misrepresentation which is too strong not to be observed upon; For He
says We are about to reduce his Income from [L]500 a year to [L]200, though
We have often told him that We would allow him, and our proposal for
doing so is now before the Privy Council, an income of [L]400 p. Annum
net, besides [L]50 per Annum for his Clerk. He will also receive [L]100 p.
Year from the Province as Ma[^i]tre des Postes, but which in fact is paid
ultimately by this Country, being allowed in the Governor General's
Accounts: however independent of that [L]100 p. Annum, he will then be in
the receipt of [L]400 p. Annum from us net Money, free of all deductions
for managing an Internal Revenue in America which will not produce to
this Country at the end of the Year a single shilling after paying the
expence of the Post between Halifax, through the King's Colonies, and
Quebec, besides which this Office pays the expence of four Packet boats
which cost upon the present Peace Establishment about [L]8000 p. Annum,
though the correspondence between Great Britain and America does not
yield above [L]3000 per Annum.
The Commissioners of Enquiry recommend that Mr. Finlay's pension of [L]150
a Year should cease, which however We have continued to Him, And that
his Salary only of [L]150 p. Annum should remain and they do not appear to
have known that exclusive of this Pension and Salary he enjoyed a former
Commission from the Year 1774 of [L]20 per Cent upon the net postage of
all Money received in Canada, for which however in our calculation We
had allowed Him [L]150 per Annum though He in his own dispatches assured
us it produced him only [L]130 per Annum.
We have shewn this letter to Mr. Church and Mr. Callender before it was
copied out fair, they have altered and approved of it, So that We are
now Sir communicating to you, not only our own sentiments, but those of
the deputy Accountant General and Mr. Finlay's own Agent.
We are, Sir,
WALSINGHAM,
CHESTERFIELD.
The Right Hon^{le}. Henry Dundass.
(viii) THE CLERKS OF THE ROAD AND THE TRANSMISSION OF NEWSPAPERS.[762]
No. 1.
To the R^{t}. Hono^{ble}. the Lord Com^{rs}. of his Maj^{tie}. Treasury.
May it please your Lordshipps
The Postmaster Generall Representation for Increasing the Clarks
Salaries.
Wee humbly lay before your Lo^{r}pps that upon some Information given
the last summer to the then Lords Justices as if his Majesties Revenue
of the Post office was lessened by a practice which had been long used
of the Clarks of the Roads sending great quantitys of Gazetts and other
Prints free of postage. Their Exellancyes thought fitt to lay the same
before his Maj^{tie}. who was thereupon pleased to signifie his pleasure
to us by the Lord Keeper (now Lord Chancellor) in a Comittee of Councell
that his Majes^{tie}. did not think it reasonable that Practice should
for the future be continued but we acquainting their Lordshipps that
this having been a perquisite constantly allowed to the six Clarks of
the Roades on consideration of the smalness of their Sallarys it would
be reasonable upon the taking of it away to allow them a compensation
for the same whereupon they told us wee should lay that matter before
your Lordshipps of the Treasury as wee now doe and upon the strictest
enquiry wee can make the Case appears to be as followes.
Upon the first Establishing of the Post office England was divided into
six Roades and a Clark appointed to each Road and their Sallaryes being
but small they were constantly allowed even by the farmers themselves
the privilidge of sending Gazetts and some other prints free, as the
business and Revenue of the office increased by petting up new posts soe
likewise did their perquisites In soe much that complaint was made
thereof to the late King James when Duke of York who upon a full
examination into the matter thought it more adviseable to continue it as
an Incouragement to them than to compensate them by an addition of
Sallary and besides that the office hath considerably increased since
wee came into it the present Juncture of affairs by the frequent and
long sessions of Parliament and the War wherein the greatest part of
this side of the world is engaged hath occationed peoples being more
desirous of News then formerly soe as wee believe the postage of prints
sent by the six Clarkes may now amount to about ... tho att the same
time the Clarkes does not receive soe great an advantage by them they
paying the first cost for them and susteyne frequent losses by their
Customers failing in their paym^{t}. Now upon the takeing this
perquisite from them wee are humbly of opinion it will be reasonable to
give them such an equivolent as is conteyned in the skeme hereonto
annexed for wee must observe to your Lordshipps that not only the
improvement of the Revenue but all the letters being duely accounted for
doth in a great measure depend upon those officers they being the
persons who make the charges upon all the Postmasters of England and the
very nature of the office requires such despatch that its scarce
possible to contrive such Cheque but y^{t} these officers being in
combination with the Postmasters may defraud his Majestie and therefore
it does not seem adviseable that men should be under such a temtation
for want of a due Incouragement.
