CHAPTER
300
POST OFFICE |
ARRANGEMENT OF
SECTIONS |
SECTION |
|
|
Duties of Postage |
Postal packet subject to charge. |
Power of Minister to fix rates of postage. |
Payment of postage by addressee or sender. |
|
Post office mark evidence of refusal, etc. |
Official mark to be evidence of amount of
postage. |
|
Conditions of Transit of
Postal Packets |
Rules as to postal packets. |
Liability for loss of postal packets. |
Rules for preventing sending by post indecent
articles, etc. |
Dealing with postal packets not sent in
conformity with act. |
Postal packets with contraband goods. |
Decisions as to postal packets. |
Minister to continue to maintain money order
system. |
British Postal Orders |
|
|
Postal Union |
Governor-General to arrange continuance of The
Bahamas in postal union. |
Governor-General to continue to maintain and to
extend parcel post. |
|
Ship Letters |
Duties of masters of outward bound vessels as
respects mail bags. |
Duties of masters of inward bound vessels as
respects postal packets. |
Penalty for master of vessel opening mail bag. |
Duties of officers of customs as to delivery of
letters by masters of vessels. |
|
Gratuities to masters of vessels. |
Retention of letters after delivery of letters
to post office. |
Legal Proceedings |
Punishment of offences in relation to postal
orders, and the poundage thereon. |
Provisions as to form of proceedings. |
Evidence of article being postal packet. |
Power to compound actions. |
Saving clause as to liability. |
|
Construction |
Meaning of "in course of transmission by
post" and "delivery to or from a post". |
Postmaster and Officers |
|
Out Island postal packets. |
District postmasters to be appointed. |
Branch Post Offices |
Power to establish branch offices, etc. |
|
Officers under Postmaster General. |
Forwarding of postal packets. |
Duties of officer in charge of branch post
office. |
Branch post office to be part of post office
department. |
General |
|
Expenses to be defrayed out of post office
revenue. |
SCHEDULE - Declaration by Master of Vessel. |
CHAPTER 300 |
POST OFFICE |
An Act
relating to the Post Office. | 16 of 1914
5 of 1917
32 of 1925
2 of 1939
7 of 1952
43 of 1964
20 of 1965
E.L.A.O., 1974
S.I. 51/1976
5 of 1987
20 of 1989 |
[Commencement 21st
March, 1914] |
1. This Act may be cited as the Post Office Act. | Short title. |
2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires- | Interpretation. |
"mail"
includes every conveyance by which postal packets are carried, whether it be a
carriage, cart, dray, horse or any other conveyance, and also a person employed
in conveying or delivering postal packets, and also any vessel or boat employed
by or under the post office for the transmission of postal packets by contract
or otherwise in respect of postal packets transmitted by the vessel or boat; |
"mail
bag" includes a bag, box, parcel or any other envelope or covering in
which postal packets in course of transmission by post are conveyed, whether it
does or does not contain any such packets; |
"Minister"
means the Minister responsible for Postal Services; |
"officer of
the post office" includes the Postmaster General, and any person employed
in any business of the post office, whether employed by the Postmaster General,
or by any person under him or on behalf of the post office; |
"postage"
means the duty chargeable for the transmission of postal packets; |
"post
office" includes any house, building, room, carriage or place used for the
purpose of the post office, and any post office letter box; |
"postal
packet" means a letter, post card, newspaper, book
packet, or parcel or every packet or article transmissible by post; |
"prohibited
article" means any postal packet containing or bearing any fictitious
postage stamp, that is to say, any facsimile, or imitation or
representation of any stamp for denoting any rate or duty of postage, including
any stamp for denoting a rate or duty of postage of The Bahamas, or any country
of the Commonwealth, or of any foreign country; or purporting to be prepaid
with any postage stamp which has been previously used to prepay any other
postal packet, or any other revenue duty or tax; |
"rules"
means the rules made under this Act. |
Duties of Postage |
3. (1) Subject to the provisions of this Act, there
shall be charged, raised, levied and collected by the Postmaster-General for
payment into the Consolidated Fund on all packets which are conveyed or
delivered for conveyance by post under the authority of the Postmaster-General such
postage and other sums as may be fixed in the manner provided by this Act. | Postal packet subject to charge. |
(2) All postage
and other charges imposed under subsection (1) shall be prepaid by means of
postage stamps, impressions of meter franking machines used under licence
issued by the Minister, or official post office stamping dies which shall be
affixed to all postal packets liable to such postage to the amount of the rates
of postage payable thereon. |
4. The Minister may, by Order, fix the rates of postage
and other sums to be charged in respect of postal packets under this Act, and
regulate the scale of weights and the circumstances according to which those
rates and sums are to be charged. | Power of Minister to fix rates of postage. |
5. (1) Where the postage or any other sum chargeable on
