GEN^{L}. POST OFFICE, 22^{d}. _Novemb^{r_}. 1703.
No. 1 (_b_).
After my hearty Comendations, Whereas my very good Lord John Lord Grandville and seaveral Gentlemen of Cornwall have Represented to you, That by reason of the Post Road pa.s.sing along the South Coast of Cornwall, Seaveral Inland Towns are under great disadvantages in their Correspondence; Whereupon you have proposed to Me the Settlement of a New Post for the Midland Towns, as well as for the South Coast, the better to Serve those parts, the Charge whereof will Amount to Two hundred and Sixty pounds p. Ann I approve of what you have proposed, And do hereby Authorize and Require you to Settle and Establish such a Post accordingly. But you are at twelve months End to Represent to Me or the Lord High Treasurer or Commiss^{rs}. of the Treasury then being, how far such a Post doth answer the Expence Her Ma^{tie}. is at in Settling the Same. And for so doing this shall be y^{r}. Warrant. Whitehall Treary Chambers the 7th December 1703.
G.o.dOLPHIN.
To my very loving Friends S^{r}. Rob^{t}. Cotton Kn^{t}. and S^{r}. Thom^{s}. Frankland Bar^{t}.
Her Ma^{ties}. Post-M^{r}. Gen^{l}.
No. 2.
S^{r}. Robert Cotton Kn^{t}. and Sir Thomas Frankland Baronet Her M^{ties}. Post Master Gen^{l}. in the Kingdoms of England Scotland and Ireland and in all Her M^{aties} other Dominions Territorys and Isles thereunto belonging in Europe Affrica and America.
To all People to whom this shall come Greeting know ye, that whereas the County of Lincoln has not hitherto been Served so well with the Correspondence by Letters as other parts of the Nation, several Towns therein not having had the Convenience of a Post at all, and others having been obleig"d to pay an extraordinary Tax above the Common Postage, We have thought it proper to appoint Mr. Richard Bigg of Winslow in the County of Buckingham Gentleman, and Mr. Richard Dixon of Bourn in the County of Lincoln Gentleman (having receiv"d good Testimony of the fidelity and Loyalty of both and each of them to Her Ma^{tie}.
and reposing great trust & confidence in the knowledge Care and Ability of them both) to be our lawfull and Sufficient Deputys with full Power and Authority to Erect Settle and Establish Posts in such Towns of the said County for the Carrying and Conveying the Letters as well those called the London Letters as the By Letters of the said County, as shall be judged most proper for Her Ma^{ties}. Service, and the improvem^{t}.
of the Correspondence of the said County and to Agree and Contract with such Persons as the said Richard Bigg and Richard Dixon or either of them shall think fitt to Agree and Contract with for performing the Riding part through such Stages as shall be Erected by them or for keeping Letter Offices in any Towns of the said County, And do by these presents Depute Const.i.tute Authorise and Appoint the said Rich^{d}. Bigg and Richard Dixon to be our Lawfull and Sufficient Deputys in manner and form aforesaid from the tenth day of August next ensuing the date hereof during such time as We or the Postmaster Gen^{l}, for the time being shall think fit under such Conditions payments and Instructions to be faithfully observ"d perform"d and done by the said Rich^{d}. Bigg and Richard Dixon their Deputys and Servants as they shall from time to time receive from the Gen^{l}. Post Office in London in writing Subscribed by Us our Deputy or Deputys in the Post Office, in Witness whereof We the said S^{r}. Robert Cotton and Sir Thomas Frankland have hereunto sett our hands & Caused the Seal of the said Office in such Cases used to be affixed this fourth day of August 1705.
R.C. T.F.
No. 3.
To y^{e} Rt. Honble y^{e} Lords Com^{rs}. of his Majestys Treary.
