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1
435
Her Majesty's Mails
·
William Lewins
383
THE
LETTER-POST.
As
at
present
constituted,
the
British
Post-Office
has,
with
the
few
exceptions
noticed
in
our
historical
survey,
an
exclusive
authority
to
convey
letters
within
the
United
Kingdom.
It
is
also
required
by
law
to
convey
newspapers
when
the
public
choose
to
use
the
post
for
that
purpose.
The
Post-Office
further
undertakes
the
conveyance
of
books
and
book-packets,
and
the
remittance
of
small
sums
of
money.
Still
more
recently,
it
has
entered
into
competition
with
the
banking
interest
of
the
country:
it
now
threatens
a
scheme
which
will
compete
with
benefit
societies
and
insurance
offices.
It
is
only
with
regard
to
the
carriage
of
letters,
however,
that
the
Post-Office
possesses
any
special
privileges,
the
other
branches
of
its
business
being
open
to
any
person
or
persons
who
may
choose
to
undertake
them.
(a)
The
rates
of
postage
on
all
letters
passing
through
the
Post-Office
are
now
regulated
by
weight,[206]
irrespective
of
distance,
and
(with
some
exceptions,
which
we
will
mention
presently)
altogether
irrespective
of
their
contents.
Letters
weighing
less
than
four
ounces
may
be
sent
unpaid,
but
they
will
be
charged
double
postage
on
delivery.
Letters
may
be
sent
insufficiently
stamped,
but
that
deficiency,
whatever
it
may
be,
will
also
be
charged
double
postage
on
delivery.
The
rate
for
letters
is
familiar
to
every
reader.
(b)
All
re-directed
letters
are
liable
to
additional
postage,
but
at
the
prepaid,
and
not
the
unpaid
rate.
Thus,
for
a
letter
under
half
an
ounce,
re-addressed
from
one
post-town
to
another,
additional
postage,
to
the
amount
of
one
penny,
is
levied.
Re-directed
letters,
not
addressed
to
a
fresh
post-town,
but
to
a
place
within
the
district
belonging
to
the
same
post-town
to
which
they
were
originally
sent,
are
not
charged
with
any
additional
postage,
the
first
payment
franking
them
until
they
are
delivered.
Letters
for
officers
in
the
army
and
navy,
and
private
soldiers
and
seamen
employed
on
actual
service,
have
their
letters
re-addressed
to
them
from
place
to
place
without
any
charge
for
re-direction.
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