A. D. 1710. Anno nono Ann^ Reglnas. C, 10. 439 VIII. And be it further enafted, That all Letters and Packets diredled to or coming from any of the For-iga Letter* Foreign Parts or Places aforefaid. and collefted or delivered at any Part or Pkice between London and any [""^'^Lri^'^ *"" of ths'Ports from whence any of her Majefty's Packet Boats fhall at any Time hereafter fail, or at which a""", e 'i,tc" they (hall or may arrive v/ith the Foreign Mails, do pay the fame Rates as if the fame were conveyed in whence the Pa:- the faid Mails to or from London. ket Boats fails, to pay as to or from London, IX. And be it further enafted by the Authority aforefaid. That fuch Poftmafter General fhall be at Li- Pack t Boats to berty to keep and maintain Packet Boats to go weekly (Wind and Weather permitting) to and frorr, gotrom D.)na- Djonachadee, or fome other convenient Port in Ireland, to Port Patrick., or fome other convenient Port in p"tr"|j^° " that Part of Great Britain called Scotland, for Conveyance of Letters and Packets for the Conveniency of Trade and Commerce between the fliid Kingdoms, paying over and above the Inland Rates hereby ra- ted and appointed to be received for fuch Letters and Packets, at the Place v/here fuch Letter or Letters are delivered in to be fent by fuch Packet Boats, according to the Rates following ; that is to fay, P'or every fuch Single Letter two Pence, Double four Pence, Treble fix Pence, Ounce eight Pence. ' X. And for as much as it may be convenient to ereft fome crofs Stages for the better maintaining of ' Trade and Comm.erce, and mutual Correfpondencies, and to fettle the Rates for all By or Way Letters ' and Packets conveyed by Poft in any of the faid Kingdoms;' Be it therefore enabled by the Authority afore- faid, That from and after the faid firfb Day oijiine one thoufand feven hundred and eleven, it fhall and may PoftmaRer to be lawful to and for the Poftmafter General for the time being, fo conflrituted as aforefaid, to ereS and "^'^ "^ and fet up crofs Stages to and from any Place or Places whatfoever ; and thereupon fuch Poftmafter Ge- ^"^ ' neral, and his Deputy and Deputies by him thereunto fufficiently authorized, mall and may lawfully de- mand, have, receive and take for the Poftage and Conveyance, as well of all fuch Letters and Packets which he or they fha41 fo convey, carry, or fend Poft as aforefaid, in 'any fuch crofs Stages, as for all By or Way Letters and Packets, the fame Rates in Proportion to the Diftances of the Places to which they fhall be direcSted from the Places at which they fhall be put in, as Letters and Packets conveyed and re-conveyed to and from London, are rated to pay. XI. And for the better reducing all Miles in both the faid Kingdoms throughout all the Poft Roads within one Hundred Miles diftance from the faid Chief Offices, and in the crofs Roads now fettled, or hereafter to be fettled, to one and the fame Meafure and Standard ; and for preventing Difputes touching the fame; Be it further enafted by the Authority aforefaid. That it fliall and may be lawful to and for A Survey to Be fuch Perfon and Perfons as the Poftmafter General for the time being fhall appoint, to meafure or caufe '*^" °^ '« ^"^ to be meafured, by the Wheel, all Roads, except fuch Roads where Stages are already fettled ; and that r"'^? fuch Perfon or Perfons fo to be authorized, fliall caufe fair Surveys or Books to be made for each of the faid Kingdoms ; one of each whereof to be left with her Majefty's Poftmafter General in London; ano- ther of each to be left at the chief Poft Office in Edinburgh, with the Poftmafter General's Deputy there ; another of each to be left at the chief Poft Office in Dublin, v/ith the Poftmafter General's Deputy there, to remain in the faid Poft Offices ; and each of which faid Books fhall be figned by fuch Perfon or Per- fons making the fame, and by the Poftmafter General for the time being, and his Deputies in fuch Gene- ral Offices in each Kingdom, and the Comptrollers and Surveyors belonging or to belong to the faid Ge-- neral Poft Offices in London, Edinburgh, and Dublin : Which Books or Surveys fhall afcertain and de- termine the Diftances on all the faid Roads. Xri. Provided alv/ays. That fuch Perfon or Perfons who flrall be authorized to meafure the faid Dif- Smveyor to be tances, and every of them, fhall be fworn to perform the fame, according to the befl of their Skill and fwoin. Judgment; which Oath fhall and may be adminiftred by any of her Majefty's Juflices of the Peace in the faid Kingdoms refpeftively, who fhall rrjake a Certificate thereof in Writing, to be entred in the three General Poft Offices aforefaid, without Fee or Charge.
XIII. Provided always. That all Merchants Accounts not exceeding one Sheet of Paper, and all Bills Provlfo for
'qf Exchange, Invoices and Bills of Lading are, and fhall hereby be underftood to be allowed without Rate ^"'^^^^^• in the Price of the Letters ; and likewife the Covers of Letters, not exceeding one fourth Part of a Sheet r ^°' '" '^' ^'° of Paper, fent by the Way of Vienna, Marfeilles, Venice or Leghorne, to be fent to or from Turkey, fhall This "provifo is be underftood to be allowed to pafs without Rate or Payment for the fame. reftrained to Merchants Accounts, &c. fent beyond Sea, &c, ' XIV. And in Regard the faid Poftmafter General and his Deputies are obliged, as well for performing ' the Duties of the feveral Stages o^ Grcit Britain and Ireland, as for funiifiiing fuch as ride Poft v/ith
- " Horfes and Furniture, to be at great Charge to maintain a co: v.^-iiient Nurnber of Servants, Horfes and
- Furniture ;' Be it enafted by the Authority aforefaid. That it uiall and may be lav/ful to and for fuch Rates for ridinj;, _
Poftmafter General and his Deputy and Deputies, to ask deman.!, take and receive of every Perfon, thut I'fft- he or they ihall furnifh and provide with Horfes and Furniture, or with Horfes, Furniture and Guide, to ride Poft in any of the Poft Roads as aforefaid, three Pence of Britijh Money for each and every Horfe- hire or Poftage for every Englijh Mile, and four Pence of like Money for the Perfon riding as Guide for every Stage; and the Deputy or Deputies of fuch Poftmafter General fhail not charge any Perfon riding Poft, for the carrying of any Bundle or Parcel of Goods, carried along v.ith them, in their Way of Tra- vel, fo as any fuch Bundle or Parcel of Goods do not exceed the Weight of eighty Pounds Averdupois, to be laid on the Horfe rid by the Guide, and no Deputy fhall be obliged to carry above that Weight for any Perfon riding Poft. ' XV. And whereas, upon the Arrival of Ships from Parts beyond the Seas, into feveral Ports within
- her Majefty's Dominions, many Letters diretted to feveral Merchants and others, have been either im-
'bezilled or long detairxd, to the great Damage of the Merchants and others, to whom the fame were '-directed, in Want of that fpeedy Advice and Intelligence, which they might had, if the fame had been ' forth-
