters by stamps should be introduced into New Zealand, and to that end that the rates of Colonial Postage to be charged on all letters be fixed according to the weight thereof, and without reference to the distance or number of miles the same may be conveyed. Now therefore I, the Governor-ill-Chief of New Zealand, in pursuance and by virtue of the power and authority vested in me by the said recited Ordinance, and under and by virtue of all other powers and authorities enabling me in that behalf, do hereby proclaim and declare, that on the Ist day of April, 1851, the rates of Postage now payable in the Colony of New Zealand for the transmission, receipt, or delivery of letters shall be abolished and repealed. And on and after the said first day of April, 1851 } a Colonial rate of Postage shall be charged and paid on all letters passing through any Post Office in the Colony of New Zealand, or transmitted by post therein, by weight according to the following rate (that is to say)— On every Letter not exceeding half an ounce in weight—two pence. Ou every letter exceeding half an ounce in weight, thead^^sum of Two Pence for every half ounc^^^kaetioiial part of half an ounce, accordiuj£j^Hfc>weight of such letter. The postageMßKT Letters and Paper: despatched from Zealand to places beyond the seas shall be paid in tins colony. All letters and Papers having a Postage Stamp or Stamps affixed thereto or enclosed in covers 'having a Postage Stamp or Stumps affixed thereto of such form as may be prescribed by the Local Government, which t.'hali not have been used before, and which shuil be of the value or amount of the postage to which such letters or papers would be respectively liable, according to the scale hereinbefore provided, shall pass by the Post free of postage". On all Letters sent by Post, on being redirected and again forwarded by the Post, there shall be charged and paid a new and distinct rate of postage for the re-direction, in addition to all other rates of postage payable thereon, according to the scale and vales of postage hereinbefore mentioned. iNo Letter or Packet, exceeding sixteen ounces in weight, shall be forwarded by the Post, except Deeds, Law Pro.-eeuinjis, aim' Law from places Paper.s, and also except letters id and beyond the seas, and letters to and from t] je Governor, Letters on the Public fc'emce. or to and from any of the Government Offices or Departments. On all Deeds, Law Proceedings, and Law Papers, on all Printed Votes and ' Proceedings of the rmperiiil Parliament and Periodical Publications despatched by the Post between places in Hew Zealand, or sent to or received

from the United Kingdom or any of Her Hjesty's Colonies, theve shall he charged and p-iji ihe rates of New Zealand Postage following Unit is to say.—lf not exceeding ( Olu . Ol j» in weight, a rate of Two Pence^aiul for ever J additional four ounces in weight above ft> ounces there shall be charged and paid'-m ..T uitional rate oi I wo Pence. Printed Newspapers shall be conveyed Indie Post free of postage, provided they be senr without a cover or in a cover open at the sides and there be no writing thereon, or upon the cover of the same, except the name and address of the person to whom sent, and that no paneior thing be enclosed in or with any such paper And every paper or packet which shall b»coi)' trary in any respect to the conditions hereby required to be observed, shaft be chared with treble the duty of postage to which it would have been liable as a letier. Printed Prices Current and Commercial Lists, not exceeding two ounces in weight shall be forwarded through the Post iMnier the same regulations and privileges as News papers. Non-Commissioned Officers, Captains' Ste wards, Seamen, and soldiers, may send and re" ceive letters not exceeding half an ounce in weight by the Post on their own private con cerns only, while they are employed on Her Majesty's service, at the rale of one penny for each letter, and with respect to letters sent or received by any such privileged persons, the following conditions shall he observed, that"is to say:—Tlie postage of each letter (unless sent from parts beyond the sens) shall he paid on being pm into the Post Office, and upon such letier sl.ali be subscribed the name of the writer and his class or description in the vessel. re<nment, corps, or detachment to which he belongs and signed by the officer having at the time the command of the yes-el, or of"the regiment corps, or detachment to which the privileged person belongs. ° Whenever the letters sent or received by any such privileged persons shall be sent from parts beyond the sea?, without the said postage of one penny being pjepaid, every such letter^hall be charged !o the party receiving t h e same with a rate ot two pence, and any letters received by the post under this regulation, by any <=uch privileged persons, which may have been redirected, shall not he charged with any postage tor such redirection. Given under my hand and issued under the I'ublic Seal of the islands of New Zealand, at Government „c- . House at Wellington, i n the Pro--(L..6.) vmce of New Minister, in the Islands aforesaid, this thirty-first day of December, in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and fifty. G. Grey, Governor ijj Chief, iiy his Excellency's command, Alfred Domett, Colonial Secretary. Gob save thk Quk£n !