any postal packet is not prepaid by the sender or is insufficiently prepaid,
the postage or sum, or the deficiency, as the case may be, shall be paid by the
person to whom the postal packet is addressed (in this Act styled the
addressee) on the delivery thereof to him; or, if the postal packet is refused,
or the addressee is dead or cannot be found, by the sender. | Payment of postage by addressee or sender. |
(2) Where the
postage or any other sum chargeable on a postal packet has not been prepaid or
has been insufficiently prepaid by the sender, and the addressee on receiving
the packet and paying the postage or other sum, or the deficiency, as the case
may be, desires to reject it, and to compel the sender thereof to pay the
postage or other sum or the deficiency, as the case may be, the Postmaster
General on the application of the addressee, and subject to the rules, may
charge the postage or other sum, or deficiency, as the case may be, to the
sender, with the additional postage of returning the packet to him, and in
every such case the sender of the postal packet shall pay the postage or other
sum chargeable on sending the packet, or the deficiency, as the case may be,
and also the postage or returning the packet, and on the payment thereof by the
sender the amount paid in respect of postage by the addressee shall be repaid
to him by the Postmaster General. |
(3) Nothing in
this section shall release the addressee from his liability to pay the postage
or other sum chargeable on a packet or any deficiency thereon on the delivery
thereof to him. |
6. All postage and other sums payable under this Act in
respect of postal packets may be sued for and recovered, without limit as to
amount, summarily at the suit and in the name of the Postmaster-General. | Recovery of postage. |
7. In any proceeding for the recovery of postage or
other sums payable in respect of postal packets- | Post office mark evidence of refusal, etc. |
(a) the
production of any postal packet in respect of which any such postage or sum is
sought to be recovered, having thereupon a post office stamp denoting that the
packet has been refused or rejected, or that the addressee was dead or could
not be found, shall be prima facie evidence of the fact denoted; |
(b) the person
from whom any postal packet in respect of which any such postage or sum is
sought to be recovered purports to have come shall, until the contrary is proved,
be deemed to be the sender of the packet. |
8. (1) The official mark of any sum of any postal
packet as due in respect of that packet to the post office of The Bahamas or of
any foreign country shall in every court be received as sufficient proof of the
liability of the packet to the sum so marked unless the contrary is shown, and
the sum shall be recoverable without limit as to amount summarily as postage at
the suit and in the name of the Postmaster-General. | Official mark to be evidence of amount of postage. |
(2) In any such
proceedings as mentioned in subsection (1) or section 7, a certificate purporting
to be signed by the Postmaster-General that any mark or stamp is such a mark or
stamp as is mentioned in those provisions shall be sufficient proof thereof
unless the contrary is shown. |
9. All duties of postage and other sums in respect of
postal packets payable in pursuance of this Act, or any order made under this
Act, shall be chargeable as stamp duties, and all Acts relating to stamp duties
shall apply accordingly. | Provision for stamps. |
Conditions of
Transit of Postal Packets |
10. All postal packets shall be posted, forwarded,
conveyed and delivered subject to such provisions, conditions, prohibitions and
restrictions respecting the time and mode of posting and delivery, and of the
payment of postage and other sums in respect thereof chargeable under this Act
or any order made under this Act, and respecting the registration of, and
giving receipts for, and giving and obtaining certificates of posting and delivery
of, any postal packet, and the sums to be paid in addition to any other postage
for that registration, receipt or certificate, and respecting stamps,
dies with advertisements or slogans, covers, form, dimensions, maximum weight,
enclosures, the use of packets (other than letters) for making communications
and otherwise, as may be directed by the rules. | Rules as to postal packets. |
11. The registration of or giving a receipt for a
postal packet, or the giving or obtaining of a certificate of posting or
delivery of a postal packet, shall not render the Postmaster General or the
post office revenue in any manner liable for the loss of the packet or the
contents thereof. | Liability for loss of postal packets. |
12. Rules may be made for preventing the sending or
delivery by post of indecent or obscene prints, paintings, photographs,
lithographs, engravings, books or cards, or of other indecent or obscene articles,
or of letters, newspapers, supplements, publications, packets or post cards
having thereon, or on the covers thereof, any words, marks or designs of an
indecent, obscene, libellous or grossly offensive character
or for preventing the sending or use of any prohibited article. | Rules for preventing sending by post indecent
articles, etc. |
13. (1) If any postal packet is posted or sent by post
