Page 230 - British Post Office Notices 1666 to 1799

Charles2

Proclamation taken from The London Gazette of Thursday August 30 to Monday September 3, 1683.
Whitehall, August 31, 1683.

His Majesty has been pleased to cause His Royal Proclamation to be issued, For Enforcing the due Execution of the
Act of Parliament, Entituled, An Act for Settling the Profits of the Post-Office on His Royal Highness the Duke of York, and
His Heirs Males, and for Prevention of Treasonable Co"espondencies, and other Inconveniencies arising by the Infringement
of the said Act.

CHARLE.sR.
Whereas the Office of Post-Master General hath been Erected by Act of Parliament, in the Twelfth year of His
Majesties Reign, and the well Ordering thereof is thereby Declared to be a matter of general concernment, and of great
advantage, as well for Preservation of Trade and Commerce, as otherwise; And whereas also the greatest part of the
Revenue and Profits thereby arising, is by one other Act of Parliament in the Fifteenth Year of His Majesties Reign,
Granted and Assigned by His Majesty unto His most entirely beloved Brother, James Duke of York, for and towards his
Maintenance and Support; Which Laws and Statutes notwithstanding, several Persons for their private Lucre have lately
practised, and do still continue in a secret and most unlawful manner to make a general Collection of Letters, and to give
them Conveyance and Delivery for Hire, without any Authority from the Post-Master General, whereby not only the
Revenue arising by the said Office is diminished, but likewise several dangerous Correspondencies are maintained, and the
Seditious Designs of many evil disposed Persons, and the Treasons of the late Conspirators are very much promoted: His
Majesty therefore, for the prevention hereof in time to come, and to the end that such persons who shall presume hereafter
to offend in like manner, may remain without all excuse, hath thought fit by His Royal Proclamation to Require and Enjoyn
all His Loving Subjects, and doth hereby strictly Charge and Command all and every Person and Persons (other than the
Post-Master General for the time being, his Deputies or Assigns) That they presume not, either directly or indirectly, to set
up any Office, or to Contrive or Practice any way or means for Collecting and Receiving of Letters and Pacquets, or to
Carry, Recarry, or Deliver the same with Speed and for Hire. And to this end His Majesty doth further Require and
Command them and every of them, That they presume not to set up any Foot-Post, Horse-Post Post or Stage Coach, or
Pacquet-Boat, for Carrying, or Recarrying of Letters or Pacquets, or to imploy or make use of any which shall be set up for
that purpose, other than such as shall be Licensed and Authorized by the Post-Master General for the time being, his
Deputies or Assigns. And because several Carriers, Drivers of Stage-Coaches, or Waggons, Haglers, Masters of Ships,
Pursers, or other Mariners, do very often under colour and presence of their respective Im ployments, intermeddle with, and
intrude upon the Office of the Post-Master General; His Majesty doth hereby more particularly and expressly Charge and
Command all Carriers, That they presume not to carry any Letters other than such as shall concern the Goods wherewith
they are Charged, beyond the first Post-Stage to which they shall arrive, and that they presume not to outgo their Packs or
Waggons, or deliver any Letters which they carry, sooner, or with more speed than their respective Packs or Waggons shall
arrive. And His Majesty doth in like manner Charge and Command all Drivers of Stage-Coaches, Haglers, and such like
Persons, That they presume not in any kind, or upon any pretence whatsoever to intermeddle with the Conveyance and
Delivery of any Letters as aforesaid; But that they do from time to time refuse all such Letters which shall be so tendred to
them. And His Majesty doth also Charge and Command all Masters of Ships, Pursers and Mariners, That they presume not
to carry any Ship-Letters, other than the Letters of Merchants, Owners and Masters, beyond the first Post-Stage to which
they shall arrive in England. And if any Carriers, Drivers of Stage-Coaches, Haglers, Masters of Ships, Pursers, or other
Mariners, shall be found Carrying of Letters unlawfully, or in any other manner, they shall incur His Majesties high
Displeasure, and suffer the utmost Penalty, which can be Inflicted upon such as shall be found to have broken His Majesties
Laws, and to be wi1lful Contenders of His Royal Command; And moreover all Letters whatsoever Sent or Conveyed by
such Clandestine and Indirect ways and by Persons not lawfully Authorized, shall be lookt upon as Letters of Dangerous
Consequence, and shall accordingly be Seized and brought to one of His Majesties Principal Secretaries of State, or to
some one or more of the Lords of His Majesties most Honourable Privy Council, to the end the same may be opened and
inspected, and the Persons conveying or sending them may be proceeded against according to Law. And for the better
Execution of His Majesties Command, and as a means as well to present the said Treasonable Correspondencies, and other
Inconveniencies, as to Secure the Revenue arising by the said Office, His Majesty will cause such Searchers, Waiters, and
other Officers to be appointed in all convenient Places, as may be fit and proper for the Discovery of such Practices, and
carrying such Letters to be Seized, and such Offenders Names to be certified. And in the mean time His Majesty doth
strictly Charge and Command all Mayors, Sheriffs, Justices of Peace, Constables, Bayliffs, Searchers of His Majesties Ports,
and all other His Officers and Ministers whatsoever within their several Jurisdictions and Offices, from time to time to

207