The attendance is alsoe soe great and at those unseasonable times and
houres as renders them uncapable of applyeing themselves to any other
business whereby to helpe to support themselves and familys though the
Addition of Sallary which we have proposed doth not amount to halfe so
much as the Postage of Prints now sent by the severall Clarkes yet we
cannot say his Majesty will be a gainer thereby for it must be
considered y^{t} many persons who are now furnished with them from the
Clarkes for Two pence a peice will scarce have them if they must pay a
groat or six pence a peice beside the troubling some friend in Towne to
send them and whether they may not find out some otherways of being
furnished with them then by the Post as by Flyeing Coaches &c^{t}. or
whether those officers or persons who have the privelidge of franking
their letters may not hereafter supply those with such Prints as they
are now furnished with from this office.
Whereas the business of the office is soe much increased that for the
regular and due dispatch of the letters wee have been forced to appoint
a Sortor to each Clarke of the Road for an assistant whereby their
trouble and attendance is very much greater then it was and being taken
from sorting the burden and trouble of the rest is proportianably
increased as there are fuer hands to perform it nether they or the
assistant having any other advantage or perquisites besides theire bare
sallary of forty pounds a yeare which is soe poor a subsistance that
such as have dyed since wee came into the office have scarce left enough
to bury them wee are humbly of opinion this may deserve your Lordshipps
Consideration and soe upon the whole matter though we must acknowledge
it an unseasonable time to propose an increase of Sallaryes which has
made us defer it thus long we could not omit this oppertunity of doeing
it and humbly hope if your Lordshipps shall think fitt to give these
poor men the Incouragement proposed it will tend very much to his
Majesty Service in this office.
No. 2.
The Right Honorable Lord Walsingham, and the Earl of Chesterfield,
His Majesty's Post Master General.
The undersigned the Clerks of the Roads gratefully considering the
Report made by your Lordships to Government which recommends for them a
Salary of Three Hundred Pounds p. Annum with their present privilege of
franking Newspapers unimpaired ask permission to submit to your
Lordships Notice the following plan for increasing the circulation of
Newspapers and in consequence the Revenue arising from the Stamp duty
probably to the Amount of Eight thousand pounds p. Annum though attended
by no additional expence to Government but entirely at their own risque
and which they have determined immediately to execute should your
Lordships arrangement take place.
They would first premise that when they were relieved by your Lordships
from the payment they formerly made to the officers in this Department
and from the Office which was filled by Mr. Tamineau, they reduced their
charge from forty Pounds per Centum to Twenty & Twenty five Pounds per
Centum on the prime cost of the papers which latter sum is the
additional charge now made on the prime cost by all the Stationers
Printers & Dealers who serve the Country with papers, and if in some
cases it be less, it is on account of payment being made in advance.
They now propose upon the Establishment of your Lordships Arrangement to
reduce the general charge on the prime cost from twenty and twenty five
per Centum to ten and fifteen pounds per Centum, and as all the
circulators of Newspapers will now regulate their charge for Newspapers
sold in the Country by that of the Clerks of the Roads, the charge fixed
by the Clerks will be the general one in the course of Six Months from
its commencement.
This reduction will cause a greater demand for Newspapers in the Country
many who now take a Weekly paper will then take a three day paper & many
who now take a three day paper will then take a six day paper and two
Persons who now join the expence of a Weekly or a three day paper may be
induced by the reasonable charge to take each a paper or increase the
number as above, and as the reduction becomes generally known which by
the means of their Agents the Post Masters and other correspondents
throughout Great Britain & Ireland it can be in fourteen days, the
Stationers Printers and Dealers must likewise lessen their charge or
risk the loss of their Customers.
