Section VI Recital that Ship Letters have been detained or delivered to improper Persons.

Ships Letters to be put into Post Office.; Exception.

And whereas upon the arrivall of Shipps from parts beyond the Seas into severall Ports within His Majesties Dominions many Letters directed to severall Merchants and others have beene detained long to the great damage of the Merchants in want of that speedy advice and intelligence which they might have had if the same had beene forthwith dispatched by the setled Posts, and sometimes such Letters have beene delivered by the Masters or Passengers of such Shipps to ignorant and loose hands that understand not the way and meanes of speedy conveyance and delivery of Letters whereby great prejudice hath accrued to the affaires of Merchants and others as well by the miscarriage of many Letters soe brought as oftentimes by the opening of the same to the discovery of the Correspondencies and secrets of the Merchant. Be it further Enacted by the Authoritie aforesaid That all Letters and Pacquets that by any Master of any Shipp or Vessell or any of his Company or any Passengers therein shall or may be brought to any Port Towne within His Majestyes Dominions or any of the Members thereof other then such Letters as are before excepted, & may be sent by common knowne Carriours in manner aforesaid or by a friend as aforesaid shall by such Master Passenger or other person bee forthwith delivered unto the Deputy or Deputyes onely of the said Post Master Generall for the time being by him appointed for the said Port towne and by him or them to be sent post unto the said Generall Post Office to be delivered according to the severall and respective directions of the same.