POST OFFICE (MONEY ORDERS) ACTS

POST OFFICE (MONEY ORDERS) ACTS

7.-THE POST OFFICE (MONEY ORDERS) ACTS.

Regulations, 17th July, 1884,

made by the Postmaster-General, with the consent of the Treasury,
under the Post Office (Money Orders) Acts, 1848 to 1883.*
WHFREAS the Post Office (Money Orders) Act, 1880, provides that,
subject to the Post Office Regulations, the Postmaster-General, with
the consent of the Treasury, may, for the purpose of the transmission of





small sunis through the Post Office, authorise his officers or any of them
to issue orders (hereinafter referred to as -postal orders') in the form
set forth in the schedule to that Act, subject, nevertlieless, to the pro-
visocs contained in the said Act :
AND -WHERFAs by the Post Office (Money Orders) Acts, 1848 and
1880, the Postinaster-General is authorised with the consent of the
Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury to make Post Office
tions relating to money orders, and to the persons bY or to whom money
orders shall be paid, and to the time at which and the mode in which
the saine shall be paid :
AND WHERE, AS, by the Post Office (Money Orders).Aci, 1883, certain
alterations in the form of postal orders as set forth in the schedule to
the Post Office (Money Orders) Act, 1880, are sanctioned, and the Post,
master-General empowered, with the consent of the Commissioners
of Her Majesty's Treasury, to prscribe by Post office Regulations
further modificationjs of teh form of postal orders, and the several
amounts (not exceedings 20 shillings*) of such orders, and the sums
of poundage (not exceeding 2 pence) to be taken in respect of such
orders, and it was amongst other things provided that where an ar-
rangement is made with the Government of any British possession for
the transmission of small sums through the Post Offices of the united
Kingdom and such British possesion by means of mney ordes ofa
like character to those issued under the post Office (money Orders)
Act, 1880, as amended by that Act, the said Act as amended by that
Act should, so far as is consistent with the tenour thereof,and subject
to the pescirbed modifications, apply in like manner as if an order
issued in pursuance of such arrangement, whether by an officer of the
Post office or of such British posession, was an order under the said ACt
as amended by that Act, and that such protions of the said Act as enact
punishment should apply accordingly:

AND WHEREAS an arrangement has been made with the Government
of Hongkong for the ussue at hongkong, or at any port or place at
which the post office of Hongkong maintains a post office, and for the
payment in the United Kingdom* and Constantinople of postal orders
in the form and subject to the Regulations hereinafter mentioned;

NOW THEREFORE, I the Right Honourable Henry Fawcett, her
Majesty's Postmaster-General, in pursuance of the said Acts, and of all
other powers enabling me in this behalf,with the consent of the com-
missioners of Her Majesty's Treasury, do hereby order as follows'-

1. These Regulations shall come into operation on 1st october,1884

2. Subject to the provisions of these Regulations, postal orders issued
at any Post office in Hongkong, or any port or place at which the
Hongkong Post office maintains a Post Office, may b paid in the United
Kigdom, and Constantinople, by any officer or person for the time being
there authorised to apy postal orders issued in the United Kigdom.

3. Every postal order issued in Hongkong, or any port or place at
which the Hongkong Post Office maintains a post office as a aforesaid,






shall be in the form and of one of the amounts specified in the Regula-
tions made under the Post Office (Moncy Orders) Acts, 1818 to 1883,
and dated the 28th day of January, 1884, or any other Regulations
for the tin-le beine, in force with reference to postal order Regulations
United Kinadom, and all the provisions of the said Regulations shall
apply to orders issued in Hongkong, or any or place at which the
Honakone, Post Office maintains a Post Office as aforesaid so far as the
nature of the case admits.

POSTAL ORDER (INLAND) REGULATIONS, 20th June, 1903,

as amended by Regulations (14th September, 1903).

WHEREAS the Post Office (Money Orders) Act, 1880, provides that,
subject to the post office Regulations, the Postmaster-Gerneral, with
the consent of the Treasury, may, for the purpose of the transmission of
small sums through the post Office, authorise his officers, or any of
them, to issue orders in the form set forth in the schedule to that Act,
subject, nevertheless, to the provisoes contained in the said Act:

AND WHEREAS by the Post Office (Money Orders ) Acts, 1848 and
1880, the Postmater-General is autorised, with the consent of the
Treasury to make Post Office Regulations relating to money orders,
and to the persons by or to whom money orders shall be paid, and to
the times at which, and the mode in which the same shall be paid:

AND WHEREAS by the post Office (MOney Orders) Act, 1883, certain
alterations in the form of the orders issued in pursuance of the Post
Office (Money Orders) Act, 1880, are sanctioned, and the postmaster-
General is empowered, with the consent of the Treasury, to prescribe
by Post office Regulations futher modifications of the form of such
orders, and the several amounts (not exceeding 20 shillings ) of
such orders, and the sums of poundage (not exceeding 2 pence) to be
taken in respect of such orders, and to authorise, by such Regulations,
the issue of ushc orders by any pesons holding office under the Crown:

Now,THEREFORE, I , the Right Honourable Joesph Austen Chamber-
lain , M.P., His Majesty's Postmaster-General, in pursuance of the said
Acts, and of all other powers enabling me in this behalf, with the con-
sent of the Treasury, do hereby make the following Regulations (that
is to sa):-

1. In these Regulations:-
the term 'postal order' means a money order issued in pursuance
of the Post office (money orders ) Act, 1880:

The term ' the Payee' means the person entitled to reveive the
amount of a postal order:

The term ' month' means calendar month:






2. The schedule to these Regulations shall be deemed part of these
Regulations.

3. All officer in ellarge of a inoney order office in the United King
dom, and any stich other offlecr of the Post Office, and any such other
person holding office under the Crown as many from time to time be
authorised in this behalf by the Postniaster-deneral (which officers are
in these Regulations referred to as postmasters) may issue -and pay
postal orders in the form set forth in the schedule hereto.
A postmaster may, subject to any restrictions or directions front tinle
to tinic given by the Postmaster-General, do by deputy anything inider
hese Regulations.

4. Postal orders shaR lie issued for the sum of sixpenee and for Such
mulpiples of sixpence up to and including th esum of twenty shillings
[and for twenty-one shillings*]as the Postmaster-General may from
time to time direct.

5, The potindage payable for postal orders shall be as follows
For 6d, and every multople of 6d,up to and includ-
ing 1s 6d.
foor every multople of 6d, between 2s, and 10 6d.,
both inclusive
For every multople of 6d. between 11s and 20s.,
both inclusive,[and for 21s.*]



6. Every post, order shall be issued with a counterfoil, but the coun-
terfoil shail he detached by the person to whom the order is issued, and
the term 'postal order' as used in these Regulations (except where
the Context Otherwise requires) shall not include the counterfoil.

7, Before a postmaster issues a postal. order, the atilount of the order

and the poundage thereon shall be paid to him : and lie shall sign the

order and stamp it with the proper stamp, specifying the date oon which
the order is issued.

8. Postal orders shall be printed oil suel, paper and in such characters
and with suc distinctive marks, whether on the face or back of the postal
order or in the paper or Otherwise, and the amount of the poundage
.Shall he denominated by nicans of such stamp or mark, as the Post-
Master-Gelleral, With the concurrence of the Treasury, front tinic to
tinic directs.

9.-(a) The blanks in a postal order for the names of the payee and
for the name of money order office at which it is to be paid may be
filled in before or after issue.

(b) If the blanks are not filled in before issue. the person to whom
the order is issued, must before parting with it fill in th name of the




payee., and may fill in the naine of the money order office at which the
amount is to be paid. Even where an order is crossed with a view to
the payment through a banker the name of the payee, must be filled
in.

(c) Except when the order is paid through a banker, the payee must
sign the. reecipt at tho foot of the order, and must also fill in the nalne
of the money order office if that has not been already done.

(d) No alteration can be made in the name of the payee, or of the,
money order oESen when once filled in, except by the direction of the
Postmaster-General.

10. A postal order presented by or through a banker for payment
will not (in the absence of an express arrangement between such banker
and the Post master-General to the contrary) be paid until after such
order has been examined by such officer as the Postmaster-General may
from time to time dircet.

1-(a) when a postal order is presented for Imyinent otherwise
than through a haulaw, the postmaser shall ascertain that the receipt
for the amount of the order is signed, may reftwe Imyrnent until be
is satisfied tbat it is signed by or tmder the authority of the persou ap-
pearing to in the payee.
(0 He may also, if the receipt is not signed in his presence, take
reasonable means to satisfy himself that the person presenting the order
is either the payee or bis agent.
(c) He may also require the person presenting the order to sign his
name on the order before its payment. although the receipt has been
already signed.
(d) Nevertheless, the Agnawre to the receipt shall in all cases be a
sufficient authority to he postmaster for the payment of the aniount of
the order. if that signature purports to be the signature of the payee ;
and it shall not be newssary to prove that the receipt was signed by or
under the authority of the payee.