By abolishing the monopoly once enjoyed by the Clerks in the Offices of
the Secretaries of State, and the Clerks of the Roads in this Office,
permitting the Public to send and receive Newspapers free, the number
increased as this circumstance became known from--20,967 to 78,217
weekly and it is by confirming this liberty to the Public and by a
reduction in the charge that the circulation of Newspapers and
consequently the increase of Revenue is intended to be promoted. The
probable increase in the number of Newspapers circulated in the Country
through the above reduced price may be stated at the lowest computation
at one half penny each upon one hundred Newspapers each Clerk of the
Road, one hundred each of the twenty principal Stationers & Dealers and
for the more inconsiderable Dealers which are very numerous fifty of
whom are known Four hundred papers by every poste, which together will
make the additional number circulated every Post three thousand.
By preserving the privelege of franking to the Clerks of the Roads a
competition will be occasioned between them & the other Dealers, the
Public will be supplied on more moderate terms, and an increase of
consumption will be promoted but should this competition be destroyed by
the abolition of the privelege of the Clerks of the Roads, the principal
Dealers purchasing the business carried on by less extensive circulation
might thereby occasion a monopoly and then fix the price as it might
suit their private interest and diminish the number of Newspapers
circulated thereby greatly injuring the Revenue as formerly by the
monopoly of the Clerks of the Secretaries of State and the Clerks of the
Roads for it would be the interest of the Stationers and other Dealers
as it was that of the Clerks under Government to sell a less number at
an advanced price, the Capital employed would not be so large nor the
trouble nor the risk so great.
The Clerks of the Roads here beg your Lordships attention to a proposal
which there is no doubt will occasion a yet further increase of
circulation of Newspapers, it has been before stated to your Lordships
in the Report upon the Plan proposed by the Commissioners relative to a
Tax on Newspapers that before the duty of one penny postage was laid on
all Newspapers sent by Post to Ireland, the Weekly number remitted to
that Kingdom was upon an Average 8,000, and that the Weekly number now
sent upon an average is only 1,380, should Government consent to repeal
this duty it is evident from the above statement that they would gain a
considerable Sum the Clerks of the Roads will with pleasure make a
considerable reduction in their charge to Ireland, as in the case of
home consumption which will be a means of still further extending of
circulation.
{ Number of Newspapers which passed through the General Post
{ Office London between the 5th April 1764, and the 5th of April
1764 { 1765, with the amount at two pence each Stamp duty,
and { London Newspapers 1,090,289 [L]9,085. 14. 10
1790 {
compared. { Number of Newspapers which passed through the General Post
{ Office London between the 5th of January 1790 and the 5th of
{ January 1791, with the amount at two pence each Stamp duty,
{ London Newspapers 3,944,093
{ Country ditto 123,200
{ ---------
{ Total No. 4,067,293 [L]33,894. 2. 2
{ Six Clerks of the Roads at 100 each night 600
Probable { Twenty Principal dealers at 100 do. 2,000
gain by { Fifty less Dealers at 8 each night 400
this plan. { -----
{ No. 3,000
{ 3,000 each night at two pence each Stamp duty [L]7,800 p. ann.
{ To Ireland before the Tax.
{ Number of Newspapers which passed through the General Post
{ Office to Ireland between the 5th January 1780 and the 5th
1780 { January 1781 at two pence each Stamp duty,
and { 416,000 [L]3,466. 13. 4
1790 {
to { To Ireland since the Tax.
Ireland { Number of Newspapers which passed through the General Post
compared. { Office to Ireland between the 5th January 1790 and the 5th of
{ January 1791 at two pence each Stamp duty and one penny each
{ Postage,
{ 71,766 [L]897. 1. 6
EDMUND BARNES CHARLES COLTSON
ISAAC HENRY CABANES SAMUEL ARDRON
WILLIAM OGILVY CHARLES EVANS.
