Franks. Regulations

To all Postmasters.

I Am commanded by His Majesty's Postmaster-General to send for your Government, the inclosed 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, and for farther preventing Frauds and Abuses in relation to the sending and receiving of Letters and Packets free from Postage," with a printed Advertisement, and a Table of the Rates of Postage, as they will stand from and after the 31st Instant, together with an alphabetical List of Post-Towns, and the principal Towns under them, with the Postage to each for a Single Letter, to and from London.

By this Act, no Letter or Packet, with its Contents, is to be taxed at a higher Rate, for its Conveyance in Great-Britain, than as a Treble Letter, unless it shall weigh an Ounce, when it is to be rated as four Single Letters; and every Quarter of an Ounce above that Weight, is to be charged as a Single Letter.

By the Clause, for further preventing Frauds and Abuses in relation to the sending and receiving of Letters and Packets free from Postage, you will observe, that no Letters or Packets sent by the Post, within Great-Britain, directed by any Member of either House of Parliament, shall be exempted from the Duty of Postage, unless the whole Superscription shall be of the Hand-writing of the Member, and shall have endorsed thereon, in the same Hand-writing, the Name of the Member, the Post-Town from which the same is intended to be sent, and the Day, Month, and Year, when put into the Post-Office, the Day of the Month to be in Words at length; and unless every such Letter and Packet, shall be put into the General, or other Post-Office, or into a Receiving House, on the Day of the Date put upon such Letter;

And that no Letter or Packet, directed to any such Member, shall be exempted from the Duty of Postage, unless such as shall, (during the Sitting of Parliament, or within Forty Days before, or Forty Days after any Summons, or Prorogation thereof,) be directed to any such Member at the Place where he shall actually be at the Time of the Delivery thereof, or at his usual Place of Residence in London, or at the House, or Lobby of the House of Parliament, of which he is a Member;

And also that all Persons, who by Virtue of their Offices, send and receive Letters and Packets free, shall send and receive them, in the Manner and under such Restrictions, as Members of Parliament.

By this Act you will see, that Lords and Members of Parliament may send and receive their own Letters free, to and from all Places in Great-Britain, but that other Persons are not to abuse this Revenue, by making Use of their Names.

As it will be difficult for the Inspectors of Franks, or the Postmasters in the Country to know at all Times whether a Member may be at the Place to which Letters may be directed to him, you are to be very circumspect in charging with the Duty of Postage, all such Letters and Packets as may be directed to Lords and Members of Parliament, at Places within your District, when they are not actually there at the Time of the Delivery thereof, whether they may come from this Office with the Free Stamp, or from the Country Postmasters, untaxed; and if the Persons or Servants at the Houses they are directed to, should refuse to pay the Postage, you will desire them to alter the Direction to the Places where the Members may be, and you may forward them accordingly. On the other Hand, you are to deliver free, all Letters not exceeding two Ounces each, which may come charged from any Part of Great-Britain, directed to a Member, at the Place where he may actually be at the Time of the Delivery, requesting the Cover, or a Memorandum, signed as a Voucher for passing your Accounts; and you will explain at the same Time, that nothing more is meant by these Precaution than to support and improve the Revenue, according to the true Intent of the Law.

You are also to observe, that if any Letter shall be put into your Office on a different Day from the Date thereon, or, that the Day of the Month shall not be in Words at length, or shall appear to be altered, you are to charge the same with the Duty of Postage; and, in order to explain the Reason for such Charge, you are to write in red Ink on all such Letters, the Day on which they were put into your Office.

I am, Your assured Friend,
   ANTHONY TODD, Sec.