CHAPTER VIII
SHIP LETTERS
- Duty of master of ship, departing from any port in India and not being a mail ship, to convey mail bags.- The master of ship, not being a mail ship, about to depart from any port in [India] to any port within, or any port or place beyond, [India], shall receive on board any mail bag tendered to him by any officer of the Post Office for conveyance, granting a receipt therefore in such form as the [Central Government] may, by rule, prescribe and shall, without delay, deliver the same at the port or place of destination.
- Duty of master of ship arriving at any port in India in respect of postal articles and mail bags on board.- (1) The master of a ship arriving at any port in [India] shall, without delay, cause every postal article or mail bag on board which is directed to that port and is within the exclusive privilege conferred on the [Central Government] by section 4, to be delivered either at the post office at that port or to some officer of the Post Office authorized in this behalf by the Post Master General.
(2) If there is on board any postal article or mail bag which is directed to any other place within [India] and is within the exclusive privilege aforesaid, the master shall, without delay, report the fact to the officer in charge of the post office at the port of arrival and act according to the directors he may receive from such officer, and the receipt of such officer shall discharge him from all further responsibility in respect of the postal article or mail bag.
- Allowances of gratuities for conveyance of postal articles by ships other than mail ships. – The [Central Government] may, by notification in the [Official Gazette], declare what gratuities shall be allowed to masters of ships, not being mail ships, in respect of postal articles received by them for conveyance on behalf of the post office; and the master of a ship, not being a mail ship, about to leave any port in [India] as aforesaid shall, if he received on board a mail bag for conveyance, be entitled to demand and obtain immediately the amount of the gratuity payable under this section in respect of the mail bag and its contents.