No. 3.
To The Right Honorable Lord Walsingham and The Earl of
Chesterfield, His Majesty's Post Master General.
The paper from the Post Master General relative to the Tax proposed by
the Commissioners having been communicated to the Clerks of the Roads
and the Inspector of Franks they beg permission to offer the subsequent
observations.
That the proposal by the Commissioners for Government to receive a Tax
of a penny for the postage of each Newspaper passing through the Post
Office, however eligible it might appear at the time it was first
proposed, will not they believe at this period, be productive of that
expected advantage to the public the encrease of Revenue, as the reasons
annexed among others may probably prove.
Because since the proposal was made to the Commissioners, and they made
their Report an additional Stamp has been imposed of one halfpenny a
paper, and another halfpenny on each has been added by the Printers, so
that the Public now pay one penny more than they did at that time.
Because the proposed Tax would be a means of compelling the Stationers,
Printers and Dealers to send their papers by Coach the same day at the
customary charge of one farthing each paper instead of sending them by
post on Government Account at a penny the second day. And it cannot be
supposed that a number of persons many of them of considerable property
would quietly submit to have the circulation of their papers confined to
post conveyance at one penny each paper, without those serious efforts
to oppose and prevent it which the prospect of certain and total ruin to
their business and consequently to their Families must excite.
But allowing it were possible to confine the whole of the papers sold in
the Country to post conveyance and a recompence made to those Stationers
and Printers employed in the distribution at present would not the
encreased price occasioned by this Tax very much diminish the Number of
Newspapers now printed to the great injury of the Stamp duty? probably
to a greater Amount than would be gained by the plan proposed. For were
the Stage Coaches prohibited conveying Newspapers all the Morning Papers
now conveyed by them to many parts of the Kingdom would be lost to the
Stamp Revenue, and all the Morning Papers read at the Coffee Houses and
other public Houses, would be collected by the Newsmen at a small sum
each paper in the Afternoon and sent into the Country by the post in the
Evening without the least trouble to themselves, it being their daily
business to go round their London district, early in the Morning, and in
the Afternoon before the dispatch of the Papers by the post.
Before the Penny postage was laid on all papers sent by post to Ireland
the Weekly number remitted to that Kingdom was upon an Average 8,000:
the Number now sent upon an Average is only 1,380 Weekly.
Because when the Tax was recommended by the Commissioners the first cost
of a London Newspaper was threepence only, the first cost is now
fourpence, to which add the Tax for postage it will be fivepence to any
Post Town in England, which is one halfpenny more than the highest
charge now made by any Dealer in the Country for a London Newspaper. But
should this Tax take place the people who live at a distance from any
Post Town must pay an additional halfpenny a Paper and some twopence on
the receipt of each Paper which will bring the cost to fivepence
halfpenny, some sixpence, and some as high as sevenpence each London
Newspaper. This high price the Clerks of the Roads well know by
experience would induce many people to take only a three day paper who
now take a Six day paper and many who now take a three day paper only a
weekly paper, and as the Salaries of the Clerks of the Roads employed in
the business would be certain and no way answerable for any loss on the
papers would there not be a great many people Customers no way able to
pay for their Newspapers many of whom this mode of business would
certainly introduce? consequently Government would be subject to several
deficiencies in payment for Newspapers sent into the Country whether
paid for half yearly, yearly, or each paper on delivery, the Receiver in
the latter case would not feel himself obliged to give notice for his
paper to be discontinued but would refuse it when offered, the cost of
the paper would then be lost to Government. This latter mode of payment
would give an opportunity to the Deputy Post Masters or their Clerks to
Order more papers than actually required which after being read would be
returned with the Quarterly Dead Letters to be allowed as refused or
gone away.
Because the proposed Tax would cause a decided preference of Country
Newspapers to those of London encrease the sale of the former and
diminish that of the latter for as very few of the Country Newspapers
pass through the Post Office, the Country Printers would be enabled to
undersell the London Printers a penny a paper. The usual method with a
Country Printer is immediately upon the arrival of his London paper to
print his own with the London News and disperse them to Runners from ten
to fifteen miles around the Town he resides in; these Runners not only
disperse a considerable quantity of Newspapers but carry also letters
which must materially injure the Revenue.
