The Indian Post Office Act, 1898
(6 of 1898)
INTRODUCTION
In 1866 the Post Office Ac
t was enacted which was
subsequently amended by Act III of 1882 and Act XVI of 1896. Later
on number of defects were brought to the notice of the Government. It
was also found that express provisions of law, as contained in the Act,
in respect of various
matters were not suited to the then prevailing
requirements of postal work. In order to rectify the defects the Indian
Post Office Bill was introduced in the Legislature.
STATEMENT OF OBJECTS AND REASONS
The present Post Office Act was enacted in 1866
, and has been
amended since that date by the addition of three sections only. In
1882 section 60A was added by Act III of 1882 authorising any officer
of the Post Office, empowered in this behalf by the Governor General
in Council, to search for newspape
rs regarding which a notification has
been published under the Sea Customs Act. In 1895, section 66 was
added by Act III of that year, providing powers, in accordance with the
general policy of the Postal Union for dealing with fictitious of
previously us
ed postage stamps of other countries found on letters or
other articles received from abroad; and last year a further section was
added by Act XVI of 1896 authorising the recovery of customs duty,
when paid in advance by the Post Office, in the same manner
as
postage under the Act.
During the last thirty years certain defects and omissions in the
Act of 1866 have been brought to light an experience has shown that
express provisions of law, as contained in the Act, in respect of various
matters are not sui
ted to the present requirements of postal work. It
has also been found that further protection is needed by the Post Office
and further powers to enable its officers, for instance, to deal with
articles posted in contravention of the Act. Various schemes
,
moreover, which have been introduced of late years such as postal
insurance and the value payable and money order systems have
remained outside the provisions of the Act, and now require to be
based on a legislative enactment. Finally, with the developm
ent of the
post office, and the knowledge of the course of English postal
legislation, the necessity for some new penalties has become
apparent.
The present Bill proposes to supply the defects and omissions
which have been brought to the notice in the Ac
t of 1866, and to confer
the protection and powers which have been found necessary in the
extension and increase of postal business. It includes within its sc