May it please your L.sps--
A Proposall having some time since been made to your Lordsps That a Cross Post might be settled between Bristol & Shrewsbury, you were pleased to refer y^{e} same to Us to Consider of it & Report Our opinions thereupon w^{ch} Wee did accordingly and acquainted yo^{r} Lordsps Wee did hope Wee should find some persons who would at their Owne Cost and Charges undertake to Settle a Cross Post, upon such terms as his Majesty would not be a loser and the people receive the benefit they proposed.
The Establishing such a Cross Roade would undoubtedly be of great Use to Trade & Convenience to y^{e} People and appeares to be very much desired by the several Countrys thro" w^{ch} it wou"d pa.s.s; but as at present it might become loss to y^{e} Revenue Wee think it Our Duety to lay y^{e} whole state of the Case before Yo^{r} Lorsps to receive yo^{r} further Directions and have hereunto annexed a scheme both of the Charge & loss that may accrew to the Office thereby.
Wee must observe to yo^{r} Lordsps That Lond^{o}. (from y^{e} establishing of a post Office) having been esteemed the Center all letters pa.s.sing thro" one Road to an other thro" Lond^{o}. have been constantly taxed with a double post first to Lond^{o}. y^{n} to y^{e} places where to they were directed, but the settling of this Cross Post w^{ch} will Cause a direct Intercourse between y^{e} West Bristol & Chester Roades, all lres, pa.s.sing that way can only be Charged w^{th} a single Post according to y^{e} distance of one place from an other; but y^{n} it ought to be considered on the other hand That the pa.s.sing thro"
Lond^{o}. is both tedious and Chargeable, and a more Speedy Conveyance would in all probability produce of an encrease of y^{e} n^{o}. of letters besides the bringing such into y^{e} Office as are now Conveyed by Carryers; for where ever there are any Townes w^{ch} have Comerce one w^{th} an other so as to occasion a Cons^{t}. Intercourse by Carryer or Tradesmen Wee do find it a General Practice to Convey at y^{e} same time a Considerable No. of lres as pticularly between Bristol & Worcester & Worcester & Shrewsbury; where there are two persons that make it their business to Colect & disperse letters and make a Considerable advantage by it. That if y^{e} settling this Roade should have y^{t} good effect to suppress all these By Posts (as in all probability it will) notwithstanding at present there will be some Loss the Revenue in time may be Improved by it; and Wee do find that the Cross Road set up 3 yeares & 1/2 since Between E[=xon][760] & Bristol doth now produce about 255l. p. annum neat proffit, but in regard this is altogether new Wee can not possibly be so much Masters of it as to know w^{t}. terms to propose to any undertakers that may be equall between the King and them and therefore if yo^{r} Lordsps do agree to the Proposal Wee are of opinion it may be most proper to be set up and managed for his Majesty and Carryed on as far as Chester....
(vii) THE EARLY POSTS IN NORTH AMERICA.[761]
No. 1 (_a_).
To the Right Honble the Lords Comrs. of his Majesty"s Treas"y.
Thomas Neale Esq^{re}. humbly sheweth
That their sacred Majesty"s by their letters pattents bearing date the 17th day of February 1692 granted to the said Thomas Neale a power of settling Post Offices in North America to be executed by a person to be nominated by the said Thomas Neale and Deputed by the Postmaster Generall of England and thereby directed that accounts shall be kept of the Charge and produce of the said Post Offices, and transmitted to the Right Honble the Lord Treasurer or Lds. Comissioners of the Treasury for the time being.
That in pursuance of this Grant Andrew Hamilton Esq^{re}. was nominated and Deputed to erect Post Offices, who hath at Thomas Neales great Charge settled "em 700 miles in Length, upon the Continent of America and kept true accounts of the Expences and proffits thereof, which acc^{ts}. sworne to by the said Deputy Postmaster before the Governor of New Yorke are now humbly laid before your Lordshipps and an abstract of it for yor. Lordspps. ease.
That the said Deputy Postmaster is come over to give your Lordshipps Information of all matters relating to that subject which your Lordshipps shall think fit to enquire of, and hath proposed the Method contained in the Memoriall annexed as of absolute necessity in his opinion to support the Post, which proves a great service to the Crowne as well as advantage to his Majesty"s subjects residing in those Colliny"s and Trading thither.
