Post Office, etc., Revenues Act 1685
(1 Ja 2 c.12)

An Act for Consolidating the Estates Tail and Reversion in Fee which His Majestie hath in the Post-Office and Twenty foure thousand pounds per Annum of the Hereditary Excise.

Whereas by one Act of Parlyament made in the Fifteenth yeare of the Raigne of his late Majestie King Charles the Second of ever blessed Memory all the yearely Rents Summe or Summes of Money Revenues Issues and Profitts whatsoever that should grow due accrue or be payable unto his late Majestie his Heires and Successors for or by reason of the Generall Letter-Office or Post-Office or Office of Post-Master-Generall were Vested and Setled in his Majestie that now is by the Name of James Duke of Yorke and the Heires Males of his Body begotten or to be begotten with such Powers as in and by the said Act are provided for.

And whereas alsoe in pursuance of an Agreement made by his Majestie then Duke of Yorke with his late Majestie his Dearely beloved Brother for accepting of the Yearely Rent or Summe of Twenty foure thousand pounds to be Issueing out of the Hereditary Excise of Beare Ale and other Liquors in Compensation and full Satisfaction of the Revenue ariseing by Wine-Licences and of one Act of Parlyament Entituled An Act for Revesting the Power of Granting Wine-Licences in his Majestie his Heires and Successors and for Setleing a Recompence on his Royall Highnesse in lieu thereof made in the Two and twentyeth and Three and twentyeth yeares of the Raigne of his late Majestie for Confirming and Ratifying of all such Letters Patents as should be Granted of and for the said Summe of Twenty foure thousand Pounds his said late Majestie by his Letters Patents under the Great Seale of England beareing Date the Eighteenth day of January in the two and thirtyeth yeare of his Raigne did give and Grant unto his Majestie by the Name of James Duke of Yorke and the Heires Males of his Body begotten and to be begotten the Yearely Rent or Summe of Twenty foure thousand pounds to be Issueing out of the Excise of Beare Ale and other Liquors within the severall Counties and Shires of Bucks, Essex, Kent, Norfolke Suffolke Berks Bedfordshire and Somersetshire with such Powers as in the said Letters Patents are Granted.

And whereas by the Demise of his late Majestie the Reversion Fee-simple and Inheritance as well of the said Revenues Issues and Profitts of the Generall-Letter-Office or Post-Office as of the said Rent or Summe of Twenty foure thousand pounds issueing out of the Excise of Beere Ale and other Liquors are come and vested to and in the Kings Majestie his Heires and Successors in right of the Crowne of England And his Majestie being Graciously pleased to obviate all Doubts and Scruples which may at any time hereafter bee moved or stirred for or concerning the due Execution of any Powers given to his Majestie by the name of James Duke of Yorke in and by the said Acts of Parlyament and Letters Patents for setleing a Joynture upon his Royall Consort or in Relation to any further Provision which his Majestie shall please to make out of the said Revenues for the better and more honourable Support of the Royall State and Dignity of his Dearest Consort Maria now Queene of England Bee it Enacted by the Kings most Excellent Majestie by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spirituall and Temporall and the Commons in this present Parlyament Assembled and by the Authoritie of the same That the Kings Majestie his Heires and Successors shall from henceforth be and stand Seized of and in all and singular the Revenues Issues and Profitts of the said Generall Letter-Office or Post-Office and of and in the said Yearely Rent or Summe of Twenty foure thousand pounds Issueing out of the Hereditary Excise of one Intire and Indefeasable Estate in Fee-simple The said Acts of Parlyament and Letters Patents for Creating of Estates Taile in His Majestie notwithstanding.

Provided alwayes That this Act or any thing therein contained shall not avoid the Joynture heretofore Setled by his Majestie upon his said Royall Consort the Queens Majestie but the same is hereby Confirmed and Ratified.