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318
The Royal Mail: Its Curiosities and Romance
·
James Wilson Hyde
85
The
packet-boats
sailing
from
the
ports
of
Harwich
and
Dover,
being
habitually
in
the
"silver
streak,"
were
subject
to
frequent
interruptions
from
English
privateers
and
men-of-war
frequenting
these
waters;
and
to
lessen
the
inconvenience
thus
arising,
the
packets
at
one
time
carried
what
was
called
a
"postboy
jack."
An
official
record
of
1792
thus
describes
the
flag:
"It
is
the
Union-jack
with
the
figure
of
a
man
riding
post
with
a
mail
behind
him,
and
blowing
his
horn."
These
flags
were
made
of
bunting,
and
cost
L1,
2s.
each.
Happily
there
has
not
for
a
long
time
been
any
need
for
using
fighting
ships
to
convey
the
mails
of
this
country
over
the
high
seas;
and
this
is
a
danger
which
it
has
not
been
needful
to
provide
against
in
the
packet
service
of
the
present
generation.
Before
leaving
these
mail-packets
of
former
days,
it
is
perhaps
worth
recording,
that
while
needy
passengers
were
sometimes
carried
on
board
at
half
the
usual
fares,
and
those
in
destitute
circumstances
for
nothing
at
all,
the
poor
Jews
were
kept
outside
the
pale
of
the
generous
concession;
and
the
Post-office
thus
joined
the
world's
mob
in
the
general
harsh
treatment
of
that
unhappy
race.
This
appears
by
an
official
order
of
1774,
and
the
hardship
was
only
removed
under
an
authority
dated
August
24,
1792.
The
Postmaster-General's
minute
on
the
subject
is
as
follows:--"The
Postmaster-General
thinks
that
the
last
words
of
the
order
which
proscribes
all
Jews,
merely
because
they
are
Jews,
is
not
consistent
with
the
usual
liberality
of
the
office;
but
that
the
agent
should
be
directed
to
give
to
them
the
same
privileges
that
are
given
to
all
the
rest
of
the
world
without
any
exception
to
them
on
account
of
their
religion."
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