The Telegraph Act 1885 (48 & 49 Vict. c. 58) was an Act of the

Parliament of the United Kingdom The Parliament of the United Kingdom is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of Westminster, London. It alone possesses legislative suprema ...

. It became law on 14 August 1885. It was considered to be read as one with the previous Acts of 1863–1878, and cited with them as the Telegraph Acts; it was also considered a

Post Office Act Post Office Act (with their variations) is a stock short title initially used in the United Kingdom and later in the United States and other English speaking countries, for legislation relating to the post office. List Bahamas *Post Office Act 19 ...

with regard to the Post Office (Offences) Act 1837. It repealed Section 15 of the

Telegraph Act 1868 The Telegraph Act 1868 (31 & 32 Vict. c.110) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It paved the way for the British state to take over telegraph companies and/or their operations. It has been effectively repealed (only s.1, provi ...

, and substituted for it provisions enabling the

Postmaster-General A Postmaster General, in Anglosphere countries, is the chief executive officer of the postal service of that country, a ministerial office responsible for overseeing all other postmasters. The practice of having a government official responsible ...

, with the consent of the Commissioners of the Treasury, to make regulations about the hours and general conduct of business at telegraph offices, the conditions of use of telegraphic services, and the fees for those services. However, it laid down maximum charges for the most common uses of the service. It stipulated that charges throughout the United Kingdom were to be at a fixed rate regardless of distance, not exceeding 6''d'' for the first twelve words or ½''d'' per additional word, inclusive of addresses. This charge was to include delivery on foot within one mile of the telegraph office, or to the town postal boundaries; if the message was to travel further, it would be delivered with the next standard postal delivery from that office, at no additional charge, or optionally by foot messenger at no more than 6''d'' per two miles. All regulations made under this Act were to be laid before Parliament, and have statutory force; any regulations made under the 1868 Act were to remain in force until repealed by the Postmaster-General or superseded by new regulations. The Act extended to the

Isle of Man ) , anthem = "O Land of Our Birth" , image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg , image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg , mapsize = , map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe , map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green) in Europe ...

and the

Channel Islands The Channel Islands ( nrf, Îles d'la Manche; french: îles Anglo-Normandes or ''îles de la Manche'') are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two Crown Dependencies: the Bailiwick of Jersey, ...

. It was one of

Post Office Acts 1837 to 1895 Post Office Act (with their variations) is a stock short title initially used in the United Kingdom and later in the United States and other English speaking countries, for legislation relating to the post office. List Bahamas * Post Office Act 1 ...

.The

Short Titles Act 1896 The Short Titles Act 1896 (59 & 60 Vict c 14) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It replaces the Short Titles Act 1892. This Act was retained for the Republic of Ireland by section 2(2)(a) of, and Part 4 of Schedule 1 to, the ...

, section 2(1) and Schedule 2

References

*''Oliver & Boyd's new Edinburgh almanac and national repository for the year 1886''. Oliver & Boyd, Edinburgh, 1886
Terramedia
UK media law - accessed 6 March 2009 United Kingdom Acts of Parliament 1885 1885 in British law Telecommunications in the United Kingdom {{UK-statute-stub

See also

References