I.

And first, The said John Manley shall have the sole Care and Charge of the Postage and Carriage of all Letters and Packets, both Foreign and Inland to and from all persons; and in all places of England, Scotland and Ire­land, and to and from all other places within the Dominions of this Common wealth, ex­clusive to all others, except for such as shall be sent either by common and known Carriers along with their Carts, Waggons or Pack-Horses, or by Messenger or Messengers on purpose, or by some servant, or Friend or Friends, or by some Ship or Ships, Vessel or Vessels not being Packet-Boats nor Ves­sels, or Boats purposely or principally unploy­ed to carry Letters; All which said Packet-Boats, and other Vessels and Boats to car­ry Letters (except only such as shall be im­ployed [Page 672]by the said John Manley, together with all other Posts, but such as shall likewise be thereunto Authorized and impowred by him) are hereby expresly prohibited, forbidden and suppressed.

II.

Item, The said John Manley, by himself and his said Deputies, Agents, and under-Offi­cers shall, from time to time, and at all times during the continuance of this Ordinance, safely and faithfully carry all ordinary & ex­traordinary Letters & Dispatches to or from his Highness, and to or from His Council, or Secretary of State, or any of them; And to and from all Members of the Legislative power, and to and from the Commissioners or Committee of the Admiralty or Navy, Generals of the Fleet, General Officers of the Army, Committee of the Army, Com­mittee for Scotch and Irish Affairs, and that by the Common, Ordinary Male or o­ther speedy and safe passage as the urgency of the occasion shall or may require.

Provided, That whatsoever Letters or Packets (which shall not come or be offered by some known Publique Seal, or Impress to be for the Publique, or some of the Affairs above specified) shall, for the freeing them from pay or Postage, have an Indorsement upon them in these words, or to this effect fol­lowing (viz.) These are for the service of [Page 673]his Highness, or for the service of the Com­mon-wealth, together with the names of such persons or their Secretaries or Clerks, who attend them or those services respectively, in­dorsed upon the same.

Item, That for all other Letters and Packets to or from private persons, and for private occasions (and not at all relating to the persons and publique Affairs mentioned in the former Article being absolutely free from Pay and Postage) he the said John Man­ley shall by himself his Agents, Deputies or under-Officers receive and take for the car­riage and postage thereof only according to the Rates following, and no other or high­er rates, viz. For every Letter to or from a­ny place within eighty miles distance from London, if a single Letter, two pence, and if a double Letter, four pence. And for every Letter at a farther distance than eighty miles if a single Letter, three pence, if a double Letter, six pence. And for every Letter to or from Scotland, if a single Letter, four pence, if a double Letter, eight pence. And to or from Ireland, for every single Letter, six pence, and every double Letter, twelve pence, and for treble or greater Packets of Letters pro­portionably.

III.

Item, To the end a Weekly entercourse may be continued between England and Ireland, the said John Manley shall (over and besides the [Page 674]Packet Boats for Foreign Posts) and is hereby obliged to maintain one or more Pac­ket Boats to pass and repass, if not hindred by wind and Weather, weekly between Milford and Waterford, and between Chester and Dub­lin, or to settle such other waies and meanes for a weekly correspondence between those places as may be equivalent for speed and se­curity with the waies aforesaid.

IV.

Item, The said John Manley shall be, and is hereby obliged to maintain and keep one or more Foreign Packet-Boats to be weekly imployed for the Foreign Posts, as hath been formerly used and accustomed.

V.

Item, That for the better carrying on of the Publique service, especially of the Na­vy, there shall be (besides the several Po­stages now in use) settled, maintained and established by the said John Manley, a weekly Post between Dover and Portsmouth, and be­tween Portsmouth and Salisbury, and between London and Yarmouth, and between Lancaster and Carlisle.

VI.

Item, That for the Foreign Letters im­ported & exported (other than for Ireland and [Page 675] Scotland, the rates whereof are before particu­larly set down) the said John Manley, shall have and by himself and his Deputies, Agents and under Officers, receive and take for the Postages and Carriage thereof, the Rates heretofore used and accustomed, and no other nor further rates nor value, for that it is hereby Declared and Ordained, That there shall be no increase or Rates, nor alteration concerning the same.

VII.

That for the more speedy and effectual dis­patch of all the said Posts and Premisses, the said John Manley, shall be, and is hereby obliged to cause the said Posts to run seven Miles and hower in Summer, viz. From the first of April to the last of September; And five miles an hower in Winter, viz. For the rest of the year.

VIII.

Item, That the said John Manley shall be and is hereby obliged to take order for, and cause every his under Post-Master or Depu­ty, at his several Stage, to have in readiness one good Horse or Mare to receive and carry the Male of Letters from time to time, that the same may not be staied at any Stage a­bove half a quarter of an hour at most: And for the more speedy dispatch thereof, that no other person (besides the Post that carrieth [Page 676]the Male) be suffered to ride Post with the Male.

IX.

