Telegraph Act 1870
Encyclopedia
The Telegraph Act 1870 was an Act
of the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
. It extended the Telegraph Act 1868
to cover the Channel Islands
and the Isle of Man
, thus allowing the British state to nationalise telegraph companies in these territories. It gave orders to the Postmaster General to nationalize the Jersey and Guernsey Telegraph Company and the Isle of Man Electric Telegraph Company (the sale of which to the government had already been agreed in October 1868). The Act further makes clear that the Submarine Telegraph Company, which had laid a commercial submarine telegraph cable across the English Channel
in 1853, was not to be affected. The Act was introduced partly due to the efforts of William Henry Preece
, who was chief engineer of the Jersey and Guernsey Telegraph Company and a major shareholder, and had campaigned on behalf of the Channel Islands' inclusion in the Act of 1868.
The Isle of Man Telegraph Company was nationalised under the Act at a cost to the Post Office
of £16,106. The shareholders received in total £11,774, which was approximately 160 times the worth of their holdings. The Jersey and Guernsey Telegraph Company was also purchased by the Government.
The Act was modified in 1923 in order to clarify the fact that the legislation does not apply to the Irish Free State
or any of its successors. Its provisions have been made essentially redundant by the Telecommunications Act 1984, which allowed the Channel Islands' telecommunication companies to be privatized, leading to the creation of Jersey Telecom
, Manx Telecom
and Sure.
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
of the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
. It extended the Telegraph Act 1868
Telegraph Act 1868
The Telegraph Act 1868 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
to cover the Channel Islands
Channel Islands
The Channel Islands are an archipelago of British Crown Dependencies in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two separate bailiwicks: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey...
and the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
, thus allowing the British state to nationalise telegraph companies in these territories. It gave orders to the Postmaster General to nationalize the Jersey and Guernsey Telegraph Company and the Isle of Man Electric Telegraph Company (the sale of which to the government had already been agreed in October 1868). The Act further makes clear that the Submarine Telegraph Company, which had laid a commercial submarine telegraph cable across the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
in 1853, was not to be affected. The Act was introduced partly due to the efforts of William Henry Preece
William Henry Preece
Sir William Henry Preece was a Welsh electrical engineer and inventor. Preece relied on experiments and physical reasoning in his life's work. Upon his retirement from the Post Office in 1899, Preece was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath .-Biography:Preece was born in Caernarfon ,...
, who was chief engineer of the Jersey and Guernsey Telegraph Company and a major shareholder, and had campaigned on behalf of the Channel Islands' inclusion in the Act of 1868.
The Isle of Man Telegraph Company was nationalised under the Act at a cost to the Post Office
Royal Mail
Royal Mail is the government-owned postal service in the United Kingdom. Royal Mail Holdings plc owns Royal Mail Group Limited, which in turn operates the brands Royal Mail and Parcelforce Worldwide...
of £16,106. The shareholders received in total £11,774, which was approximately 160 times the worth of their holdings. The Jersey and Guernsey Telegraph Company was also purchased by the Government.
The Act was modified in 1923 in order to clarify the fact that the legislation does not apply to the Irish Free State
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand...
or any of its successors. Its provisions have been made essentially redundant by the Telecommunications Act 1984, which allowed the Channel Islands' telecommunication companies to be privatized, leading to the creation of Jersey Telecom
Jersey Telecom
JT Global is the former monopoly incumbent operator in the Bailiwick of Jersey. Jersey is incorporated into the UK National Telephone Numbering Plan area codes of +44 1534 for landlines and +44 7797 for Jersey Telecom mobiles, +44 7700 for Cable and Wireless mobiles and +44 7829 for Jersey Airtel...
, Manx Telecom
Manx Telecom
Manx Telecom is the primary provider of broadband and telecommunications on the Isle of Man. It was acquired by Telefónica in , but was sold to two private equity groups in 2010.- History :...
and Sure.
External links
- Original text of the Act on the UK Office of Public Sector Information website - http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1870/pdf/ukpga_18700088_en.pdf.
- Amended text of the Act on the UK Statute Law Database - http://www.statutelaw.gov.uk/content.aspx?LegType=All+Legislation&title=Telegraph+Act+&Year=1870&searchEnacted=0&extentMatchOnly=0&confersPower=0&blanketAmendment=0&sortAlpha=0&TYPE=QS&PageNumber=1&NavFrom=0&parentActiveTextDocId=1051482&ActiveTextDocId=1051482&filesize=8360