Mary Emma Woolley

“ Rates were regulated by bulk, as well as by distance, a sheet of paper being accounted as a single letter and a packet equal to three letters, at the least; the post of a single letter from Philadelphia to Boston or Rhode Island was 18d., to Piscataqua and other parts east of Boston 2s., to New York 8d., to Maryland and Virginia 18d. if by post, if by private person to the office 4d., all letters for the proprietary or for the governor to be free. The fine for a neglectful ferryman was £5, for any one who should presume to carry letters for hire or set up or employ any post, £40. ”

“ In 1691/2, a new era opened for the colonial post office. On February 7th, of that year, William and Mary, by letters patent, granted [23] to “Thomas Neale, Esq., his executors, administrators and assignes, full power and authority to erect, settle and establish within the chief parts of their majesties’ colonies and plantations in America, an office or offices for the receiving and dispatching letters and pacquets, and to receive, send and deliver the same under such rates and sums of money as the planters shall agree to give, and to hold and enjoy the same for the terme of twenty-one years.” ”

“ The charges are thrice the income, he complains, and begs that a salary be given, urging the example of the governor and assembly of New York in voting £50 per annum for the support of the office in that province. This petition meeting with no response, he asked for freedom from public rates, taxes and excise for retailing strong drink, and in 1694 (June 20) obtained a grant of £25 per annum from the public treasury of the province for two years. In 1696 (May 27) he petitioned for a renewal of the act encouraging a post office and also for a continuation of the postmaster’s salary. ”

“ Carrying letters for hire, or setting up or employing any foot, post, horse or paquet boat for carrying letters or paquets or providing and maintaining horses or furniture for the horsing of any through post, was punishable by a fine of £100 current money for every several offence, one-third to go to the governor, one-third to the use of the colony and the remaining third to the informer. ”

“ The action of New Hampshire relative to a post, occurred at about the same time as that of Massachusetts. John Usher, [50] writing to the New Hampshire council, from Boston, March 25, 1693, said that the postmaster-general in Boston was desirous of knowing what salary would be allowed or how much a letter for a post from Piscataqua to Boston, adding that it might be an advantage to gain news from England and the West Indies, and that they would like a post weekly or once in two weeks. ”

“ June 9, 1693, Massachusetts passed in council [44] an act for encouraging the post office, selecting Boston as the place for the general letter office, the master to be appointed by Hamilton. Rates to Europe or to any place beyond the seas, were fixed at 2d., to different places within the colonies, they varied according to distance; from Boston to Rhode Island they were 6d., to the Connecticut colonies 9d., to New York 12d., to Eastern Pennsylvania or to Western Jersey 15d., and to Maryland or to Virginia 2s. A fine of 40s. ”

“ The same year (October 8, 1674) , the general court of Connecticut, meeting at Hartford, [13] gave specific instructions regarding the allowance for post riders; from Rye to Hartford, 12s. for the expenses of the horse, and - 7 - 20s. for those of the man, with the addition of 8d. from the “midle of October to the last of Aprill,” and the special injunction that “hyred” horses should not be deprived of their allowance. ”

“ The council (March 27, 1693) was of the opinion [51] that a post was necessary, and that there should be an allowance per letter, according to other places in like circumstances, proportionate to the distance from Boston, “Every one to pay for his own Lettr.” A record [52] in the “Journal of the Council and Assembly” of July 29, - 16 - 1693, says: “Maj. Vaughan and Mr. Waldron were appointed to prepare and drawe up a Bill for settling a Post Office in this Province,” and on the fourth of August the council concurred with the bill which had been passed by the lower house. ”

“ He adds, “I am going to Connecticut to-morrow, to do all possible to settle a post office to Pemaquid this spring and endeavor settlement of post house at Boston.”
On his return from Connecticut (March 2, 1684/5) , the governor ordained in the New York council, [17] “That for the better correspondence between the colonies of America, a post office be established; and that the rates for riding post be per mile three pence; for every single letter, not above one hundred miles, three pence; if more, proportionably.” ”