in contravention of this Act, or of any rule made thereunder, the transmission
thereof may be refused, and the packet may, if necessary, be detained and
opened in the post office, and shall be either returned to the sender thereof,
or forwarded to its destination, in either case charged with such additional
postage at a rate not exceeding the letter rate of postage, or without any
additional charge, as the rules may direct. | Dealing with postal packets not sent in conformity
with Act. |
(2) The authority
given to the Postmaster General by subsection (1) of this section may be
exercised by him in all respects in cases where the postal packet dealt with
thereunder is or has been posted without The Bahamas. |
14. (1) The Postmaster General may detain any postal
packet suspected to contain any contraband goods, and forward the packet to the
Comptroller of Customs and the Comptroller of Customs, in the presence of the
person to whom the packet is addressed, or if, after notice in writing from him
requiring his attendance, left at or forwarded by post to the address on the
packet, he fails to attend, then in his absence, may open and examine the
packet, and, if he finds any contraband goods, may detain the packet and its
contents for the purpose of prosecution; and, if he finds no contraband goods,
shall either deliver the packet to the person to whom it is addressed, upon his
paying the postage, if any, chargeable thereon or, if he is absent, shall
forward the packet to him by post. | Postal packets with contraband goods. |
(2)
This section shall not apply to official consular correspondence. |
15. If any question arises whether any postal packet
is a letter or any other description of postal packet within the meaning of
this Act, or of any order made under this Act, the decision
thereon of the Postmaster General shall be final, save that the Minister may,
if he thinks fit, on the application of any person interested, reverse or
modify the decision, and order accordingly. | Decisions as to postal packets. |
16. It shall be lawful for the Minister to continue to
maintain the existing money order system for the granting of money orders on
postmasters in the Commonwealth, or any foreign state, and the payment of any
orders drawn by such postmasters on the Postmaster General,
and to establish such a system with any other part of the Commonwealth or any
other foreign state, and from time to time to modify, amend, abolish, cancel or
rescind any such system. | Minister to continue to maintain money order system. |
British Postal
Orders |
17. It shall be lawful for the Minister to continue to
maintain the existing arrangements under which British postal orders are
issued, and paid in The Bahamas, and from time to time modify, amend, abolish,
cancel or rescind such arrangement. | British postal orders. |
18. (1) The loss resulting from the payment of a
forged order in the United Kingdom or in The Bahamas shall be shared between
the United Kingdom and The Bahamas in such proportion as may be agreed on by
the proper authorities in the United Kingdom and the Governor-General. | Loss on forged orders. |
(2) Such
proportionate share of loss to be borne by The Bahamas shall be paid out of the
Consolidated Fund by warrant in the usual manner. |
Postal Union |
19. The Governor-General may from time to time make
the necessary arrangements with the proper authorities to enable The Bahamas to
continue a member of the International Postal Union. | Governor-General to arrange continuance of The Bahamas
in Postal Union. |
20. It shall be lawful for the Governor-General to
continue to maintain the existing arrangements under which a parcel post exists
between The Bahamas and any part of the Commonwealth or any foreign state, and
from time to time to modify, amend, abolish, cancel or rescind such
arrangements and to establish a parcel post between The Bahamas and any other
part of the Commonwealth or any other foreign state, and from time to time
modify, amend, abolish, cancel or rescind the same. | Governor-General to continue to maintain and to extend
parcel post. |
21. (1) Any loss resulting from loss of or damage to a
postal parcel shall be shared between any such part of the Commonwealth and The
Bahamas or between any such foreign state and The Bahamas respectively in such
proportions as may be agreed on by the proper authorities in any such part of
the Commonwealth, or in any such foreign state, respectively, and the
Governor-General. | Loss on parcels. |
(2) Such
proportionate share of loss to be borne by The Bahamas shall be paid out of the
Consolidated Fund by warrant in the usual manner. |
Ship Letters |
22. (1) Every master of a vessel outward bound shall
receive on board his vessel every mail bag tendered to him by an officer of the
post office for conveyance, and having received it shall deliver it, on
arriving at the port or place of his destination, without delay. | Duties of masters of outward bound vessels as respects
mail bags. |
(2) If he fails to
comply with this section he shall forfeit eight hundred
dollars. |
23. (1) Every master of a vessel arriving at any port
of entry shall collect all postal packets on board his vessel being within the
exclusive privilege of the Postmaster General, and not being letters by this
Act defined as shipowners' letters, and without delay deliver those packets to
