New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-07-24
A CURIOUS HISTORY.
rHE POSTAL SERVICE OF THE OLDEN
TINE.
THE POST IN GRANT AND FARM BY J wilson
Hyde. Controller In the General postomce e. Hu'''-

The postmaster under the StuartS was hoe a.
all the correct. matter-of-fact clerk OF the mer-
camille aspect who Is cogwheel In the per1ecteo
machine of the Victorian He was even some-
thing more than the rural politician who used 10
be familiar in our own country as centre OF
influence and bulwark Of party power lie Was
generally an innkeeper. stanch supporter OF
the Crown, though not himself public oincer'
but only a subordinate Of the farmer VINO con-
&racted TO carry the Kings letters. He performed
q notable service In keeping the State famifar
with the plots Of its enemies. In those days there
was less sense OF the inviolabty OF correspond
ence than now rules. When the postmaster OK
Northallerton In 1862 reported that -FOUR disai-
fected Scottish ministers thought 70 be spies All"
deluders Of loyal subjects are at Nor'haHer'o"'
and write many letters TO Berwick ana diHeren'
parts of Yorkshire" he was Instructed 10 take
all their letters to a deputy-lieutenant Tor exam
nation TO send to London all those containing
ANYTHING prejudlcal to the public peace. and TO
forward the rest as addressed
For their services neither the head OF the sys-
tenn nor the subordinate officers obtained much
money In the way of direct compensation anu
their stated salaries were generally greatly III
arrears; but they had such perquisites that they
seldom complained about their back pay TIL after
they had lost office, when pitful petitions "ouiu
be made representing that. the income which had
before furnished living being cut off. the petit
TONER in great need
We think of the postoffce as the beneficent ac-
Avity of more or less parental government ana
IN socaIistlc moods argue from 1t the advantage
OF State control Of all business in which the pup
lie have an interest; but primarily the office was
as little concerned with the convenience OF private
letter writer's as was William Rufus for the con-
tho uh 10
the New Forest Frequently the carriers be-
tween Calais and Dover refused to make the
Journey when there were no Kings letters to be
delivered and their neglect Of the merchants
packets was a subject Of remonstrance to the
Postmaster General. The accommodation OF pri-
va,e correspondence was subsidiary 10 the estab-
1,shment Of communication between provincial
officials and the Court The messengers Went
hack and forth and were allowed to take pack
cts Of the commoner as well as of the King Per-
haps that done with the desire to accommo-
date the commoner, but it is altogether more
likely II was done TO make him pay the expenses
OF the royal service. The King did not propose
20 pay any large salary 10 his PostTaster-deh-
eral In 1907 James l appointed Lord Stanhcpe
master Of the Messengers and Runners COM
monty called the Kings posts. as we'll within the
kingdom as In foreign parts beyond the seas
within the Kings dominions,' at nominal wage
Of f66 13s 4d, though 1t is to be remembered that
that represented four times the value Of the
came sum now This functionary and his sue
cessors in turn farmed out the carrying business,
IN some cases making their subordinates pay Tor
the privilege Of carrying the Kings letters and
reimburse themselves from the income Of such
extra service their work put in their power
70 do to private persons.
3.i h no
masters carried the subjects letters but up 10
that time had never reaped any benefit from II,
which Is to be interpreted that the Grief post
master never reaped any benefit from the profits
which his deputies made from the work they
paid him to be allowed TO do At this time there
was arrangement recognized as state SER
vice for the conveyance within the kingdom OF
letters Of merchants Whatever Of this was done
~as unofficial.
Later a regular charge fixed for carrying
letters the proceeds forwarded to the
general farmer Of the post. and nominal salaries
were paid, more frequently promised. to the
local postmasters To give them some real pay
ment for their labor monopoly of letting post
horses TO travellers along their routes was
placed in their hands. This concession. together
with the extra trade which the possession OF
the postoffce brought to inn. and the ex-
emption from service in the militia and quarter
ing troops. made the place desirable one. The
postmaster also had the right In the Kings
name 20 impress the horses OF his neghbors
for carriers when his did not meet the
needs Of the service This privilege was par
ticuarly liable TO abuse. and the postmaster
often became petty tvrant. as frequent COM
plants to his superiors show.
He was accustomed to extort brides from
owners not TO levy on their animals, and throw
all the burden on few who did not pay.
petition Of eighteen inhabitants OF Royston, in
HEREFORD in 1893. states that Thomas Haggar,
Of their town, innhoder, bearing himself so irreg-
uarly by authority Of his office Gas postmaster,
abuses his protection TO the great grievance OF the
town and country: breaking open some of their
doors In the night without constable taking
away their horses without their privity: ex-
torting, bribng, beating. commanding. threaten
ing countrymen that will not fee him. or do
MIN service with their carts. or spend their
money In tipping In his house; hinderng poor
men from coming to the market to sell their
corn by taking their horses post when there is
no cause: causing the horses to be double posted,
keeping them longer THAI the service requires;
and msusing young colts and horses not TIT
for that service whereby they oftentimes
spoiled"
The paternal attempt to accommodate the pub
lie was not always appreciated by the bene-
fciaries. and the postmasters had their hands
full In keeping unauthorized persons from carry
ing passengers and mail to their detriment
contrary to law. In 16i9 the London Common
Council set up a rival post to that Of Prideaux,
the domestic Postmaster-G General. on the pre-
tence that the Council required another weekly
conveyance Of letters for their own use. and
they actually drove the official posts from the
feld, In spite Of Prideauxs reduction Of rates
and establishment Of extra mails. The fight
was carried with occasional battles between
rival messengers. and efforts Of Prdeaux to
delay the independents. under pretence OF keep
ing the Sabbath. while his own agents went
on, until 1863 when Johr Marley contracted to
.o,lth q