Postage Act 1796
(37 Geo 3 c.18, 28th December 1796)

An Act for altering certain Rates of Postage for Conveyance of Letters in England and Scotland respectively, and of Packets to and from Great Britain, from and to Portugal and the British Colonies in America respectively; and for setting apart, at the Receipt of the Exchequer, for a certain Period, out of the Revenues of the Post Office, the Annual Sum of forty thousand Pounds, towards defraying the increased Charge occasioned by any Loan raised, or Stock created, by any Act or Acts passed in the thirty-fifth Year of the Reign of his present Majesty.
[ 28th December 1796 ]

Most Gracious Sovereign,

WHEREAS it is expedient that certain Rate of Postage established by an Act of the ninth Year of the Reign of her late Majesty Queen Anne, and by two several Acts of the fifth and twenty-fourth Years of your Majesty's Reign, should be repealed: We, your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal Subjects, the Commons of Great Britain, in Parliament assembled, as well for the Purposes aforesaid, as towards raising the necessary Supplies to defray your Majesty's Public Expences, and making a permanent Addition to the Public Revenue, have freely and voluntarily resolved to give and grant unto your Majesty the Rates and Duties herein after mentioned; and do therefore most humbly beseech your Majesty that it may be enacted; and be it enacted by the King's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the Authority of the same, That so much of an Act, made in the ninth Year of the Reign of her late Majesty Queen Anne, intituled, An Act for establishing a General Post Office for all her Majesty's Dominions, and for settling a Weekly Sum out of the Revenues thereof, for the Service of the War, and other her Majesty's Occasions; and so much of an Act, made in the fifth Year of your most Gracious Majesty's Reign, intituled, An Act to alter certain Rates of Postage; and to amend, explain, and enlarge, several Provisions in an Act made in the ninth Year of the Reign of Queen Anne, and in other Acts relating to the Revenue of the Post Office; and also so much of another Act, passed in the twenty-fourth Year of your most Gracious Majesty's Reign, intituled, An Act for granting to his Majesty certain additional Rates of Postage for Conveyance of Letters and Packets, by the Post, within the Kingdom of Great Britain; for preventing Frauds in the Revenue, carried on by the Conveyance of certain Goods in Letters and Packets; and for further preventing Frauds and Abuses in relation to the sending and receiving of Letters and Packets free from Postage, as establishes certain Rates or Sums for the Port and Conveyance of Letters and Packets within that Part of the Kingdom of Great Britain called England, the Dominion of Wales, and the Town of Berwick upon Tweed, shall, from and after the fifth Day of January one thousand seven hundred and ninety-seven, be, and the same are hereby repealed.

II. And be it further enacted, That from and after the said fifth Day of January one thousand seven and ninety-seven, it shall and may be lawful to and for his Majesty's Postmaster General, and his Deputy and Deputies by him thereunto sufficiently authorized, to and for the Use of his Majesty, his Heirs and Successors, to demand, have, receive, and take, for the Port and Conveyance of all Letters and Packets which he shall convey, carry, or send Post, within that Part of Great Britain aforesaid, according to the several Rates and Sums herein-after mentioned, the same being rated by the Letter or by the Ounce; that to say,

For the Port and Conveyance of every Single Letter so conveyed or carried by the Post, not exceeding fifteen measured Miles from the Office where such Letter may be put in, to the Office where such Letter may be delivered, within that Part of Great Britain as aforesaid, the Sum of Three-pence; for every Double Letter Sixpence; for every Treble Letter Nine-pence; and for every Ounce in Weight one Shilling; and so in Proportion for every other Letter or Packet of greater Weight than an Ounce:

For the Port and Conveyance of every Single Letter conveyed or carried by the Post above fifteen measured Miles, and not exceeding thirty measured Miles from the Office where such Letter may be in, to the Office where such Letter may be delivered, within that Part of Great Britain as aforesaid, the Sum of Four-pence; for every Double Letter Eight-pence; for every Treble Letter one Shilling; and every Ounce in Weight one Shilling and Four-pence; and so in Proportion for every other Letter or Packet of greater Weight than an Ounce:

