The London adviser and guide: containing every instruction and information useful and necessary to persons living in London, and coming to reside there; ... By the Rev. Dr. Trusler. ...

GENERAL POST-OFFICE, LOMBARD-STREET.

1. ALL letters and newspapers must be put into the receiving-houses in different parts of the town, before five in the evening, or they cannot be forward|ed by that day's post. After five these offices are shut. Bell-men then go about the streets till six, who carry such letters as they collect, to the General Post-Office in Lombard-street, for which they expect one penny each letter. If a letter be carried by your own ser|vant, this penny may be saved: the General Post-Of|fice will take them in any time before seven. After seven, till eight, a letter will be taken in for 6 d. ex|traordinary.

2. All persons about the Post-Office shall take an oath not to embezzle or delay any letters, nor to open any, except by an express warrant from one of the se|cretaries of state, for that purpose; or except in such

cases where the parties to whom they are addressed re|fuse payment for the same; or except such letters are returned for want of true directions; or when the party to whom the same is directed cannot be found.— 9 Ann. c. 10.

In ENGLAND.

• From any post-office in England, to any place not exceeding one stage from such office, Postage of a Single Letter. d. 2
• From any post-office in England, to any place above one, and not exceeding two stages from such office, and not passing through London, Postage of a Single Letter. d. 3
• From any post-office in England, to any place above two stages, and not exceeding 80 miles, and not passing through London, Postage of a Single Letter. d. 4
• From any post-office in England, to any place above 80, and not exceeding 150 miles, and not passing through London, Postage of a Single Letter. d. 5
• From any post-office in England, to any place above 150 miles, not passing through London, Postage of a Single Letter. d. 6

SCOTLAND.

• Between London and Edinburgh, Dumfries or Cockburnspeth, Postage of a Single Letter. d. 7
• From any post-office in Scotland, to any place not exceeding one stage from such office, Postage of a Single Letter. d. 2
• From any post-office in Scotland, to any place in the same kingdom above one stage, and not exceeding 50 miles, and not passing through Edinburgh, Postage of a Single Letter. d. 3
• From any post-office in Scotland, to any place in the same kingdom above 50, and not exceeding 80 miles, and not passing through Edinburgh, Postage of a Single Letter. d. 4
• From any post-office in Scotland, to any place in the same kingdom above 80, and not exceeding 150 miles, and not passing through Edinburgh, Postage of a Single Letter. d. 5
• From any post-office in Scotland, to any place above 150 miles, and not passing through Edin|burgh, Postage of a Single Letter. d. 6
• Between Port-Patrick in Scotland, and Donagha|dee in Ireland, by packet-boats, over and above all other rates, Postage of a Single Letter. d. 2
• ...

• Letters to and from any part of England and any part of Scotland, not passing through London, Edinburgh, Dumfries or Cockburnspeth, are not chargeable, if single, higher than Postage of a Single Letter. d. 7
• Letters to and from Glasgow, or the intermediate places by Carlisle, are not to pay a higher rate of postage, than if sent through Edinburgh.

IRELAND.

• Between London and Dublin, by way of Holy-head. Postage of a Single Letter. d. 6
• Between London and Donaghadee, by way of Carlisle and Port-Patrick, Postage of a Single Letter. d. 12

ISLE OF MAN.

• Between Great Britain and the Isle of Man, by packet-boats, over and above all other rates, Postage of a Single Letter. d. 2

SHIP-LETTERS.

• For the port of every letter or packet of letters in any part of his Majesty's dominions directed to, or coming from, on board of any ship, over and above the rates before mentioned, Postage of a Single Letter. d. 1
• For every letter or packet coming from on ship|board for the town where landed, or the deli|very thereof, one penny, with the penny paid to the master, mariner, or passenger bringing the same, being for every such letter or pac|ket, Postage of a Single Letter. d. 2

His Majesty's WEST-INDIA Islands, and NORTH-AMERICA.

• For letters conveyed by packet-boats, between London and any port in his Majesty's West-India islands, or North-America, Postage of a Single Letter. d. 12
• For letters conveyed by packet-boats from any port in the West-India islands, or his Majesty's dominions in North-America, to any other port thereof, Postage of a Single Letter. d. 4
• For the inland conveyance of letters in the said dominions between any office and any place, not exceeding 60 English miles, Postage of a Single Letter. d. 4
• For any distance above 60 English miles, and not exceeding 100 miles, Postage of a Single Letter. d. 6
• ...

• For any distance above 100, and not exceeding 200 English miles, Postage of a Single Letter. d. 8
• And so in proportion, the postage increasing two-pence a single letter, for any distance above eve|ry 100 miles.

FOREIGN LETTERS.

