Illegal conveyance of the mail. A warning

Whereas by an Act of Parliament passed in the Ninth Year of the Reign of her late Majesty Queen Anne, intitled, 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, It is (amongst other Things) enacted to the Purport and Effect following: That there shall be one General Post-Office established within the City of London, and one Master of the said General Post-Office shall from time to time be appointed by her Majesty, her Heirs and Successors, by Letters Patents under the Great Seal of Great Britain, by the Stile of her Majesty's Postmaster General; which said Master, and his Deputies, and their Servants and Agents, and no other, should have the Receiving, Carrying, and Delivering of Letters and Packets, to and from all Places in Great Britain and Ireland, North America, the West Indies, and other her Majesty's Dominions, (except as in the said Act is excepted;) And that no Person or Persons whatsoever, or Body Politick or Corporate, in any Part of the said Kingdoms, Plantations and Colonies in the West Indies and America, other than such Postmaster-General appointed as aforesaid, and his Deputy or Deputies, or Assigns, should presume to receive, take up, order, dispatch, convey, carry, recarry, or deliver any Letter or Letters, Packet or Packets of Letters (other than as in the said Act is excepted) or make any Collection of Letters, or set up or employ any Foot-Post, Horse-Post, or Packet-Boat, or other Vessel or Boat, or other Person or Persons, Conveyance or Conveyances whatsoever, for the receiving, taking up, ordering, dispatching, conveying, carrying, recarrying, or delivering any Letter or Letters, Packet or Packets of Letters, by Sea or Land, or on any River within her Majesty's Dominions (other than as in the said Act is excepted) on Pain of forfeiting Five Pounds of British Money for every several Offence, and also the Sum of a Hundred Pounds of like Money, for every Week that any Offender shall continue to act against the Tenor of the said Statute.

And whereas, his Majesty's Postmaster General have settled and established Packet-Boats, to carry, recarry and convey, Letters and Packets to and from England, to and from the Islands of Jamaica, Barbadoes, Antegoa, Monserrat, Nevis, and St. Christopher's, in America;

This publick Notice is hereby given thereof, to warn all Persons whatsoever from presuming to take upon them to act contrary to the Intent and true Meaning of the said Statute, and from presuming, under any Colour or Pretence whatsoever, to collect, receive, take up, order, dispatch, convey, carry, recarry, or deliver any Letter or Letters, Packet or Packets of Letters, (except as in and by the said Act is excepted) that for the future may be directed to, or come from any of the Islands above-mentioned (without a lawful Authority first had and obtained from his Majesty's Postmaster General for that Purpose) as they would avoid such Prosecutions as may and must ensue for the Recovery of such Penalties as are inflicted by the said Act for all and every Offence or Offences above specified and recited.

GEORGE SHELVOCKE, Secretary.