12.--(a) A lwstal order may be (mossed ; it may be crossed generally
17 the additlan on its face of the words ' and company,' or any
abbreviation timrcof, between two parallel transverse lines, or of two
parallel transverse lines simply ; it may be crossed specially by the ad-
didon on As 6me of the name of a banker, in which case the order shall
be deemed to be crossed to that banker.
(b) A. postal order which 6 crossed generally may crossed special-
ly.
(c) A banker to whom a postal order is crossed may again cross it
specially to another banker as his agent for. collection.





(d) Where a postal order is crossed generally, a postmaster shall re-

fuse to pay it except to a banker
(e) Where a postal order is crossed specially, a postmaster shall re-
fuse to pay it except to the banker to whoin it is crossed, ol- to his agent
for collection.
(f) Where a postal order is crossed specially to inore. than one
banker, except sylien crossed to an agent for the, purpose of collection, a
n
postmaster shall refuse payment thereof.
13.-(1) IF a postal order which is Crossed, Syllother getwrally or
specially, is presented foi- payinent by or through a banker, with the
th,
name of such banker written or stamped upon the face thercof, it
narne may be accepted as a sufficient receipt for the ainount of the or-
der, and the order may be paid without any other receipt.
Provided that where the order is crossed specially to a second banker
as agent 'for collection, the name of such socond loanker, or
Stalliped upon the face of the order, may be accepted is a receipt linder
this regulation.
(2) An order wItielt is crossed gencrally or specially, if presented for
payment by ol- through a banker, may be pald at any money order office
in the United kingdom not with staildin that rhe blank hs been filled
in with. the name of some particular money order office.
14,(1) Tit(,, holder of a postal order may, in on the face of
such order, direct that pavinent of such order be. deferred for any period
not exceeding 10 days ; but, in such case, the namde of sme money or

der office at which the order shall be paid inust be inserted in the body
of the order.
(2) In any Such case, payinent of the postal order shall not be inade
till the period specified by the holder has elapsed.
15. After the expiration of 3 montlus from the last day of the morith

in which any postal order is issued, the order shall be payable onlyon
payment, in the manner for the time being directed by the Postmaster-
General, of a commission equal to the amount of the original poundage

in respect of cach further period of 13 montlis or any fraction of a period
of 3 months which has elapsed.
16. A postal order will be payable during the hours for the time be-
ing appointed for inoncy order business, at the office, it which it is
presented for payment, or during such other hour., as the Postmaster-
General may front time to time appoint with reference to any office or
offices.
17. If a postal order presented for payment has any erasure ol. al-
teration, or is cut, defaced, or mutilated, the postmaster may refuse
payment, and refer the person presenting it to the Postinaster-General.





18. A postmaster may refuseor delay the payment of a postal order
but shall immediately reposrt such refusal or delay, with his reasons for
it, to the postmaster-General.

19 A Postmaster, upon pying a postal order, shall immeiately
stamp it with the proer stamp, specifying the date, and thereby cancel
the order.

20. The payment of the amount of a postal order, to whomsever
made, shall discharge the Postmaster-general and his officers form all
liability whatsoever in respect of that order, notwithstandin gany for-
gery, fraud, mistake, or loss hwich may have been committed or may
have occurrred in reference to such order, or tho the procuring thereof,
or to obtaining the payment therof, and notwithstanding any disregard
of these Regulations, and notwithstanding anything whatsoever.

21 Thes Regulations shall come itno operationon 1st July, 1903,
on and form whcih date the Regulations in relation to the issue and
payment of postal orders, dated 9th my, 1892, are hereby repealed.
Provided that:-
(1) The repeal of the said Regulatiions shall not-
(a) revive anything not in force or existing at ht time at which the
repeal takes effect'
(b) affect anything done or suffered before these Reulations came
into operation.
(2) The said Regulations of 9the May, 1892, shall remain in force
in all respects i rrelation to any postal orders whcih may be int he form
set forth in the schedule to the said Regulations, and which may be
issued after 1st july, 1903.

22 These Regulaitons shall apply to the Channel Islands, and the
lstle of man, and the expression 'United Kingdom' shall be deemed
to include the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.

