Canada: Its Postage Stamps and Postal Stationery Part 17

38. [_Usual franking of official matter._ (See 18^o Vict. Cap.

LXXIX. Secs. 4, 5, 6, 7 and 24^o Vict. Cap. XXV. Sec. 6), _but limited to transmission in Canada_.]

40. Letters, or other articles, which from any cause remain undelivered in any Post Office, or which having been posted, cannot be forwarded by post, shall under such regulations as the Postmaster General may make, be transmitted by Postmasters to the Post Office Department as Dead Letters, there to be opened and returned to the writers on payment of any postage due thereon, with five cents additional on each Dead Letter to defray the costs of returning the same, or such Dead Letters may in any case or cla.s.s of cases be otherwise disposed of as the Postmaster General may direct.

77. [_Stealing mail matter or forging stamps, etc._, (see 13^o--14^o Vict. Cap. XVII. Sec. 16) _is a felony. Stealing or damaging printed matter, package of merchandise, etc., or enclosing a letter in other mail matter, or obstructing mails is a misdemeanor_.]

Sub. sec. 16. To remove with fraudulent intent from any letter, newspaper or other mailable matter, sent by Post, any postage stamp which shall have been affixed thereon, or wilfully, with intent aforesaid remove from any postage stamp which shall have been previously used, any mark which shall have been made thereon at any Post Office, shall be a misdemeanor.

81. If any person uses or attempts to use in prepayment of postage on any letter or other mailable matter posted in this Province, any postage stamp which has been before used for a like purpose, such person shall be subject to a penalty of not less than Ten and not exceeding Forty dollars for every such offense, and the letter or other mailable matter on which such stamp has been so improperly used may be detained, or in the discretion of the Postmaster General forwarded to its destination charged with double postage.

91. This Act shall come into operation on the first day of April, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.

Although the above Act gives most of the groundwork upon which the Post Office Department of Canada has since been operated, save of course the changes in detail that will be noted in their proper places, yet it seems advisable, in spite of some possible repet.i.tion, to quote the larger part of the Instructions sent out to Postmasters in preparation for the impending changes, because of additional details to be found therein.

TO ALL POSTMASTERS, AND OTHER PERSONS EMPLOYED IN THE POSTAL SERVICE OF CANADA:

DEPARTMENT ORDER NO. 2.

POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT, OTTAWA, 1ST MARCH, 1868.

The Post Office Act, pa.s.sed on the 21st December, 1867, for the regulation of the Postal Service, will come into operation throughout the Dominion on and from the 1st April, 1868.

A copy of the Statute, and of the General Regulations founded thereon, will be forwarded to every Postmaster, whether in charge of a regular Post-Office, Way Office or Sub-Office, and to every Railway Mail Clerk; meanwhile the following summary of the princ.i.p.al provisions of the Act, as affecting the organization of the Department, in relation to the several Provinces of the Dominion, the postage rates to be charged from and after the 1st. April, etc., etc., is supplied for the information of Postmasters and other persons employed in the Post Office Service of Canada.

ORGANIZATION OF THE DEPARTMENT.

1. The Superintendence and Management of the Postal Service of Canada is vested in the Post Office Department, at the seat of Government, Ottawa, under the direction of the Postmaster General of Canada.

2. Subject to the directions of the Postmaster General, the general management of the business of the Department will be with the Deputy Postmaster General of Canada.

3. The local Superintendence of Post Office business, and performance of such duties as are a.s.signed to them by the Statute, or entrusted to them from time to time by the Postmaster General, will be confided to the Post Office Inspectors, of whom there are seven, stationed and exercising their powers and functions in the undermentioned Postal Divisions.

_Postal Division._ _Post Office Address._

Nova Scotia Halifax, N. S.

New Brunswick and the Bay Chaleurs, Coast of Gaspe Frederickton, for the present Province of Quebec, as far West as Three Rivers Quebec Province of Quebec, from Three Rivers Westward Montreal Province of Ontario, as far as Cobourg Kingston Province of Ontario, from Cobourg to Hamilton Toronto Province of Ontario, from Hamilton Westward London */

/# 4. All Postmasters, including Way Office and Sub-Office Keepers, are continued in Office, and all Bonds and Mail Contracts continued in force, subject to the ordinary conditions of such appointments and engagements, and to the future action of the Department.