the proper officer of the post office demanding them, or, if no demand is made
by that officer, then at the post office at such port. | Duties of masters of inward bound vessels as respects
postal packets. |
(2) The master of
every such vessel shall, at the port where the vessel reports, sign, in the
presence of the proper officer of the post office or other person authorised by
the Postmaster General, a declaration of compliance with this Act (which may be
in the form contained in the Schedule to this Act), and shall not break bulk
or make entry of any part of her cargo in any port until he has complied with
this section. The declaration shall also be signed by the person in whose
presence it is made. |
(3) If the master
of a vessel does not duly deliver any postal packets in accordance with this
section, he shall forfeit eight hundred dollars. |
(4) If the master
of a vessel refuses or wilfully neglects to make the declaration required by
this section, he shall forfeit two hundred dollars. |
(5) If the master
of a vessel breaks bulk or makes entry before the postal packets on board his
vessel have been delivered in accordance with this section he shall be liable
on summary conviction to a fine of eighty dollars. |
24. (1) If a master of a vessel- | Penalty for master of vessel opening mail bag. |
(a) opens a
sealed mail bag with which he is entrusted for conveyance; |
(b) takes out
of a mail bag with which he is entrusted for conveyance any postal packet or
other thing, |
he shall
forfeit eight hundred dollars. |
(2) If any person
to whom postal packets have been entrusted by the master of a vessel to be
brought on shore breaks the seal, or in any manner wilfully opens them, he
shall on summary conviction be liable to a fine of eighty dollars. |
25. (1) An officer of customs shall not allow any
inward bound vessel to report until the declaration required by this Act with
respect to postal packets has been made and produced to him, and may refuse to
permit bulk to be broken on board such a vessel or entry to be made of any part
of her cargo until the postal packets on board the vessel have been delivered
as required by this Act, and may search every such vessel for postal packets
which may be on board contrary to this Act, and may seize the same and forward
them to the nearest post office. | Duties of officers of customs as to delivery of
letters by masters of vessels. |
(2)
For the purposes of this section and of sections 23, 24, 26, 27 and 28- |
(a) references
to a vessel or a ship include references to an aircraft; and |
(b) references
to a master of a vessel include references to the commander or pilot of an
aircraft. |
26. (1) The following letters (in this Act referred to
as shipowners' letters), that is to say, letters of the owners, charterers or
consignees of vessels inward bound, and of the owners, consignees or shippers
of goods on board those vessels, when complying with the conditions hereinafter
mentioned shall be delivered to the owners, charterers, consignees or shippers
by the master free of postage, and the persons to whom they are to be delivered
shall be entitled to the delivery thereof before the delivery of the other
letters to the post office: | Shipowners' letters. |
Provided that- |
(a) the owner,
charterer or consignee shall be described as such on the address and
superscription; and |
(b) in the case
of the owners, shippers or consignees of goods, it shall also appear by the
ship's manifest that they have goods on board the vessel. |
(2) If any person
with intent to evade any postage falsely superscribes a letter as being the
owner or charterer or consignee of the vessel conveying the letter, or as the
owner or the shipper or the consignee of goods shipped on the vessel, he shall
for each offence be liable on summary conviction to a fine of
forty dollars. |
27. The rules may provide for the allowance to masters
of vessels in respect of postal packets, or any description thereof, conveyed
by them on behalf of the post office, of such gratuities under such conditions
and restrictions as the Minister may, from time to time, think fit. | Gratuities to masters of vessels. |
28. If any person, being either the master or one of
the officers or crew of a vessel inward bound, or a passenger thereof,
knowingly has in his baggage or in his possession or custody any postal packet,
except a postal packet not within the privilege of the Postmaster
General, after the master has sent any part of the postal packets on board his
vessel to the post office, he shall for every such packet be liable on summary
conviction to a fine of twenty dollars; and, if he detains any such packet
after demand made, either by an officer of customs or by any person authorised
by the Postmaster General to demand the postal packets on board the vessel, he
shall for every postal packet be liable on summary conviction to a fine of
forty dollars. | Retention of letters after delivery of letters to post
office. |
Legal Proceedings |
29. The provisions of any Act respecting the
punishment of offences connected with stamp duties shall apply in like manner
as if any poundage or commission chargeable for a postal order were stamp duty,
and as if the paper used for postal orders were paper provided by the