• Letters from London to any part of Holland, France or Flanders, pay no foreign postage.
• From any part of Holland, France or Flanders, to London, Postage of a Single Letter. d. 10
• Between London and any part of Spain or Portu|gal, through France, or by Lisbon, Postage of a Single Letter. d. 18
• Between London and any part of Italy, Sicily, Turkey and Switzerland, through France, Postage of a Single Letter. d. 15
• Between London and any part of Italy, Sicily, Turkey, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, Russia, and all parts of the North, through Holland and Flanders, Postage of a Single Letter. d. 12

5. Letters and packets from any part of Great Bri|tain or Ireland, for any of the places under the title Foreign Letters, before mentioned, and for North-Ame|rica, are, besides the said foreign rates and packet-postage to North-America, to pay at the office where they are put in, the full port to London, without which they cannot be forwarded; therefore, all per|sons are to take particular notice thereof, to prevent the necessity of their letters being opened and returned for the postage.

6. All merchants accompts, not exceeding one sheet of paper, and all bills of exchange, invoices, and bills of lading, to or from any of the foreign parts or pla|ces before mentioned, and the covers of letters to or from Turkey, not exceeding one quarter of a sheet of paper, are allowed to pass without payment of the fo|reign postage, but are to pay the full inland port to and from London.

7. All double, treble, and other letters and packets whatever (except by the penny-post) pay in proportion to the respective rates of single letters before specified; but no letter or packet to and from places within the king|dom

of Great Britain, together with the contents thereof, shall be charged more than as a treble letter, unless the same shall weigh an ounce, when it is to be rated as four single letters, and so in proportion for every quarter of an ounce above that weight, reckon|ing each quarter as a single letter.

8. Letters to all parts of Europe are dispatched from London every Tuesday and Friday, except those to Portugal, which are forwarded by the Lisbon mails on Tuesdays only.

9. Letters to the West-Indies and to North-Ame|rica are dispatched from London the first Wednesday in every month.

10. No letter, under one ounce, to be charged high|er than as a treble letter.

11. All masters of vessels bringing letters from a|broad, shall deliver the same (except in the case of quarentine) at the post-office where they break bulk, for which the post-master shall receive 1 d. extra for each letter. 5 Geo. 3. c. 25, s. 3, 4.

12. Bills of exchange, written on the same piece of paper with a letter, and several letters to several per|sons, written on the same piece of paper, shall pay as so many distinct letters. 26 G. c. 21. s. 51.

13. Writs, and other proceedings at law, inclosed or written on the same piece of paper with a letter, shall pay as so many distinct letters. 26 G. 2. c. 13. s. 6.

14. But merchants accompts not exceeding one sheet, bills of exchange, invoices, bills of lading (sent or brought over sea; 6 G. c. 21. s. 52), shall be allow|ed without rate in the price of the letters. 9 Ann. c. 10. s. 13.

15. But patterns or samples of goods, or pieces of any thing, though not paper, inclosed in a letter, of affixed thereto, if under an ounce weight, shall pay as a double letter. 26 G. 2. c. 13. s. 7.

16. No letters or packets shall be exempted from postage, except such as shall be sent to the king; and such as not exceeding the weight of two ounces, shall be sent during the sitting of parliament, or within 40 days before or after any summons or prorogation,

which shall be signed on the outside thereof, by any member, and by whom the whole superscription shall be written; and also the name of the post-town from which the same is intended to be sent, and the day, month and year, when the same shall be put into the post-office (the day of the month to be in words at length)—or directed to any member at the place where he shall actually be at the time of the delivery thereof, or at his usual place of residence in London, or at the lobby of the house of parliament of which he is a member; or to the offices of the Treasury, Admiralty, War-office, General Post-office, secretaries of state, paymaster-general of the forces, clerk of the parlia|ments, clerk of the House of Commons; or upon his Majesty's service (indorsed by the proper officer).— 4 Geo. 3. c. 24. s. 1, 4. 5 Geo. 3. c. 25. s. 26. 25 Geo. 3.

17. Counterfeiting the superscription of any letters to evade the postage, is transportation for seven years. 25 Geo. 3.

18. Printed votes or proceedings in parliament, or printed newspapers sent without cover, or in covers open at the ends, signed on the outside by any member of parliament, or directed to a member at any place, whereof he shall have given notice to the Postmaster-General, shall be exempted from postage in England; 4 G. 3. c. 24. s. 5. and shall pass from Great Britain and Ireland at the rate of 1 d. only for each printed vote, proceeding in parliament, or newspaper. 25 Geo. 3.

19. If any person entrusted to take in letters and re|ceive the postage thereof, should embezzle the money, burn or destroy the letters, or advance the rates and not duly account for such advanced rates, he shall be guilty of felony. 5 Geo. 3. c. 25. s. 19.

20. All sums not exceeding 5 l. due for postage may ••e recovered before justices of the peace, in the same manner as small tithes. 9 An. c. 10. s. 30.

21. All sums overcharged for letters will be returned 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the Post-Office, Lombard-street. If on good terms with your postman, he will get this done for you; on

this account it may not be impolitic to give him a shil|ling at Christmas.

22. Any complaint made of misconduct to the Secre|tary of the Post-Office, by letter or otherwise, will be immediately attended to.

23. No one is obliged to receive a letter from the postman, though directed to him, unless he thinks pro|per.