PRINc.i.p.aL RATES OF POSTAGE.

LETTERS.

5. On letters pa.s.sing between any two places within the Dominion of Canada, a uniform rate, (irrespective of distance) of three cents per 1/2 oz., if prepaid; and five cents per 1/2 oz., if posted unpaid.

6. On letters between any place in the Dominion and any place in the United States, 6 cents per 1/2 oz., if prepaid; and 10 cents per 1/2 oz., if posted unpaid.

7. On letters to or from the United Kingdom, in Mails by Canada Packets, to or from Quebec in summer, or Portland in winter; or by Mail Packet to or from Halifax, 12-1/2 cents per 1/2 oz.

On do. in Mails via New York Packet 15 cents per 1/2 oz.

On letters to Prince Edward Island, if prepaid, 3 " " do if posted unpaid, 5 " " do On letters to Newfoundland, to be in all cases prepaid, 12-1/2 " " do On letters to British Columbia and Vancouver Island, in all cases to be prepaid, 10 " " do On letters to Red River, to be in all cases prepaid, 6 " " do On letters to Red River, to be in all cases prepaid, 6 " " do

NEWSPAPER RATES.

8. Newspapers printed and published in Canada may be sent by Post from the office of publication to any place in Canada at the following rates, if paid quarterly in advance, either by the Publisher, at the Post Office where the papers are posted or by the subscriber, at the Post Office where the papers are delivered:--

For a paper published once a week 5 cents per quarter of a year.

do twice a week 10 do do three times 15 do do six times 30 do

If the above rates are prepaid by the Publisher, the Postmaster receiving payment must be careful to have the papers so prepaid separately put up, and marked, distinctly, as prepaid.

When the above rates are not prepaid in advance, by either the Publisher at the Office of posting or by the subscriber at the Office of delivery, the papers are to be charged one cent each on delivery.

9. Canadian Newspapers, addressed from the Office of publication to subscribers in the United Kingdom, the United States, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland, may be forwarded, on prepayment at the Office in Canada where posted, at the above commuted rates, applicable to such papers within the Dominion.

10. Exchange Papers pa.s.sing between publishers in Canada, and between publishers in Canada and publishers in the United States, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland, are to pa.s.s free--one copy of each paper to each publisher.

11. Transient Newspapers include all Newspapers posted in Canada, other than Canada Newspapers sent from the Office of publication, and when addressed to any place within the Dominion, to the United Kingdom, to the United States, Prince Edward Island or Newfoundland, must be prepaid two cents each by postage stamp.

12. Newspapers coming into Canada will be subject to the following charges on delivery:

If from the United Kingdom, by mail packet to Quebec, Halifax or Portland--Free on delivery.

By mails via the United States (New York), Two cents each.

If from the United States, two cents each, to be rated at the Canada Frontier, or exchange Office receiving mails from the United States.

If from Prince Edward Island or Newfoundland, when received by regular subscribers in Canada from the Office of publication, the ordinary commuted rates applicable to Canada Newspapers.

Transient Papers--two cents each.

13. The Canada Postage rates on Newspapers coming or going to the United Kingdom and the United States, will thus be the same as those charged in the United Kingdom and the United States on Newspapers there received from or sent to Canada.

14. Canada News Agents may post to regular subscribers in Canada, British Newspapers free, and United States Newspapers unpaid, such papers in the latter case, must be duly rated two cents each for collection on delivery.

PRINTED PAPERS, CIRCULARS, PRICES CURRENT, HAND BILLS, BOOKS, PAMPHLETS.

15. The rate on printed matter of this description posted in Canada, and addressed to any place in Canada, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland or the United States, will be one cent per ounce, to be prepaid by Postage Stamp; and a like rate will be payable on delivery, when received from the United States, Prince Edward Island or Newfoundland.

PERIODICAL PUBLICATIONS.