For the Port and Conveyance of every Single Letter conveyed or carried by the Post above thirty measured Miles, and not exceeding sixty measured Miles from the Office where such Letter may be put in, to the Office where such Letter may be delivered, within that Part of Great Britain as aforesaid, the Sum of Five-pence; for every Double Letter Ten-pence; for every Treble Letter one Shilling and Three-pence; and for every Ounce in Weight one Shilling and Eight-pence; and so in Proportion for every other Letter or Packet of greater Weight than an Ounce:

For the Port and Conveyance of every Single Letter conveyed or carried by the Post above sixty Miles, and not exceeding one hundred measured Miles from the Office where such Letter may be put in, to the Office where such Letter may be delivered, within that Part of Great Britain as aforesaid, the Sum of Sixpence; for every Double Letter one Shilling; for every Treble Letter one Shilling and Sixpence; and every Ounce in Weight two Shillings; and so in Proportion for every other Letter or Packet of greater Weight than an Ounce:

For the Port and Conveyance of every Single Letter conveyed or carried by the Post above one hundred measured Miles, and not exceeding one hundred and fifty measured Miles from the Office where such Letter may be put in, to the Office where such Letter may be delivered, within that Part of Great Britain as aforesaid, the Sum of Seven-pence; for every Double Letter one Shilling and Two-pence; for every Treble Letter one Shilling and Nine-pence; and for every Ounce in Weight two Shillings and Four-pence; and so in Proportion for every other Letter or Packet of greater W eight than an Ounce:

And for the Port and Conveyance of every Single Letter conveyed or carried by the Post one hundred and fifty measured Miles, or upwards, from the Office where such Letter may be put in, to the Office where such Letter may be delivered, within that Part of Great Britain as aforesaid, the Sum of Eight-pence; for every Double Letter one Shilling and Four-pence; for every Treble Letter two Shillings; and for every Ounce in Weight two Shillings and Eight-pence; and so in Proportion for every other Letter or Packet greater Weight than an Ounce.

III. And be it further enacted, That from and after the said fifth Day of January one thousand seven hundred and ninety-seven, it shall and may be lawful to and for his Majesty's Postmaster General, and his Deputy and Deputies by him thereunto sufficiently authorized, over and above the Rates of Postage now payable, to demand, have, receive, and take, for the Port and Conveyance of all Letters and Packets which he hall convey, carry, or send Post, within Scotland, the additional Rate of Postage herein after mentioned; that is to say,

For the Port and Conveyance of every Single Letter one Penny; for every Double Letter Two-pence; for every Treble Letter Three-pence; and for every Ounce in Weight Four-pence; and so in Proportion for every other Letter or Packet of greater Weight than an Ounce.

IV. And be it further enacted, That so much of the said Act, made in the ninth Year of the Reign of her late Majesty Queen Anne, as establishes Rates of Postage for Letters from and to London, to and from Portugal; and so much of the said Act, made in the fifth Year of your most Gracious Majesty's Reign, as establishes Rates of Postage for Letters from and to London, to and from the British Dominions in America, shall, from and after the said fifth Day of January one thousand seven hundred and ninety-seven, be, and the same are hereby repealed; and that, from and after the said fifth Day of January one thousand seven hundred and ninety-seven, it shall and may be lawful to and for his Majesty's Postmaster General, and his Deputy and Deputies by him thereunto authorized, to and for the Use of his Majesty, his Heirs and Successors, to demand, have, receive, and take, for the Port and Conveyance of all and every the Letters, Packets, and other Things, which shall be carried or conveyed from or to the Kingdom of Great Britain, to or from the Kingdom of Portugal, a Packet Postage according to the several Rates herein-after mentioned; that is to say,

For all Letters and Packets, passing from any Part of the Kingdom of Great Britain to Lisbon, or to any other Port in the Kingdom of Portugal, and from any such Port into Great Britain; for every Single Letter one Shilling; for every Double Letter two Shillings; for every Treble Letter three Shillings; and for every Ounce in Weight four Shillings; and so in Proportion for every other Letter or Packet of greater Weight than an Ounce.