Treasurer. | Punishment of offences in relation to postal orders,
and the poundage thereon. |
30. (1) In any legal proceedings for any offence
committed or attempted to be committed, or in any malicious, injurious or
fraudulent act or thing done in, upon or with respect to the post office or the
post office revenue, or any mail bag, postal packet, money order or any
chattel, money or valuable security, sent by post, or in anywise concerning any
property under the management or control of the Postmaster General it shall be
sufficient to allege the property to belong to the Postmaster General of The Bahamas,
and to allege any such act or thing to have been done with intent to injure or
defraud such Postmaster General, without in either case naming the person who
is Postmaster General, and it shall not be necessary to allege or to prove upon
the trial or otherwise that the mail bag, postal packet, money order, chattel,
money, security or property is of any value. | Provisions as to form of proceedings. |
(2) In any legal
proceeding against any officer of the post office for any offence committed
against this Act, it shall be sufficient to allege that the alleged offender
was an officer of the post office at the time of the committing of the offence,
without stating further the nature or particulars of his employment. |
31. On the prosecution of any offence under this Act,
whether on summary conviction or on information, evidence that any article is
in the course of transmission by post, or has been accepted on behalf of the
Postmaster General for transmission by post, shall be sufficient evidence that
the article is a postal packet. | Evidence of article being a postal packet. |
32. The Postmaster General, with the approval of the
Attorney-General, may compromise and compound any legal proceeding against any
person for recovering any fine or forfeiture incurred under this Act, on such
terms and conditions as the Postmaster General in his absolute discretion
thinks proper, with full power for him, or any of his officers or agents
authorised by him for the purpose to accept any fine or forfeiture so incurred
or alleged to be incurred, or any part thereof, without any legal proceeding
for recovery thereof. | Power to compound actions. |
33. When proceedings are taken before any court
against a person in respect of an offence under this Act, which is also an
offence punishable at common law, or under some Act other than this Act, the
court may direct that instead of those proceedings being continued, proceedings
shall be taken for punishing that person at common law, or under some Act other
than this Act. | Saving clause as to liability. |
34. All fines, forfeitures and other sums recovered in
respect of an offence under this Act shall, notwithstanding anything in any
other Act, be paid into the Consolidated Fund. | Application of fines. |
Construction |
35. For the purpose of this Act- | Meaning of "in course of transmission by
post" and "delivery to or from a post". |
(a) a postal
packet shall be deemed to be in course of transmission by post from the time of
its being delivered to a post office to the time of its being delivered to the
person to whom it is addressed; |
(b) the
delivery of a postal packet of any description into a letter box provided by the
Postmaster-General for the purpose or to a person authorised to receive postal
packets of that description for the post shall be a delivery to a post office; |
(c) the
delivery of a postal packet into the private post office box to which
or of the person to whom the packet is addressed, or to him or to his servant
or agent or other person considered to be authorised to receive the packet,
according to the usual manner of delivering that person's postal packets, shall
be a delivery to the person addressed. |
Postmaster and
Officers |
36. The officers of the post office department shall
give daily attendance thereat on the days and during the hours prescribed by
any Act prescribing the hours of attendance of public officers, and such
officers shall give further attendance at the said office on all such other
days and at all such other hours as may be necessary to insure the prompt
receipt of mails and early distribution and delivery of postal packets, and also
for the making up and despatch of mails from the said office. | Attendance of officers. |
37. The Postmaster General shall forward to the
several district postmasters at the Out Islands all postal packets received at
the post office in Nassau directed to residents at any such Out Island. | Out Island postal packets. |
38. (1) The Minister may, with the consent of the
Minister responsible for Local Government Administration, designate any
commissioner as a district postmaster for any Out Island District. | District postmasters to be appointed. |
(2) District
postmasters shall be under the immediate orders and directions of the
Postmaster General as the head of the department, and shall correspond with and
make all their financial and other returns, reports and payments to or through
him. | District postmasters under Postmaster General. |
(3) District postmasters
shall forward, by the earliest conveyance, all postal packets received by them
for onward transmission unless the packets are due to be forwarded in a mail
authorised by the Postmaster-General or they are for delivery within the