23 These Regulations may be cited as the Postal Order (inland)
Regulation, 1903.

ACT OF 1883-46 & 47 VICT.C. 58S. 4


4-(1) Whereas by reason of the form of the order issued under the
Post Office (Money Orders) Act, 1880, and of the provisions of that. Act
authorising the issuG thereof by officers of the Postmaster-General Only,
doubts have arisen with respect to the application of the Post Office
(Money Orders) Act, 1880, to orders issued in pursuance of arrangements






made with the Governments of Her Majesty's Dominion out, of the
United Kingdom, and it is expedient to reniove such doubts:-


Where an arran-ement is made with the Government of any British
possession for the transmission of small sum through the post offices of
the United Kingdom and such British possession by means of money
orders, of a like character to those issued under the Post Office (Money
Orders) Act, 1880, as ainended by this Act., the said Act, as amended 1)v
this Act, shall, so far as is consistent with the tenour thereof, and
subJect to the prescribed inodificatimis, apply in like manner as if an
order issued in pursuance of such arrangement, whether by lit officer of
the Post Office ot. of such British possession, was in order under the said
Act, as aniended bV this Act, and such portions of the said Act as enact
punishments shall apply accordingly.
Provided that-
(a) Any Post Offico Regulations in relation to any nionev order's issued
in pursuance of any such arrangement as aforesaid may differ from the
Regulations respecting any other money order; and

(b)Any money orders issued in pursuance of any such arrangement as
oforesaid may be of such amount not exceeding the maximum amount in
theis Act mentioned and in such form and subject to such conditions
reespecting poundge, commission, the periods during whcih they are
payable and other matters, as the Treasury, on hte recommendation of
the postmaste-General, amy direct.
(2) In this section the expression ' United Kingdoni ' includes the
Cliannel Islands and the Isle of Mail, and the expression ' British posses-
sioun means any part of Iler MaJesty's Dominions other than the Unitted
Kingdoni, the Channel Islands, and. the Isle of Man.

ACT OF 1880-43 & 44 VICT. c. 33, ss. 3-5.

3. Ally person who, with intent to defraud, obliterates, adds to, or alters
any such lines or words on an order issued under this Act as would, in
the case of a cheque, be a crossing of that cheque, or knowingly offers,
utters, or disposes of -any order, with such fraudulent &Alteration,
addition, or alteration, shall be guilty of felony, and be liable to the like
punishment as if such order were a cheque: Provided always, that any
banker or corporation or company acting as bankers in the United King
dom who in collecting in such capacity for any principal, shall have
received payment or been allowed by the Postruaster-General in account
in respect of any money order issued under this Act, or of any document





purporting to be such a money order, shall not incur liability to anyone
except such principal by reason of having received such payment or al-
lowance, or having held or presented such order or document for payment;
but this section shall not relieve an ' v principal for whoin such order or
document shall have been so held or presented of any liability in respect
of his possession of the same or of the proceeds thereof.

4.-(1) The enactments providing for the punishmentof offences
relating to stamp duties shall apply in like inatiner as if the poundage
under this Act were a stamp duty,

Sections 19, 22, 23, 26, 29 and 30 of the Post Office Duties Act, 1840,
(which relate to dies and paper and to plates and instruments, and to
irioulds, frames, instruments, and machinery for the making of paper,
and to the Dunishing of frand) shall apply as if herein re-enacted-
with the substitution of poundage under this Act for the duties there,
in mentioned, and of orders mider this Act for the envelopes therein
mentioned.

(3) All officer of the Post Office who re-issues an order previously
paid shall be deeined to have issmed the ordel. with a fraudulent intent
within the meaning of section 4 of the Post Office (Money Orders)
Act, 1848, and shall be punished accorclingly, and that section as amended
by this Act shall extend to all oftence When committed the Channel
Islands or the Isle of Man in like manner as if they were mentioned
in that section after Ireland, and penal servitude were substituted for
transportation.
(4) An order -under this Act shall be deemed to be an order for the
payment of money and a valuable security within the meaning of the
post Office Acts and of the ForgerY Act, 1861, (that is to say, 24 8- 25
Vict. c. 98), and of section 1 of the Larceny Act, 1861, and of any

NOTF :-The above statates are printed in ins-erse chronological order

so as to preserve the logieal sequence of their application.
The Act of ISS3 authorises arrangements to he inade
between the United Kingdom and the Colonies with regard
to tile isskle of Post-al Oukter,-,t special form of Money Order
sanctioned by the Act-and soch an arrangement has been
inade with Hongkong [~,/. p. 185]. The Act of 1883 extend-
ed to snel) Postal Orders the provisions of the Act of [S80,
which denIt Avith forgery, and also applied to them a num-
ber of provisions of the crintinal law. AlthouAi the 'word-
ing of s. 4 of the Act of 1883 does not leave the question
entirely free from doubt, it wotild seem that the application
of thi Act of 1880 is limited to the United Kingdom and

does not extend the Act to the Colony.
The sections of the Post Office Act of 1840, referred
to in s. 4 (2) of the Act of 1880, are repealed by 54 & 55
Vict. c. 38.

other law relating to forgery or stealing, which is for the time beincr in
force in any part of the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands, or
Isle of Man.