V. And be it further enacted, That from and after the said fifth Day of January one thousand seven hundred and ninety-seven, it shall and may be lawful to and for his Majesty's Postmaster General, and his Deputy and Deputies by him thereunto authorized, to and for the Use of his Majesty, his Heirs and Successors, to demand, have, receive, and take, for the Port and Conveyance of all and every Letters, Packets, and other Things, which shall be carried or conveyed from or to the Kingdom of Great Britain, to or from any Port within the British Dominions in America, a Packet Postage according to the several Rates hereinafter mentioned; that is to say,

For all Letters and Packets passing from any Part of the Kingdom of Great Britain, to any Port within the British Dominions in America, and from any such Port into Great Britain; for every Single Letter one Shilling; for every Double Letter two Shillings; for every Treble Letter three Shillings; and for every Ounce in Weight four Shillings; and so in Proportion for every other Letter or Packet of greater Weight than an Ounce.

VI. And be it further enacted, That over and above the Rates aforesaid, all Letters and Packets passing to or from Portugal, from or to that Part of Great Britain as aforesaid, or to or from the British Dominions in America, from or to that Part of Great Britain as aforesaid, shall be charged with the full Inland Rate of Postage hereby established, according to the Distance such Letters and Packets shall be conveyed within England, the Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick upon Tweed, and with the full Inland Rate of Postage now payable, together with the additional Rate of Postage hereby established, according to the Distance such Letters and Packets shall be conveyed within Scotland.

VII. Provided always, and be it further enacted, That no Letter or Packet, together with the Contents thereof, shall be rated at an higher Rate of Postage, according to the Rates and Duties hereby granted, than as a Treble Letter, unless the same shall be one Ounce in Weight; and that all Letters and Packets of the Weight of one Ounce, shall be rated as four Single Letters, and in Proportion for every Quarter of an Ounce above the Weight of an Ounce, reckoning each Quarter of an Ounce as a Single Letter.

VIII. Provided also, and be it further enacted, That nothing herein contained shall increase or alter, or be construed to increase or alter, the Amount or Manner of charging the Rates of Postage upon Single Letters to be sent by the Post by or to Non-commissioned Officers, Seamen, and Privates, on their own private Concerns, whilst such Non-commissioned Officers, Seamen, and Privates, shall be employed in his Majesty's Navy, Army, Militia, Fencible Regiments, Artillery, and Marines, made payable by an Act passed in the thirty-fifth Year of your most Gracious Majesty's Reign, intituled, An act for further regulating the sending and receiving Letters free from the Duty of Postage; for allowing Non-commissioned Officers, Seamen, and Private Men, in the Navy and Army, whilst on Service, to send and receive Letters at a low rate of Postage; and for permitting Patterns and Samples of Goods to be transmitted by Post at an easier Rate than is now allowed by Law; any Thing herein-before contained to the contrary therefore in anywise notwithstanding.

IX. And be it further enacted, That, from and after the said fifth Day of January one thousand seven hundred and ninety-seven, all and every the Clauses, Provisions, Powers, Privileges, Advantages, Disabilities, Penalties, and Methods for the Recovery of the same, and all other Matters and Things in Force, at the Time of passing this Act, and contained in the said Act, made in the ninth Year of the Reign of her late Majesty Queen Anne, or in any other Act of Acts of Parliament, so as far the same relates to the Post Office, (and not repealed or altered by this Act,) shall continue in Force, and shall be applied and extended, and shall be construed to apply and extend, to this present Act, as fully and effectually, to all Intents and Purposes, as if the same had been particularly repeated and re-enacted in the Body of this present Act.

