Page 165 - British Post Office Notices 1666 to 1799

1780-1789

And also that all Persons, who by Virtue of their Offices, send and receive Letters and Packets free, shall send and
receive them, in the Manner and under such Restrictions, as Members of Parliament.
By this Act you will see, that Lords and Members of Parliament may send and receive their own Letters free, to and
from all Places in Great-Britain, but that other Persons are not to abuse this Revenue, by making Use of their Names.
As it will be difficult for the Inspectors of Franks, or the Postmasters in the Country to know at all Times whether a
Member may be at the Place to which Letters may be directed to him, you are to be very circumspect in charging with the
Duty of Postage, all such Letters and Packets as may be directed to Lords and Members of Parliament, at Places within
your District, when they are not actually there at the Time of the Delivery thereof, whether they may come from this Office
with the Free Stamp, or from the Country Postmasters, untaxed; and if the Persons or Servants at the Houses they are
directed to, should refuse to pay the Postage, you will desire them to alter the Direction to the Places where the Members
may be, and you may forward them accordingly. On the other Hand, you are to deliver free, all Letters not exceeding two
Ounces each, which may come charged from any Part of Great-Britain, directed to a Member, at the Place where he may
actually be at the Time of the Delivery, requesting the Cover, or a Memorandum, signed as a Voucher for passing your
Accounts; and you will explain at the same Time, that nothing more is meant by these Precaution than to support and
improve the Revenue, according to the true Intent of the Law.
You are also to observe, that if any Letter shall be put into your Office on a different Day from the Date thereon, or,
that the Day of the Month shall not be in Words at length, or shall appear to be altered, you are to charge the same with
the Duty of Postage; and, in order to explain the Reason for such Charge, you are to write in red Ink on all such Letters, the
Day on which they were put into your Office.
I am, Your assured Friend,
ANTHONY TODD, Sec.

-- 8 4 0 7 NEWS (General Post-Office, August 21, 1784)

PUBLIC Notice is hereby given, That, by an Act passed the last Session of Parliament, ''For granting to His Majesty,
certain additional Rates of Postage, for Conveyance of Letters and Packets by the Post within the Ki.ngdom of Great Britain,
and for further preventing Frauds and Abuses in relation to the sending and receiving of Letters and Packets free from Postage;"
It is, amongst other Things, enacted,
That from and after the 31st Instant, Letters and Packets, to and from Places, not exceeding one Post Stage, within
Great Britain, shall pay, in Addition to the present Rate of Postage, Single ld. Double 2d. Treble 3d. and the Ounce 4d.
That Letters and Packets above one, and not exceeding two Post Stages, within England, shall pay in Addition, Single
ld. and so in Proportion.
That Letters and Packets above two Post Stages, and not exceeding 80 Miles, within England, shall pay in Addition,
Single ld. and so in Proportion.
That Letters and Packets above 80, and not exceeding 150 Miles, within England, shall pay in Addition, Single ld. and
so in Proportion.
That Letters and Packets above 150 Miles, within England, shall pay in Addition, Single 2d. and so in Proportion.
That Letters and Packets to or from the General Post Office in London, to or from the City of Edinburgh, Dumfries
and Cockburnspeth, shall pay in Addition, Single ld. and so in Proportion.
That Letters and Packets above one Post Stage, and not exceeding 50 Miles, within Scotland, shall pay in Addition,
Single ld. and so in Proportion.
That Letters and Packets above 50, and not exteeding 80 Miles, within Scotland, shall pay in Addition, Single ld. and
so in Proportion.
That Letters and Packets above 80, and not exceeding 150 Miles, within Scotland, shall pay in Addition, Single ld. and
so in Proportion.
That Letters and Packets above 150 Miles, within Scotland, shall pay in Addition, Single 2d. and so in Proportion.
It is provided, that no Letter or Packet to or from Glasgow, or the intermediate Places by Carlisle, not passing through
London, shall pay an higher Rate than if sent through Edinburgh to or from Glasgow; and that no Letter or Packet sent to
or from Edinburgh, or any intermediate Place in England and Scotland, North of London, shall pay an higher Rate than 7d.
for a Single Letter, and so in Proportion. ..
It is further provided, that no Letter or Packet, together with its Contents, shall be taxed at an higher Rate than as a
Treble Letter, unless it shall weigh an Ounce, when it shall be rated as Four Single Letters; and every Quarter of an Ounce
above that Weight shall be charged as a Single Letter.

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