All which is humbly submitted to your Lordshipps Judgment & direction.
THO: NEALE.
No. 1 (_b_).
To the Right Honourable the Lords Com^rs, of his Majesty"s Treasury.
The Memoriall of Andrew Hamilton Esqr. Deputed by the Postmr.
Generall of England, to mannage the Post Office in North America, humbly offered.
The Post Office in North America produces these good Effects.
It encreases Trade and Correspondence betwixt the Colonys there.
It affords Merchts. more frequent opertunitys of Corresponding with Europe.
It contributes much towards putting the Kings subjects in security in time of Warr by ye. frequent Conveyance of Intelligence when allarms happen, for want of wch. many familys have been cutt off before the settling of the Post.
And it readily conveys Court Packets from the Colony, where they are delivered to those whither they are addressed without any expence to the Crowne, or said Coliny, besides many other advantages.
But not withstanding these Publick and private benefits arising by it and the unspeakable Loss to those Collonys and England should the Post fall Yet the Undertaker besides a Considerable sume he hath been out of pocket already (above the Produce in carrying it on) must still be in disburse for support of it or must let it fall.
To prevent which it is humbly offered that a postage upon all letters as well those that come from beyond sea to North America as what go"s from Colony to Colony may be ascertained by an act of Parliament in England.
That no Masters of ships or sailers bound to America shall receive any letters but at the Post Office to be appointed for that purpose.
That in like manner no Masters of shipps shall receive letters in America that are directed to Europe or from one part of America to another but from the respective Post Offices in the ports where they load or from whence they saile which said Post Offices shall put the letters in a Maile and take a Receipt of the Master that he shall deliver them in to the first Post Office where he shall arive free of charge, for which he shall be allowed in America a penny a letter for his Care excepting such letters as concerne the ship or cargoe which the freightors or owners if they think fit may commit to the care or charge of the Master or friend.
Excepting also such letters of Merchants as may Contain Bulky accounts which no Master is intended to be hindered of carrying as also excepting such letters which the agents or proprietary governments may send to the Respective Governors whose agents they are. It being only hereby intended that the bulke of letters w^{ch} hitherto have gone very loosely, to the great Loss of Merchants may for the future be conveyed in Mailes to prevent frauds or inconveniencys which have often hitherto happened.
That the said Master shall under a Penalty be obliged to call at the respective post offices where he shall load for the Maile and if none be ready to be sent that he bring with him a Certificate for his Justification that he called.
The method at present used to get letters transported to America is this--
The Masters bound thither put up bags in Coffee houses wherein the letters are put and for which one penny a letter is usually paid and 2d.
if it exceeds a single letter.
This is Lyable to several abuses.
First any one under pretence that he wants to have his letters up again may come to those bags and take out other mens letters and thereby discover the secrets of Merchants and tis in their power intirely to w^{th}draw them.
2^{dly.} Severall Masters upon their arrivall often keep up letters till they have disposed of their Loading and are ready to saile again, and then Drop them to the great hurt of those that are concerned, which inconveniencys would be prevented if letters were delivered from the Post Offices in Mailes and likewise delivered by them in Mailes into the Post Office where they arrive. Offices may be erected in London and other sea Port Townes in England that Trade with America and so they may be in Ireland and the same penny a letter which is paid into the Coffee houses would support such offices in England and Ireland to receive such letters.
Such offices will be a great convenience to lodge such letters as may concerne his Majestys affairs in America.
If Masters were obliged to receive letters to and from America from the Post Office only, in Mailes and delivered them so at the first post office they arrive at; there would be saved to the King a penny a letter, which now Masters of shipps and pa.s.sengers Receive, for every American letter they deliver at the respective Offices and whereas now many letters are delivered by Masters and pa.s.sengers themselves to the persons concerned, all those letters would then be brought into the Post Office to the encrease of that Revenue.