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Opening or de laying postal packets.
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56.—(1) If any officer of the Post Office, contrary to his duty, opens or procures or suffers to be opened any postal packet in course of transmission by post, or wilfully detains or delays, or procures or suffers to be detained or delayed, any such postal packet, he shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and being convicted thereof shall be liable, at the discretion of the court, to imprisonment with or without hard labour, or to a fine, or to both such imprisonment and fine.
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(2) Provided that nothing in this section shall extend to the opening, detaining, or delaying of a postal packet returned for want of a true direction, or returned by reason that the person to whom the same is directed is dead or cannot be found, or shall have refused the same, or shall have refused or neglected to pay the postage thereof, or to the opening or detaining or delaying of a postal packet under the authority of this Act or in obedience to an express warrant in writing under the hand of a Secretary of State: Provided that the warrant in Scotland may be either under the hand of a Secretary of State or of the Secretary for Scotland, in Ireland shall be under the hand and seal of the Lord Lieutenant, and in the Isle of Man shall be under the hand of the Governor issued with the sanction of a Secretary of State.
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