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1
435
Her Majesty's Mails
·
William Lewins
72
"Let
humble
Allen,
with
an
awkward
shame,
Do
good
by
stealth,
and
blush
to
find
its
fame."
On
the
death
of
Allen,
the
cross-posts
were
brought
under
the
control
of
the
Postmaster-General.
An
officer,
Mr.
Ward,
was
appointed
to
take
charge
of
the
Bye-letter
Office,
as
the
branch
was
now
called,
at
the
salary
of
300l.
a-year.
The
success
of
the
amalgamation
scheme
was
so
complete,
that
at
the
end
of
the
first
year,
profits
to
the
amount
of
20,000l.
were
handed
over
to
the
Crown.
Afterwards,
the
proceeds
continued
to
increase
even
still
more
rapidly;
so
much
so,
that
when,
in
1799,
the
"Bye-letter
Office"
was
abolished,
and
its
management
transferred
to
the
General
Office,
they
had
reached
the
enormous
yearly
sum
of
200,000l.!
At
the
revision
of
the
Post-Office
in
1710,
the
bounds
of
the
penny
post
were
extended,
as
we
have
seen,
to
a
district
within
ten
miles
of
the
General
Post-Office.
This
extension
was
granted
on
a
memorial
from
several
townships
in
the
London
district,
who
volunteered,
if
such
extension
were
made,
that
they
would
pay
an
extra
penny
for
every
letter
delivered
beyond
"the
boundaries
of
the
cities
of
London
and
Westminster,
and
the
borough
of
Southwark."
Numerous
disputes
having
arisen
owing
to
the
wording
of
the
Act,
and
many
inhabitants
claiming
in
consequence
to
have
their
letters
delivered
free
within
the
ten-mile
circuit,
a
supplementary
Act
was
passed
in
1727,
"for
the
obviating
and
taking
away
such
doubts,"
as
to
what
was
the
proper
charge,
and
directing
that
the
"penny
postmen"
must
not
deliver
any
letters
out
of
the
original
limits,
but
may
detain
or
delay
such
letters
or
packets,
unless
an
extra
penny
were
paid
for
each
on
delivery.
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