Express delivery of letters and parcels may be effected in either of three manners, namely :—(a) By special messenger all the way. This is the most rapid service, and to secure it letters, &c., should be handed in at an express delivery office. A cab or any other special conveyance for the messenger can be arranged for ; several letters or packets may be sent for distribution amongst different addressees ; on completion of delivery the messenger may take a reply or perform a further express delivery service—the words " wait reply," or " further service," should be written by the sender above the address ; a packet may be handed to a telegraph messenger for express delivery, and an express delivery messenger is permitted to take a telegram for transmission ; late fee letters can be posted at railway stations by the messenger ; and letters may be so taken to a railway station for transmission by rail, and trains met for the reception of railway letters. Living animals may be delivered by messenger ; and a person may also be conducted to any address on payment of the mileage fee. (b) Express delivery to addressee after transmission by post. This can be ensured by marking the words " Express delivery " above the address on the left-hand side of the cover (whether of letter or parcel); but in the case of a letter the cover must also be marked with a broad perpendicular line from top to bottom, both on front and back. Parcels and registered letters for this service must be handed in at a post office, or to a rural postman. In addition to the full ordinary postage the express fee is 3d., which must be prepaid. (c) Persons or firms who desire at any time to receive their postal delivery, of any kind, in advance of the ordinary delivery, may have them delivered by special messenger on payment of the prescribed fee. Signed application for this must be made at the post office from which the letters are ordinarily delivered.
Other features of the postal service might be set out at some length. Space, however, fbrbids anything more than a slight notice. There are, for example, special regulations 'with regard to the transmission of commercial papers, circulars, and books ; the express delivery system is available in correspondence with a number of foreign countries, and the telephone may be used in connection with that system.
Conditions of free re-direction.—Letters, book packets, post cards, and newspapers are not liable to additional postage for re-direction, whether re directed by an officer of the post office or by an agent of the addressee after delivery, provided in the later case that the letters, &c., are re-posted not later than the day (Sundays and public holidays not being counted) after delivery, and that they do not appear to have been opened or tampered with. Re-directed letters, &c., which are re-posted later than the day after delivery will be liable to charge at the prepaid rate. Any which appear to have been opened or tampered with will be chargeable as freshly posted unpaid letters or packets. W'henever it may be thought necessary, a receipt inay be required from the addressee of a re-directed letter or packet at the second address. Parcels treated differently.— Parcels are, when re-directed, liable to additional postage at the prepaid rate for each re-direction except where the original and corrected addresses are both within a delivery from the same post office, and the re-direction is made within the period of free re-direction. Re-diredion qf registered packets.—Itegistered letters or packets, on being re-directed, cannot be dropped into a letter-box, but must be taken to a post office to be dealt with as registered. No additional postage or registration fee will be charged upon them if they are presented for re-registration not later than the clay after delivery, but if they are presented after that time they will be treated as freshly posted, and fresh postage and registration fees will be payable in respect of them. If a registered letter or packet when re-directed, instead of being given back to the post office to be dealt with as registered, is dropped into a letter-box as an ordinary letter or packet (the word "registered" not having been erased, or having been erased in pencil only-), it becomes liable to surcharge on delivery. Notices of renioral.—Notices of removal and applications for letters, &c., to be re-directed, must in all cases be signed by the persons to whom the letters are addressed. Printed forins can be obtained from the local postmaster, and in London at any district or branch (Alice, or from the postman of the walk ; and, when filled up and signed, they should be given to the postmaster or to the postman. It is desirable, however, in order to preN ent mistakes, that persons who are about to change their residence should inform their correspondents beforehand of their intention, so that their letters may be tlirected in the first instance to their new address. Separate notices should be filled up if it is desired that parcels and telegrams are to be re-directed. The post office does not undertake to for the re-direction
of letters, book packets, post cards, and newspapers, for a longer period than twelve months from the date of removal, but it is open to any person, after his correspondence has been re-directed for that time, to apply for an extension of the privilege on prepayment of a fee of Is. a year for the second and third years. Letters, &c., cannot be re-directed for tnore than three years after the change of address. Cases in which correspondence is not re-directed.—The post office does not undertake re-direction for a person temporarily leaving home, unless the house is left uninhabited ; nor does it undertake to re-direct letters addressed to clubs, hotels, boarding-houses, or lodgings.
Disposal of undelivered correspondence.—Every letter should bear the full name anti address of the sender, in order to ensure its retail. in case of non delivery. An undelivered inland letter bearing the full name and address of the sender printed or written on the outside is returned direct and unopened. Other undelivered inland letters are sent to the Returned Letter Office, where they are opened, and returned, if possible, to the senders ; if they contain neither sender's address nor any enclosure of importance they are destroyed. I.etters found to contain value are recorded, and, if returned, are registered. Letters from abroad are returned unopened to the country of origin after a brief deten tion in the Returned Letter Office. Book packets (not exceeding 2 ozs. in weight), post cards, and newspapers which cannot be delivered are disposed of as follows : (1) those bearing on the outside the name and address of the sender with a request for their return in case of non-dolivery are sent back direct from the office of delivery, and are delivered to the sender on payment of a second postage ; (2) those bearing on the outside no request for return in case of non delivery are disposed of at the head office of delivery. Senders of packets prepaid one halfpenny are desired by the post-office authorities —(a) to print or write their name and address, with a request for return, on the outside of every packet which they wish to recover in case of nonalelivery ; (b) to place such request upon the front of the packet in the upper left-hand corner and in small type, in order that it may not be confounded with the original address on the packet ; (c) to word the request somewhat as follows, " In case of non-delivery, to be returned to (name and address of sender)." Foreign and Colonial moils.—To most of the British possessions and pro tectorates the rate of letter postage is id. per half oz. ; and generally, for all colonies and foreign countries, whether in the postal union or not, the rate is ‘4d. per half oz. Letters posted unpaid, or insufficiently prepaid, for any country in which prepayment is compulsory, are returned to the writers ; and no letter may exceed 2 ft. in length or 1 ft. in width or depth. The addresses of letters for Russia should be very plainly wt Men ; the name of the town and of the province in which it is situated should also be added in English, French, or German. Printed and commercial papers are transmitted at the rate of Id. per 2 oz., with a minimum charge of 20. Commercial papers comprise such papers as deeds, bills of lading, invoice and public companies paper. They must be posted either without a cover (in which case they should not be fastened), or in an ordinary envelope left wholly unfastened or a cover entirely open at both ends, so as to admit of the contents being easily withdrawn for examination. For the greater security of the contents, however, the packets may be tied at the ends with string; but the string must be easy to unfasten. In order to secure the return of packets which cannot be delivered, the names und addresses of the senders should be printed or written outside. Printed matter is subject to exceptional conditions in many colonies and fo”;:ign countries. For instance, in Queensland advertising matter other than catalogues and prices current is liable to customs duty ; in Russia, as a general rule, printed matter in the Russian language is prohibited ; in the United States there is a customs duty of 25 per cent. of the value of all books and printed matter, the only exemptions being (a) newspapers and periodicals already exempt from duty ; (b) photographs and printed papers, other than books, received in the United States in such small quantities as to suggest that they are intended for personal use and not for sale; (c) books, engravings, nhotographs, etchings, maps, charts, and music, which have been printed more than twenty years, publications printed for private consultation or issued for subscribers, or exchanges by scientific and literary associations or academies, books and music in raised print for the use of the blind, and works ,printed exclusively in any other than the English language.