Whereas it hath become necessary to provide for the appointment of a Colonial Post-Master, and to transfer to the Executive Government of the Island of Saint Vincent and its Dependencies, the authorities, power, and control, over the Post Office Establishment of the said Island, heretofore exercised by Her Majesty’s Post-Master General.

Be it therefore enacted by the Governor, Council, and Assembly of the said Island of Saint Vincent and its Dependencies, as follows; that is to say—

1. Immediately on the passing of this Act, and so from time to time as often as a vacancy shall occur in the said Office, there shall be appointed by the officer for the time being administering the Government of the said Island of St. Vincent, by Commission under his hand and the Public Seal of the Colony a fit and proper person to be Colonial Post-Master of the said Government, &c., &c., &c., &c.

5. There shall be one General Post Office provided by the Executive Government, in the Town of Kingstown, where all Letters, Newspapers, Books, Pamphlets, and other Papers, which shall arrive in this Colony from any place out of the same (unless excepted or exempted by any Act of the Imperial Parliament, or by this Act) shall be brought and received, and whence the same shall be delivered to the persons to whom addressed, and where all Letters, Newspapers, Books, Pamphlets, and other Papers (except such as are excepted or exempted as aforesaid) shall be posted and received for transmission to any place out of this Colony, and whence the same shall be despatched to all places out of this Colony; and such General Post Office shall be in such part of the Government Buildings, in the said Town of Kingstown, as the Governor, with the consent of the Executive Council shall, from time to time, fix and direct; and the hours of attendance at such Post Office shall be governed and regulated by and according to the Rules to be made, as hereinafter provided for the governance of the Post Office Establishment of this Colony.

11. The Postage on all Letters, posted in this Colony for transmission to any place out of the same, shall be paid by the sender on delivering the same at the Post Office in money, until stamps shall be provided, under the provisions of this Act. Provided always, that Letters written on stamped paper, or enclosed in stamped covers, or having a stamp affixed thereto (the stamp, in every such case, being of the value or amount in this Act expressed, and specially provided for the purpose, under the authority of this Act) shall if within the limitation of weight fixed by or under the authority of any Statute of the Imperial Parliament in that behalf, and if the stamp have not been used before, pass by the Post free, subject only as to such Letters as shall not be sent to the United Kingdom, to such Postage as the same shall or may be liable to, on arrival at their places of destination, under the Laws of such places respectively.

12. And whereas, under arrangements entered into by Her Majesty’s Post-Master-General, one rate, or the sum of one penny, is to be paid to and received by the Local Government on every single Letter coming from the United Kingdom, and received in this Colony from or through Her Majesty’s General Post Office; and a like rate, or one penny, on every single Letter collected in, and sent from this Colony, to the United Kingdom, through the said General Post Office, and a double rate on every Double Letter, and so in proportion, according to the rate or scale governing the Postage on Letters sent by the General Post Office from the United Kingdom to these Colonies, or from these Colonies to the United Kingdom. Be it therefore enacted—That the Colonial-Post-Master shall keep an account, and shall collect and receive, on behalf of the Local Government, such Rates and Postage as aforesaid, as shall be payable for all such Letters as aforesaid.

13. On every Letter arriving in this Colony, by Her Majesty’s General Post, from any place beyond the limits of the Colony, except from or passing through the United Kingdom; and on every Letter posted in this Colony for transmission to any place beyond the limits of the same, except to or through the United Kingdom, there shall be charged, and paid to Her Majesty, for the use of this Colony, Postage by weight, according to the following Scale, that is to say—

And so on in progression, an additional two rates being charged for every additional ounce or fraction of an ounce.

16. (Provides for Registration of Letters and Book Packets, at rate of one shilling each.)

17. It shall be lawful for the Governor to cause to be provided, at the Public expense, proper and sufficient Postage Stamps and Dies, or other Implements for expressing and denoting the Rates or Duties of Postage for this Colony; and such Dies, Stamps, and Implements, shall be kept in such custody, and such Stamps shall be made or impressed from such Dies or other Implements, and sold in such manner as the Governor, with the consent of the Executive Council, shall from time to time direct by writing under his hand.

Act passed June 14th, 1860.

Note.—Another Act was passed on September 10th, 1863, which raised the postage on letters despatched to foreign countries, with the exception of those going to or through the United Kingdom, from one penny to two pence the half ounce, and so on in proportion. The charge of one penny on letters coming to St. Vincent through the Imperial Post Office was at the same time abolished.