The Sun.
London, England, 1839-11-25 00:00:00

THE POST-OFFICE.

(From Friday's Gazette 4
TREASURY MINUTE FOR REGULATING
THE RATES OF POSTAGE.
Whereas by an Act passed in the last session of Par-
liament, intituled " An Act for the further Regulation
of the Duties on Postage, until the sth day of October,
1840." power is given to the Lords Commissioners of
her Majesty's Treasury, or any three of them, by war-
rant under their hands, to alter, fix, reduce, or remit all
or of any of the rates of British or inland or other post-
age payable by law on the transmission of postletters, and
to subject such letters to rates of postage according to
the weight thereof, and a scale of weight to be contained
in such warrant (without reference to the distance or
number of miles the same may be conveyed), and to fix
and limit the weight of letters to be sent by
the post ; and, from time to time, by war-
rant as aforesaid, to alter or repeal any such
altered or reduced rates, and make and establish
any new or other rates in lieu thereof ; and,
from time to time, by warrant as aforesaid, to appoint
at what time the rates which may be payable are to be
paid, that is to say, whether on posting the letter or on
the receipt thereof, or at either of those times, at teh
option of the sender ; provided that all such warrants
should be inserted in the London Gazette ten days at
least before coming into operation, and should, within
fourteen days after making the same, be laid before
both Houses of Parliament (if then sitting), or other-
wise within fourteen days after Parliament should
meet.
And whereas an Act was passed in the first year of
the reign of her present Majesty, chap. 34, intituled
" An Act for the Regulation of the Duties on Postage ;"
and another Act was passed in same Session, chap. 76,
intituled " An Act to Impose Rates of Packet Postage
on East India Letters, and to amend certain Acts re•
lating to the Post Office ;" and another Act was passed
in the first and second years of the reign of her present
Majesty, chap. 97, intituled " An Act for Imposing
Rates of Postage on the Conveyance of Letters by
Packet Boats between places in the Mediterranean and
other parts."
Now we, the undersigned (being three of the Lords
Commissioners of her Majesty's Treasury), do in the
exercise of the power or authority in us for such pur-
pose vested in and by the said first-mentioned Act, and
of all other powers enabling us in this behalf, by this
warrant, under our hands, order and direct that this
present warrant shall come into operation on the sth
day of December next, and that all letters (not being
by law specially exempted from postage), which, on or
after that day shall be posted in any town or place within
the United Kingdom, or within any of the islands of
Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, or shall
be brought from parts beyond the seas to any port or
place within the United Kingdom, or the said islands,
by any packet-boat or private vessel, shall be subject
to the several regulations and rates hereinafter con-
tained.
And we further order and direct that, on and after
the said sth day of December next, the present prac-
tice of charging the rates of postage on letters trans-
mitted by the general post, consisting of more than one
sheet of paper, or containing any inclosure, shall be
. wholly discontinued ; and thenceforth all letters, of
whatever description, transmitted through the general
post, and legally chargeable with postage, shall be
charged by weight, as hereinafter mentioned.
And we hereby fix and limit the following scale of
weight of letters to be transmitted through the general
post, and we subject such letters, on and after the said
sth day of December next, to the following rates of
postage (that is to say) :
On every letter, not exceeding half an ounce in
weight, there shall be charged and taken one rate of
postage.
On every letter, exceeding half an ounce, and not
exceeding one ounce in weight, there shall be charged
and taken two rates of postage.
On every letter, exceeding one ounce, and not ex-
ceeding two ounces in weight, there shall be charged
and taken four rates of postage.
On every letter, exceeding two ounces, and not ex-
ceeding three ounces in weight, there shall be charged
and taken six rates of postage.
And on every letter exceeding three ounces, and not
exceeding four ounces in weight, there shall be charged
and taken eight rates of postage ; and for every ounce
in weight above the weight of four ounces there shall
be charged and taken two additional rates of postage ;
and every fraction of an ounce, above the weight of
four ounces, shall be charged as one additional ounce.
And we order and direct that no letter exceeding
sixteen ounces in weight shall, in any case, be forwarded
by the general post between places within the United
Kingdom and the said islands, or from the said United
Kingdom and the said islands to parts beyond the seas.
except letters franked, or by law specially exempted
from postage, or letters posted as franks, although
chargeable with postage, and except letters forwarded
by, or addressed to, some public office or department,
or letters arriving in the United Kingdom or the said
islands from parts beyond the seas, or plantation ac-
counts, patterns, and samples of goods, deeds, books,
pamphlets, and other printed papers, forwarded by post
in conformity with the regulations, from time to time,
in force respecting the same, between the United King-
dom or the said islands, and the British colonies or fo-
reign parts, and except bankers' parcels forwarded
pursuant to the regulations of the said Act of the first
year of her present Majesty, cap. 34.
And we hereby fix and limit the following rates of
postage to be paid to her Majesty's Postmaster-Ge-
neral for the use of her Majesty, on and after the sth
day of December next, on the letters next hereinafter
mentioned, and we order and direct the same to be
charged and paid accordingly ; that is to say—
INLAND LETTERS.
On all letters not by law specially exempted from
postage, and not exceeding half an ounce in weight,
transmitted by the general post between places within
the United Kingdom, or between the said islands, or
between the United Kingdom and the said islands (not
being letters sent to or from parts beyond the seas),
there shall be charged and taken one uniform rate of
postage of fourpence, without reference to the number
of sheets or pieces of paper, or inclosures, of which the
same may be comprised, or to the distance or number
of miles the same shall be conveyed.
On all such letters, if exceeding half an ounce in
weight, there shall be charged and taken progressive and
additional rates of postage (each additional rate being
estimated at fourpence) according to the scale of weight,
and number of rates hereinbefore fixed and declared.
PACKET LETTERS.
On all letters, not exceeding half an ounce in weight,
transmitted, by packet-boat, between any place within
the United Kingdom or the said islands, and any other
of the British dominions or colonies (except the Cape
of Good Hope, Ceylon, the Mauritius, and the East
Indies), there shall be charged and taken one rate of
postage of one shilling, and, if exceeding such weight,
then progressive and additional rates of postage, ac-
cording to the scale of weight hereinbefore contained,
each additional rate being estimated at 3ne
SHIP LETTERS.
That all letters transmitted under the authority of the
Postmaster-General by private vessels or packet-boats
between places in the United Kingdom, or between
the United Kingdom and the said islands, or between
the said islands, shall be considered as forwarded by the
general post between such places, and be charged ac-
cordingly.
That on all letters transmitted by vessels not being
packet-boats between the United Kingdom or the said
islands, and any place beyond the seas (except Ceylon
the Mauritius, the Cape of Good Hope, and the East
Indies), there shall be charged and taken the
rates of postage following ; that is to say,
if posted at the port of departure within the United
Kingdom or the said islands, or if addressed to, and
delivered at, the port of the ship's arrival within
the United Kingdom or the said islands, and not
exceeding half an ounce in weight, one rate of eight-
pence ; and if posted at any other place within the United
Kingdom or the said islands than the port of depar-
ture, or if addressed to and delivered at any other place
within the United Kingdom or the said islands than the
port of the ship's arrival, and not exceeding half an
ounce in weight, a rate of one shilling ; and if exceeding
such weight, then progressive additional rates of post-
age according to the scale of weight hereinbefore con-
tained, estimating and charging each additional rate
at eightpence or one shilling respectively, as the case
may be.