Hamburg. Domestic rates. Rates to and inside North America. &c. &c. (5 Geo 3, c25)

PUBLICK Notice is hereby given, That by an Act passed -the last Session of Parliament, "For altering certain Rates of Postage, and for amending, explaining, and enlarging several Provisions in the Act of the Ninth of Queen Anne, and other Acts relating to the Post-Office;" It is, amongst other Things, Enacted,

That Letters between London and any Port within the British Dominions in America, (in which all His Majesty's West India Islands are included) shall pay Single One Shilling, Double Two Shillings, Treble Three Shillings, the Ounce Four Shillings.

That Letters, by Sea, from any one Port to any other Port within the said Dominions, shall pay Single Four Pence, Double Eight Pence, Treble One Shilling, the Ounce One Shilling and Four Pence.

That Letters, by Land, to or from any Chief Post-Office in America, from or to any other Part thereof not exceeding Sixty Miles from such Chief Post-Office, or from the Office where such Letters, not passing through a Chief Office, may be put in, shall pay Single Four Pence, Double Eight Pence, Treble One Shilling, the Ounce One Shilling and Four Pence. And being upwards of Sixty, and not exceeding One Hundred Miles within the said Dominions, shall pay Single Six Pence, Double One Shilling, Treble One Shilling and Six Pence, the Ounce Two Shillings. And being upwards of One Hundred, and not exceeding Two Hundred Miles within the said Dominions, shall pay Single Eight Pence, Double One Shilling and Four Pence, Treble Two Shillings, the Ounce Two Shillings and Eight Pence. And for every Distance not exceeding One Hundred Miles above such Two Hundred, and for every such further Distance within the said Dominions, shall pay Single Two Pence, Double Four Pence, Treble Six Pence, the Ounce Eight Pence.

That no Vessel shall be permitted to break Bulk, or make Entry in any Port within the British Dominions, where Posts are or may be established, until all Letters on board are delivered to the Postmaster of such Port (he paying the Bringer One Penny for each Letter) to be forwarded according to their respective Directions, except such as are excepted by the Act of the Ninth of Queen Anne; and such as may be brought by Vessels liable to Quarentine, which last are to be delivered to the Persons superintending the Quarentine, for proper Care, before they are forwarded by the Post. And that all Masters, Mariners, Passengers, &c. neglecting to deliver the Letters as aforesaid, shall, for every Neglect, forfeit Twenty Pounds.

That the Postmaster shall take for every Letter brought by such Vessel for any Place within his Delivery, One Penny, above the Penny paid to the Master or other Person for the same.

That Letters conveyed in Great Britain and Ireland, not exceeding one Stage, shall pay Single One Penny, Double Two Pence, Treble Three Pence, the Ounce Four Pence. And in England, above one and not exceeding two Stages, Single Two Pence, Double Four Pence, Treble Six Pence, the Ounce Eight Pence; but these Rates are not to effect the Penny-Post.

That Letters passing between England and Ireland, through Carlisle, Dumfries, Port Patrick, and Donaghadee, shall pay the same Rates of English, Scotch, Irish, and Packet Postage, according to the Distance or Number of Stages they are conveyed in each Kingdom, as are settled by the Act of the Ninth of Queen Anne, or by this Act.

That no Packet exceeding the Weight of Four Ounces shall be sent by the Penny Post; unless coming from, or passing thereby to the General-Post.

That Letters passing between London and Hamburgh shall pay as Letters between London and all other Parts of Germany, viz. Single One Shilling, Double Two Shillings, Treble Three Shillings, the Ounce Four Shillings.

That any Officer of the Post-Office secreting or destroying any Letter, Bag or Mail of Letters, containing any Bank Note, Bill or other Paper, Writing, or Order for the Payment of Money; or stealing out of any Letter any such Bank Note, Bill &c. on Conviction, shall suffer Death as a Felon.

That any Person robbing a Mail, in any Place or in any Manner whatsoever, although it may not appear that any one was put in Fear by such Robbery, shall, on Conviction, suffer Death as a Felon.

That any Officer of the Post Office, entrusted to take in Letters, and receive the Postage thereof, embezzling the Money received, or destroying the Letters; or any Officer advancing the Rates on Letters, and not accounting for the advanced Postage, shall, on Conviction, be deemed guilty of Felony.

That any Post-Boy having a Mail or Bag of Letters under his Care, deserting the same before his Arrival at the next Stage; or suffering any other Person to ride on the Horse or Carriage along therewith; or loitering on the Road; or not, in all possible Cases, conveying the Mail after the Rate of Six measured Miles an Hour, shall, on Conviction, before one Justice of the Peace, be sent to the House of Correction for any Time not exceeding One Month, nor less than Fourteen Days.

That any Post-Boy, singly, or in Combination with others, unlawfully collecting, or conveying Letters, or causing the same to be unlawfully conveyed, shall, on Conviction, before one Justice of the Peace, forfeit Ten Shillings, to be paid to the Informer, for every Letter so unlawfully collected, conveyed, or delivered. And if the Forfeiture is not immediately paid, shall be sent to the House of Correction, for any Time not exceeding Two Months, nor less than One Month.

That all Rates of Letters, and all Forfeitures, mentioned in this Act, shall be paid in Sterling Money of Great Britain.

The Rates established by this Act for the Port of Letters between London and Hamburgh; and the Limitation of the Weight of Packets to be sent by the Penny-Post, commence from the Fifth of July next. All other Regulations, Rates of Postage, Pains, Penalties, and Forfeitures beforementioned, commence from the Tenth Day of October next.

ANTHONY TODD, Secretary.

(Note of the editor: in July, 1765, the same Notice was issued bearing the signature of Henry Potts, the new Secretary to the Post Office).