That the said John Manley shall be, and is hereby obliged to provide Post-hories at eve­ry Stage, for all such persons as shall by especial Warrant of his Highness, His Coun­cil, any of the Generals at Sea, Commissi­oners of the Admiralty and Navy, Secre­tary of State, General Officer of the Ar­my, Commanders of any Garrison, or Com­manders of any Squadron or Ship of the Navy of the Common-wealth, be authorized to ride Post.

X.

That for the reasons aforesaid none but the Post-Masters, deputed and approved of by the said John Manley, upon the several Roads, shall horse any person Post; and that the said Post-Masters upon the Roads, depu­ted by the said John Manley, shall not receive or take, from any person or persons riding post as aforesaid, above the rate of three pence a mile for each Post-horse, being the Rates in such case formerly used and accustomed. And to the [...] there may be a constant and suffici­ent movision at every Stage for the Horsing o [...] such as shall have such Warrant as afore­said, to take Post-horses, the said John Man­ley, shall be, and is hereby obliged to cause e­very [Page 677]Post-Master, deputed by him, to keep u­sually and constantly at every Stage, the number of four good Horses or Mares at the least for the said Post-service.

XI.

Item, That the said John Manley shall tru­ly and faithfully pay unto such Treasurer or Receiver, as His Highness the Lord Prote­ctor shall appoint, to the use of the Common-wealth, the summ of ten thousand pounds yearly, by quarterly payments, at and upon such daies and times as he hath promised and secured the payments of the same.

And it is hereby Declared and Ordained, and be it Established and Ordained by the Authority aforesaid, That to the end the said John Manley may be the better enabled to pay the said yearly rent at the quarterly rent daies as aforesaid, and to do and perform the several Agreements on his part to be perfor­med as aforesaid, and for and in considerati­on of the said Rents and Agreements, That he the said John Manley, for himself, his Depu­ties and under Officers, shall have and enjoy the Priviledges, Exemptions, Freedoms and Immunities hereafter specified.

I.

That in respect of the necessary and con­stant attendance of the said John Manley, and [Page 678]others imployed under him in the execution of the Premisses, as well by day as by night; That therefore the said John Manley, as also his under Post-Master or Deputy at every Stage, and two Servants at every of the said Stages, are hereby, and shall be from time to time during the term aforesaid, freed and discharged of and from all and all man­ner of Presses and Musters, and of and from all and all manner of Summons and personal appearance and attendance upon or at any Assizes, Sessions, Iuries, In­quesis, and other Offices or Duties requir­ing personal attendance.

II.

That no person or persons whatsoever, besides the said John Manley, his Deputies and Vnder-Officers, shall be allowed or suffe­red to set up any Post, or keep Horses, or a­ny Packet-Boat or Boats for the carrying or sending of Letters Inland or Foreign.

III.

That all Posts, and Carriers of Letters, post to or from Dover, Yarmouth, Norwich, Winchester, Lynn, Bury, Oxford, Cambridge, Southampton, Plymouth, York, Lincoln, Bri­stoll, &c. or to or from any other Town or Place within this Common-wealth, or the Dominions thereto belonging, without De­putation, License or Allowance of, from [Page 679]and under the said, John Manley, shall and are hereby prohibited, forbidden and sup­pressed.

IV.

That if any person or persons what­soever, shall offend against any thing in these two last preceding Articles, or carry any Letters post, notwithstanding the said pr [...]l [...]tion of the said two last Articles, or do any other Act or Thing to the Dam­mage, Prejudice or Hinderance of the said John Manley, in the free holding and injoy­ing the said Office of Post-Master General as aforesaid, or any of the Premisses to him by this Ordinance granted or allowed; he the said John Manley shall have by virtue hereof his speciall action upon the Case against such person and persons so of­fending, to be commenced in the Court of Exchequer, and if the Verdice pass for the Plaintiff, he shall by Iudgement of the said Court of Exchequer, recover double Dammages, and have double Costs awarded him in every such action.

V.

That no person or persons warranted to ride Post, shall ride above one Stage upon the same Post-horses without consent of the Owners of the said Horses, or the Post-Masters from whom he or they shall hire the [Page 680]same to the wrong of such Horses, and preju­dice of the Posts; and if any shall attempt to do the contrary, the next Magistrate, Constable or Officer, upon Compliant there­of made, shall stay the said Offenders, and discharge them off the said Horses, and like­wise cause them to make reasonable satisfacti­on for the wrong therein done.

VI.

And it is hereby further Established and Ordained, That (in respect of the said Rents to be paid for the increase of the Publique Revenue, and Services to be done and per­formed by the said John Manley as aforesaid) the said Office and Offices of Post-Master General, and postage of Letters hereby gran­ted to the said John Manley, shall be absolutely freed and discharged of and from all man­ner of Taxes and Assessments from time to time during such term as he shall hold and execute the same, and that neither the said John Manley, nor any under Deputie or Officer under him, shall for or in respect of the said Office or Offices, or any of the premis­ses hereby granted, be taxed or assessed, or a­ny waies be compelled to pay any rate, tax or assessment, but that he and they (at and under the Rents and Conditions aforesaid) may be at all times during the said Term hereafter there from freed to all intents and purposes.