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318
The Royal Mail: Its Curiosities and Romance
·
James Wilson Hyde
105
Upon
all
letters
delivered
by
two
of
the
postmen--the
two
first
mentioned--a
halfpenny
per
letter
over
and
above
the
postage
was
charged
for
delivery;
in
the
other
case
the
ordinary
postage
only
was
levied.
The
reason
for
the
additional
charge
was
no
doubt
this
that
the
postmaster
was
allowed
by
the
Department
only
one
postman,
and
that
consequently
the
wages
of
the
other
men
who
were
necessarily
employed
had
to
be
met
by
the
special
tax
referred
to.
The
following
minute
of
the
Postmaster-General,
dated
28th
October
1792,
while
in
some
sense
affording
an
explanation
of
the
matter,
shows
that
somewhat
peculiar
notions
prevailed
with
regard
to
providing
force
where
such
was
required.
It
runs
as
follows:--
"There
are
only
two
instances
in
the
kingdom
where
more
than
one
letter-carrier
is
allowed,
viz.,
Portsmouth
and
Bath.
I
understand
it
has
been
held
as
a
general
rule
not
to
allow
more
than
one
to
any
other
place,
however
extensive
and
populous
it
may
be;
in
the
two
exceptions
to
this
rule
the
inhabitants
had
been
accustomed
to
pay
the
deputies
a
gratuity
for
delivering
the
letters,
but
having
refused
to
continue
the
payment,
these
postmasters
felt
their
income
considerably
reduced,
and
I
believe
it
was
not
till
after
much
discussion
the
rule
was
broke
through."
The
minute
continues
as
follows:--"Mr
Palmer
had
some
ideas
respecting
such
a
modification
of
the
rates
of
postage
as
might
induce
the
inhabitants
of
every
place
in
the
kingdom
to
pay
with
cheerfulness
an
extra
halfpenny
or
penny
over
and
above
the
rates;
this
extra
payment
to
be
sanctioned
by
an
Act
of
Parliament;
and
then
the
whole
amount
of
the
sums
now
paid
for
letter-carriers,
being
L1927,
8s.
per
year,
would
be
saved
to
the
Revenue."
If
this
accurately
represents
Mr
Palmer's
ideas,
Mr
Palmer
did
not
quite
understand
the
British
public.
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