5. For the purposes of this Act, unless the context otherwise re-
quires-
The expression ' Post Office Regulations means regulations or restric-
tions from time to time made in pursuance of the Post Office (money
Orders) Acts, 1848, as amended by this Act:
The expression 'prescribed' means prescribed by the Post Office
Regulations for the time being in force.
*[11 & 12 Vict. C. 88, 43 & 44 Vict. C. 33, 46 & 47 Vict. C. 58.] Regulations, 1884. *[now 21 shillings-3 Edward VII c. 12.]. *[re[.as tp Gobra;tar-Regi;atopms. 17th Dec., 1885.] Regulations, 1884. [rep. by Regulations, 9th May, 1892; rep. And replaced by Regulations, 20th June, 1903.]. [now 21 shillings: 3 Edw.VII c. 12.]. Definitions. Regulations, 1903. Schedule to be part of Regulations. Pcstmasters may issue and pay post al orders. Amounts of postal orders. *[Regns: Sept., 1903.]. Poundage on postal orders. Counterfoils to postal orders. Issue of a postal order. Printing of postal orders. Filling in of blanks in a postal order. Regulations, 1903. Payment of a postal order through a banker. Payment otherwise than through a banker. Crossing of postal orders. Regulations, 1903. Payment of crossed postal orders. Deferring payment of a postal order. Deferring payment of a postal order. Payment of a postal order after three months have elapsed. Hours of payment of postal orders . Mutilated postal orders. Regulations, 1903. Postmaster may refuse of delay payment. Cancellation of paid postal order. Payment of a postal order discharges the Postmaster-General. Commencement of Regulations. Application to Channel Islands and Isle of Man. Short title. Extension of 43 & 44 Vict. c. 33, respecting money orders to British possessions. Act of 1883. [s. 4 contd.] Forgery of crossing of orde. Act of 1880. Fraud and forgery. [3 & 4 Vict. C. 96] [11 & 12 Vict c. 88.] [3 & 4 Vict c. 96, &c.; 24 & 25 Vict. C. 98; 24 & 25 Vict. C. 96.] Act of 1880. Definitions. [11 & 12 Vict. C. 88]

*[11 & 12 Vict. C. 88, 43 & 44 Vict. C. 33, 46 & 47 Vict. C. 58.] Regulations, 1884. *[now 21 shillings-3 Edward VII c. 12.]. *[re[.as tp Gobra;tar-Regi;atopms. 17th Dec., 1885.] Regulations, 1884. [rep. by Regulations, 9th May, 1892; rep. And replaced by Regulations, 20th June, 1903.]. [now 21 shillings: 3 Edw.VII c. 12.]. Definitions. Regulations, 1903. Schedule to be part of Regulations. Pcstmasters may issue and pay post al orders. Amounts of postal orders. *[Regns: Sept., 1903.]. Poundage on postal orders. Counterfoils to postal orders. Issue of a postal order. Printing of postal orders. Filling in of blanks in a postal order. Regulations, 1903. Payment of a postal order through a banker. Payment otherwise than through a banker. Crossing of postal orders. Regulations, 1903. Payment of crossed postal orders. Deferring payment of a postal order. Deferring payment of a postal order. Payment of a postal order after three months have elapsed. Hours of payment of postal orders . Mutilated postal orders. Regulations, 1903. Postmaster may refuse of delay payment. Cancellation of paid postal order. Payment of a postal order discharges the Postmaster-General. Commencement of Regulations. Application to Channel Islands and Isle of Man. Short title. Extension of 43 & 44 Vict. c. 33, respecting money orders to British possessions. Act of 1883. [s. 4 contd.] Forgery of crossing of orde. Act of 1880. Fraud and forgery. [3 & 4 Vict. C. 96] [11 & 12 Vict c. 88.] [3 & 4 Vict c. 96, &c.; 24 & 25 Vict. C. 98; 24 & 25 Vict. C. 96.] Act of 1880. Definitions. [11 & 12 Vict. C. 88]

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