Because notwithstanding the Revenue to be raised by this Tax is very
uncertain the conduct and management of it will be attended with much
expence taken out of the hands of those deeply interested in its success
the greater Burden will fall upon the Deputy Post Masters in the
Country; the Country Newspapers when they arrive cannot be dispersed
without a direction being numerous, the Deputies will no doubt expect an
increase of Salary adequate to the business imposed on them; this it is
conceived will bring a fresh expence upon Government. In most large
Towns two additional Assistants to the Post Master will be necessary one
at [L]30 and the other at [L]20 per Annum, it will also materially delay (in
most of the Post Towns) the delivery of the letters by the time it will
necessarily take in selecting folding and directing the Papers; allowing
the same time to a Post Master and his Assistants as it takes herewith
the same number of hands to dispatch them in the Post Office, the delay
in many large Towns will be from one to two hours.
The Clerks of the Roads not having received any recompence whatever for
the losses sustained by the Act of 1764 which abolished their then
privelege of franking letters and gave to the Public liberty to send and
receive Newspapers etc. free by a permit from Peers and Members of
Parliament to the great diminution of their Sale of Papers; and by the
further extension of this liberty to the Public to send and receive them
free under the Sanction of a Peer or Member's name without the usual
permit; and by the Separation of the Irish from the English Office,
would certainly consider themselves intitled by Justice to a sufficient
recompence for their Lives were the privelege now remaining to them
taken away.
The rest of the Officers in the Inland department who have always been
told to look up to a Clerkship of the Road as a reward for their long
Services would also consider themselves entitled to larger salaries were
the privelege of Franking Newspapers by the Six Clerks of the Roads
further restricted or abolished.
Number of News Papers which passed through the General Post Office
London between the 5th January 1790 and the 5th January 1791 with the
amount at one penny each--
London Newspapers 3,944,093 [L]16,433. 14. 5.
Country " 123,200 [L] 513. 6. 8.
----------- ------------------
4,067,293 [L]16,947. 1. 1.
EDMUND BARNES
ISAAC HENRY CABANES
WILLIAM OGILVY
CHARLES COLTSON
SAML ARDRON
CHARLES EVANS.
* * * * *
APPENDIX C
LIST OF AUTHORITIES
UNITED KINGDOM
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BAINES, F. E. Forty Years at the Post Office. London, 1895.
BEADON, R. J. Uniform Imperial Postage. London, 1891.
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COLLET, C. D. History of the Taxes on Knowledge. London, 1899.
CORRIE, JOHN M. The Dumfries Post Office, 1642-1910. Dumfries, 1912.
D'AVENANT, WILLIAM. Discourses on the Publick Revenues and on the Trade
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DE-LAUNE, THO. The Present State of London. London, 1681.
HARRIS, STANLEY. Old Coaching Days. London, 1882.
HEATON, J. HENNIKER. Postal and Telegraphic Communications of the
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Postal Reform. London, 1890.
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HENDY, J. G. The History of the Early Postmarks of the British Isles.
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HILL, JOHN. A Penny Post: or a Vindication of the Liberty and Birthright
of every Englishman in Carrying Merchants and other Men's Letters,
against any restraint of Farmers of such Employments. London, 1659.
HILL, PEARSON. The Origin of Postage Stamps. London, 1890.
HILL, SIR ROWLAND. Post Office Reform: Its Importance and
Practicability. London, 1837.
On the Collection of Postage by Means of Stamps. London, 1839.
The State and Prospects of Penny Postage. London, 1844.
Results of Postal Reform. London, 1864.
Life of Sir Rowland Hill, K.C.B., etc., and History of Penny Postage, by
Sir Rowland Hill and his Nephew, George Birkbeck Hill, D.C.L. 2 vols.
London, 1880.
HORNE, L. T. Postal Communications of the Empire. British Empire Series,
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1907.
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1720.
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