X. And be it further enacted, That the several Rates and Duties herein-before granted shall be paid, from Time to Time, into the Hands of the Receiver General for the Time being of the Post Office, who shall pay the same (the necessary Charges for collecting, paying, and accounting for the time being first deducted) into the Receipt of his Majesty's Exchequer, on such Days and Times and in such Manner as the Rates and Duties hereby repealed were, by any Law in Force at and immediately before the passing of this Act, directed to be paid; and the said Money, so paid into the said Receipt as aforesaid, shall be carried to and made Part of the Consolidated Fund.

XI. And whereas the annual average Produce of the Revenue of the Post Office for three Years, ending on the fifth Day of April one thousand seven hundred and ninety-five, amounted to four hundred and ten thousand five hundred and fifty-six Pounds: And whereas by an Act, passed in the thirty-fifth Year of the Reign of his present Majesty, intituled, An act for further regulating the sending and receiving Letters free from the Duty of Postage; for allowing Non-commisioned Officers, Seamen, and Private Men, in the Navy and Army, whilst on Service, to send and receive Letters at a low Rate of Postage; and for permitting Patterns and Samples of Goods lo be transmitted by the Post at an easier Rate than is now allowed by Law, the said Revenue hath been increased by a Sum computed at the annual Sum of forty thousand Pounds, communibus annis: Be it further enacted, That, out of the Monies to arise from the said Revenue of the Post Office, the Sum of one hundred and two thousand six hundred and thirty-nine Pounds, being one-fourth Part of the annual average Amount before mentioned, shall Quarterly on the fifth Day of April, the fifth Day of July, the tenth Day of October, and the fifth Day of January in every Year, during the Periods herein-after mentioned, be set apart from the Remainder of the said Revenue; and that the Sum of ten thousand Pounds of the said Remainder of the said Revenue, shall Quarterly, for the Period of eight Years from the passing of this Act, be paid into the Receipt of his Majesty's Exchequer, separate and apart from all other Branches of the Public Revenue, and that the Amount thereof, or so much as shall be sufficient, shall be deemed an Addition made to the Public Revenue, for the Purpose of defraying the increased Charge occasioned by any Loan raised, or Stock created, by any Act or Acts passed in the said thirty-fifth Year of the Reign of his present Majesty; and that after setting apart the Amount of the annual Averages aforesaid, and the said further annual Sum of forty thousand Pounds, the Remainder of the said Revenue of the Post Office shall, during the Period of ten Years after the passing of this Act, be paid into the Receipt of his Majesty's Exchequer, distinctly and apart from all other Branches of the Public Revenue; and that the said Remainder of the said Rate so paid, into the said Receipt, or so much thereof as shall be sufficient, shall be deemed an Addition made to the Revenue, for the Purpose of defraying the increased Charge occasioned by any Loan made or to be made, or Stock created or to be created, by virtue of any Act or Acts passed or to be passed in this Session of Parliament; and that there shall be provided and kept in the Office of the Auditor of the said Receipt, during the said respective Periods, Books in which the said annual Sum of forty thousand Pounds, and the said Remainder of the Monies arising from the said Revenue of the Post Office, shall together with the Monies arising from any other Duties granted in this Session of Parliament, for the Purpose of defraying such increased Charge as aforesaid, be entered separate and apart from all other Monies paid or payable to his Majesty, his Heirs and Successors, upon any Account Whatever.

XII. And be it further enacted, That if any Person or Persons shall at any Time or Times be sued, molested, or prosecuted, for any Thing by him or them done or executed in pursuance of this Act, or of any Clause, Matter, or Thing herein contained, such Person and Persons shall and may plead the General Issue, and give the special Matter in Evidence for his or their Defence; and if upon the Trial a Verdict shall pass for the Defendant or Defendants, or the Plaintiff or Plaintiffs shall become non-suited, then such Defendant or Defendants shall have Treble Costs awarded to him or them against such Plaintiff or Plaintiffs.