SHOW MENUEngland, Portugal & America. New postal rates (37 Geo 3, c18)
By an Act passed in the present Session of Parliament, entitled, "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 £20,000 towards defraying the encreased Charge occasioned by any Loan raised, or Stock created, by any Act or Acts passed in the 35th Year of the Reign of his present Majesty." (Cap. 18.)
The Rates of Postage upon Letters to and from all places within that part of Great Britain called England, the Dominion of Wales, and the Town of Berwick upon Tweed, granted by any former Acts, are, from and after the 5th of January, 1797, to be repealed, and the following Rates are from thenceforth to take place, viz.
POSTAGE OF A SINGLE LETTER IN BRITISH PENCE:
| From any Post-office within that part of Great Britain aforesaid, to any place within the same, not exceeding 15 miles from such office | 3d. |
| Above 15 miles, and not exceeding 30 miles | 4d. |
| Above 30, and not exceeding 60 miles | 5d. |
| Above 60, and not exceeding 100 miles | 6d. |
| Above 100, and not exceeding 150 miles | 7d. |
| And 150 miles and upwards | 8d. |
And by the same Act, One Penny for every single Letter, and so in proportion, is after the said 5th of January to be paid for Letters and Packets sent by the Post within Scotland, in addition to the Rates of Postage now payable for such Letters.
By the same Act, the present Rates of Postage upon Letters from and to London, to and from Portugal, and the British Colonies in America, are from and after the said 5th of January, 1797, to be repealed, and the following Rates are from thenceforth to take place, viz.
POSTAGE OF A SINGLE LETTER IN BRITISH PENCE:
| From any part of Great Britain to Portugal, and from thence unto Great Britain, a Packet Postage of | 12d. |
| From any part of Great Britain to any part within the British Dominions in America, and from thence unto Great Britain, a Packet Postage of | 12d. |
And over and above these Rates, all Letters to and from Portugal, and the said Dominions in America, from or to Great Britain, are to pay the full Inland Rate of Postage, according to the distance, such Letters are conveyed within England, Wales, and Berwick upon Tweed, and with the Rate of Postage now payable, together.with the additional Rate of Postage, according to the distance such Letters are conveyed within Scotland.
No Letter or Packet, together with the Contents thereof, is to be charged more than as a treble letter, unless the same weighs an ounce, when it is to be rated as four single letters, and so in proportion for every quarter of an ounce above that weight, reckoning each quarter as a single letter.
Single Letters sent from, and directed to Non-commissioned Officers, Seamen, and Privates, employed in his Majesty's Navy, Army, Militia, Fencible Regiments, Artillery, and Marines, upon their own private concerns only, whilst such persons are employed in his Majesty's Service, and not otherwise, are to be charged with a rate of postage of one penny only as heretofore.
The Act may be seen at every Post-Office.
N. B. All Letters from any Part of Great Britain or Ireland, for Portugal or America (except his Majesty's West India Islands) are, besides the Packet Postage, to pay at the Office where they are put in, the full Port to Falmouth, without which they cannot be forwarded, therefore all Persons, are desired to take particular Notice thereof, to prevent their letters being opened and returned.
ANTHONY TODD, Secretary.