District. | Duties of district postmasters. |
(4) Every district
postmaster shall, as soon as practicable after the thirty-first day of March,
the thirtieth day of June, the thirtieth day of September, and the thirty-first
day of December, in each and every year, make out a true and faithful account
in duplicate of all moneys received by him under the authority of any Act
relating to the post office department during the then preceding quarter; and
shall transmit the same, together with the amount of money then in his hands
belonging to the department, to the Postmaster General at Nassau. |
(5) District
postmasters shall receive suchreasonable remuneration as may from time to time be
deemed just and fair by the Governor-General. | Remuneration of district postmasters. |
Branch Post
Offices |
39. (1) The Minister may, by Order, establish branch
post offices in New Providence, and determine the area over which such branch
post offices shall extend. | Power to establish branch offices, etc. |
(2) The number of
officers of which such branch post offices shall be composed, shall from time
to time be determined by the Minister. | Number of officers and salaries |
(3) The officers
of any branch post office shall be appointed by the Governor-General, acting in
accordance with the advice of the Public Service Commission, and shall hold
office during pleasure. | Appointment of officers. |
40. The officers of any branch post office shall give
attendance thereat on the days and during the hours prescribed by the Minister. | Attendance of officers. |
41. The officers of any branch post office shall be
under the immediate orders and directions of the Postmaster General as the head
of the department, and shall make all their financial and other returns,
reports and payments to or through him. | Officers under Postmaster General. |
42. The Postmaster General shall without delay forward
to the officer in charge of any branch post office all postal packets received
at the post office directed to box renters and
general delivery addresses at such branch office, and the officer in charge of
any branch office shall without delay forward to the Postmaster-General all
postal packets received by him for onward transmission except those addressed
to box renters or to general delivery addresses at that office. | Forwarding of postal packets. |
43. Every officer in charge of a branch post office
shall as soon as practicable after the first day of each month in each and
every year, make out a true and faithful account, in duplicate, of all moneys
received by him under the authority of any Act relating to the post office
department during the then preceding month; and shall deliver or cause the same
to be delivered, together with the amount of money then in his hands belonging
to the department, to the Postmaster General. | Duties of officer in charge of branch post office. |
44. Any branch post office established under this Act
shall be a part of the post office department, and any officer of any branch
post office shall be an officer of the post office. | Branch post office to be part of post office
department. |
General |
45. (1) The Minister shall have the power to make
rules for carrying out the objects and provisions of this Act. | Rules. |
(2)
Without limiting the generality of subsection (1) any rules made thereunder may
provide for- |
(a) the rental
of private boxes; |
(b) the
provision of members of the public of parking facilities on land owned by the
Government and under the administration of the post office department; |
(c) the rates
to be charged for and the other terms and conditions applicable to, the
provision of such private boxes and parking facilities; and |
(d) the
imposition, payment and recovery of penalties for the non-payment of fees for
the use of private boxes or of the parking facilities, including the sanction
of summary convictions for any such non-payment. |
46. The salaries of the officers of any branch post
office and all expenses attending the housing and management of the post office
department shall be defrayed by the Postmaster General, with the sanction of
the Minister, out of
the post office revenue from time to time received by the Postmaster General,
and all payments so sanctioned and vouched for under the hand of the Minister
shall be deemed to have been paid and disbursed by the Postmaster General under
the authority of this Act and allowed accordingly. | Expenses to be defrayed out of post office revenue. |
SCHEDULE (Section 23(2)) |
DECLARATION BY
MASTER OF VESSEL |
I, A. B., master
of the (state the name of the ship or vessel), arriving from (state
the place), do, as required by law, solemnly declare that I have, to the
best of my knowledge and belief, delivered or caused to be delivered to the
Post Office every mail bag, package, postal packet, or parcel of postal packets,
that was on board the (state the name of the ship or vessel), except
such packets as are exempted by law. |
Declared to
...........................................................................................
this ....................................... day of
......................................... 19 .....
before me
............................................................................................. |