Page 233 - British Post Office Notices 1666 to 1799

Queen Anne's Proclamation

said Act provided, That if the Postmaster doth not, or cannot furnish any Person riding in Post, with sufficient Horses
within one half Hour after Demand, then such Person is at Liberty to provide himself as he can to the next Stage, and so at
every Stage where he shall not be furnished as aforesaid; and the Person who shall furnish such Horses shall not therefore
be liable to any Penalty by reason thereof. And by a Proviso contained in the said Act, it is declared, That nothing in the
Exception above-mentioned contained, shall be construed to extend to give any Licence or Authority to any Common
known Carriers of Goods by Carts, Waggons or Pack-Horses, their Servants or Agents, to Receive, Collect or Deliver, with
or without Hire, any Letter or Letters, Packet or Packets of Letters whatsoever, that do not concern Goods in their Carts,
Waggons, or on their Pack-Horses; nor to any Owners or Drivers of Stage Coaches; nor to any Masters, Owners or
Commanders of Boats called Passage Boats, sailing between any part of Great Britain or Ireland, and any Parts or Places
beyond the Seas or their Servants or Agents; nor to any Passenger or Passengers on Board such Boats or Vessels; nor to
the Owners, or Watermen on Board of any Boat, Barge or Vessel, passing or repassing on any River or Rivers, to and from
any part of Great Britain and Ireland, Norlh America, or the West Indies, or other our Dominions or Territories although
such Drivers of Stage Coaches, Owners, Masters or Commanders of Boats called Passage-Boats, or Passengers therein,
Owners or Watermen on Board of any such Boat, Barge or Vessel, passing or repassing on any such River or Rivers, as
aforesaid, do not receive any Hire or Reward, or other Advantage for the same; but that all such Carriers, Owners and
Drivers of Stage-Coaches, Owners, Masters or Commanders of Passage-Boats, and the Passengers therein, and all Owners
and Watermen on Board of any Boat, Barge or Vessel, passing or repassing on any River or Rivers, to or from any the
Parts or Places aforesaid, Collecting and Delivering Letters as aforesaid, though without Hire or Reward, shall be deemed
and taken, and are thereby declared to be Persons offending against the said Act, and to forfeit and pay such Sum and
Sums of Money, as Persons Collecting, Receiving, Taking up, Conveying and Delivering of Letters for Hire, or Setting up,
Employing and Maintaining any Posts contrary to the said Act or that are or shall be concerned therein, are therein, as is
herein before-mentioned, enacted to Forfeit and Pay. And by another Proviso in the said Act it is declared, That nothing in
the said Act contained, should extend to give Licence to any Person or Persons whatsoever, to make Collection of Letters in
or near the City of London, or Suburbs thereof; under pretence of Conveying the same to any part or place in the said City
or Suburbs, or to the General Post-Office of the said City, without the Licence and Leave of the Postmaster-General for
the time being; and that any Person or Persons acting contrary thereunto, should forfeit and pay as Persons Collecting,
Receiving, Carrying, Recarrying and Delivering Letters contrary to the said Act are thereby Enacted to Forfeit and Pay,
and to be recovered as aforesaid, with full Costs of Suit. And by the said Act it is further Enacted That all Letters and
Packets, that by any Master of any Ship or Vessel, or any of his Company, or any Passengers therein, shall or may be
brought to any Port Town, or which shall arrive or touch at any Port belonging to any Port-Town within any of our
Dominions or any the Members thereof, or which shall be on Board any Ship or Vessel that shall or doth touch or stay at
any such Port-Town, (other than such Letters as are before excepted) shall by such Master, Passenger or other Person or
Persons, be forthwith delivered to the Deputy or Deputies only of such Postmaster General for the time being, by him
appointed for such Place or Port-Town, and to be by such Deputy or Deputies sent Post unto the said General Post-Office,
to be delivered according to the several and respective Directions of the same, upon pain or forfeiting the Sum of Five
Pounds of British Money for every several Offence against the Tenor of the said Act, to be recovered in manner aforesaid,
with full Costs of Suit. And for the Encouragement of all such Masters of Ships or Vessels, or such other Persons on their
Arrival at such Ports as aforesaid, from any parts beyond the Seas, to deliver unto the Deputy or Deputies of such
Postmaster General for such Place or Port Town at which they shall so touch or arrive, all such Letters and Packets as they
shall respectively have on Board such Vessel or Vessels, every such Master or other Person, for every Letter or Packet of
Letters he or they shall so deliver unto such Deputy or Deputies, shall receive the Sum of One Penny of such Deputy or
Deputies, he or they signing such Certificate as in the said Act is mentioned. And we being willing and desirous that our
good Subjects should have early and sufficient Notice of the Penalties and Forfeitures before mentioned, to the end they
may avoid incurring the same, and that the Revenue granted by the said Act may be duly answered to us, and all Frauds in
prejudice of the same prevented, have thought fit, and do by this our Royal Proclamation (by and with the Advice of our
Privy Council) notifie and declare to all our Loving Subjects the Purport and Tenor of the said several parts of the said Act,
hereby requiring and commanding all Persons concerned to conform themselves to the said Act.
Given at our Court at Kensington, the Twenty third Day of June, 1711. In the Tenth Year of our Reign.
God save the QUEEN.

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