Members of Parliament. Free franking

HIS Majesty's Postmaster General thinks it necessary to give this Public Notice to all Members of Parliament and others whom it may concern, that by an Act of the Fourth Year of his Majesty's Reign, no Letters or Packets shall be exempted from paying the Duty of Postage, except to or from Members of Parliament during the Sitting of any Sessions of Parliament, or within Forty Days before, or Forty after any Summons or Prorogation of the same. From the Dissolution, therefore, of the present Parliament, all Letters and Packets are to be charged with the Duty of Postage, until Forty Days before the Meeting of the new Parliament.

By the said Act, printed Votes, or Proceedings in Parliament, or printed News-Papers, being sent without Covers, or in Covers open at the Sides, which shall be signed on the Outside thereof by the Hand of any Member of Parliament, in such Manner as hath been heretofore practised, or which shall be directed to any Member of Parliament at any Place whereof he shall have given Notice in Writing to the Postmaster-General, or to his Deputy at Edinburgh or Dublin, respectively, shall be received Free of the Duty of Postage. As this Clause contains no Limitation in Point of Time, the Peers and Lords of Parliament may contribute to send and receive Free all such printed Papers; and the Sixteen Peers of Scotland, and every Member of the Honourable House of Commons of the new Parliament, from the Time they are elected.

All Persons are desired to take Notice, that as the said Act authorizes certain Clerks in the Offices of the Secretaries of State and in the Post-Office, under certain Restrictions, to Frank such printed Papers, the Postmaster General has been pleased to give Directions to the Six Clerks of the Roads in this Office, to Frank all such printed Papers as any of the present Sixteen Peers of Scotland, or of the Members of the present House of Commons, have given Notice of in Writing, that no Interruption possibly to be avoided may happen to the News-Papers so intended to pass Free: And such Members of the present Parliament, who now permit News-Papers to be addressed to them, are desired, upon being re-elected, to renew the Notices.

ANTHONY TODD, Secretary.