“ Public letters were to go post free; ferriage was to be free for all, and constant posts were to be maintained from Philadelphia to New York and New Castle.
At an assembly held at Philadelphia, [67] May 20th, 1697, Joseph Growden, “chairman of the grand comittee appointed to consider of Andrew Hamilton’s memorial for encouragement to support the post,” reported “that it was the vote of the comittee that a bill be prepared for encouragement to support the post both by the publick and upon private letters.” ”

“ I beg your Lordspps to consider likewise the difficulty I lye under, with respect to opportunity’s of writing into England, which is thus—The post that goes through this place goes Eastward as far as Boston, but Westward he goes no further than Philadelphia and there - 12 - is no other post upon all this Continent, so that I have any letters to send to Virginia or to Maryland I must either send an Express who is often retarded for want of boats to cross those great rivers they must go over or else for want of horses, or else I must send them by some passengers who are going thither. ”

“ No other persons were to receive, dispatch or deliver letters or packets except such as were sent by masters or merchants in ships of which, or of the cargo of which, they were entirely or in part owners, or “except letters to be sent by any private Friend or Friends in their ways of journey or Travel, or by any Messenger or Messengers sent of purpose for or concerning the private affairs of any person or persons.” ”

“ The same petition was presented to Governor Joseph Dudley and to the council and representatives in General Assembly two months later (June 3, 1703) , but with no result as far as renewal was concerned. Five years later (Nov. 3, 1708) , a committee was appointed to inquire what allowance should be made for encouraging the post office, but up to the time of Queen Anne’s Act in 1710 no decision had been reached.
Campbell’s memorandum of 1703 (July 19) is interesting as showing the cost of maintaining the office between Philadelphia - 14 - and Piscataqua. ”

“ In 1699 (May 5) the act was again continued, [32] this time for two years, the new bill stating that “the advantage which the inhabitants of this province daily have, the mutual correspondence which they have with their neighboring collonies and plantations and for the promoting of trade and wealth of each other, encourage to the continuance of the same.” In 1702 [33] the act coming again before the Assembly and Council was continued for four and one-half years from 1700 ”

“ Watson, [63] in his Annals of Philadelphia, bases on MSS. in the possession of the Pemberton family, his statement that as early as July, 1683, a weekly post was established by order of William Penn and a grant given to a certain Henry Waldy of Tekonay to hold one, and “supply passengers with horses from Philadelphia to New Castle or the Falls of the Delaware; the rates from the Falls to Philadelphia 3d., to Chester 5d., to New Castle 7d., to Maryland 9d., and from Philadelphia to Chester 2d., to New Castle 4d., to Maryland 6d..” ”

“ Neale organized lotteries after the Venetian manner, and in 1694 built extensively, for speculative purposes, about the Seven Dials (Evelyn’s Diary, Nov. 14, 1693; Oct. 5, Nov. 22, 1694) . In that same year he was employed by the government to conduct the lottery loan for the State, though some, says Macaulay, thought the treasury lowered itself thereby. ”

“ The house voted in the affirmative May 8, 1694/5, but the council seems to have taken no action in the matter. In 1696 (May 27) Campbell sent a similar petition, asking also that the rates on foreign letters might be advanced from two to three pence, and the payment to masters of ships from an half penny to 1d., “which,” he adds, “will be a great encouragement to masters not to deliver news to other persons.” ”

“ This court being willing to encourage so good a worke, doe order and enact that all such persons as shall be imployed by the Post Master Gen. in the severall stages within this Colony of Connecticut shall and may pass and repasse all and every ferry within this Colony, from the day of the date hereof for and during this courts pleasure, without payeing any rate or sume of money either for his own or horses passage. ”

“ And in such cases, all Justices of the Peace, Sheriffs or Constables are hereby empowered to press either man or horse for that service, allowing for a horse or man, 2 pence by the mile, to be paid out of the public stock.”
September 5th, 1700, Penn writes to Logan that he sends a package for Governor Blackeston [65] to be forwarded to the - 20 - sheriff of New Castle, showing that the custom was in vogue seventeen years after its origin. ”