TREASURY WARRANT.

WHEREAS by an Act, passed in the fifth year of the reign of His late Majesty King George the Third, intituled "An Act to alter certain rates of postage, and to amend, explain, and enlarge several provisions in an Act made in the ninth year of the reign of Queen Anne, and in other Acts relating to the revenue of the Post Office," the Postmaster-General, for the time being, and his deputies were authorized to demand, receive, and take for the conveyance of letters, packets, and other things carried or conveyed by the post between any of the British dominions in America, or between any parts of the said dominions, the several and respective rates and sums therein mentioned:

And whereas by an Act, passed in the third and fourth years of the reign of Her present Majesty, intituled "An Act for the regulation of the duties of postage," it is enacted, that it shall be lawful for the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury, from time to time, and at any time after the passing of that Act, by warrant under their hands, to alter and fix any of the rates of British postage or inland postage, payable by law on the transmission by the post of foreign or colonial letters or newspapers, or of any other printed papers, and to subject the same to rates of postage according to the weight thereof, and a scale of weight to be contained in such warrant; and, from time to time, by warrant as aforesaid, to alter or repeal any such altered rates, and make and establish any new or other rates in lieu thereof; and, by warrant as aforesaid, to appoint at what time the rates that might be payable were to be paid :

Now we, the undersigned (being three of the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury), do, in exercise of the power or authority in us for such purpose vested in and by the said last-recited Act,

and of all other powers enabling us in this behalf, by this warrant under our hands, order and direct, that all letters transmitted by the post within British North America, or within the British West Indies, or between British North America or the British West Indies, and any place or places out of the same, respectively, shall, in lieu of the present mode of charging by the number of inclosures, be charged by weight, according to the following scale; and that the several numbers of rates of postage, hereinafter set forth, shall be charged and paid on and for the inland conveyance of such letters (that is to say):

On every letter not exceeding half an ounce in weight, one rate of postage.

On every letter exceeding half an ounce, and not exceeding one ounce in weight, two rates of postage.

On every letter exceeding one ounce, and not exceeding two ounces in weight, four rates of postage.

On every letter exceeding two ounces, and not exceeding three ounces in weight, six rates of postage.

On every letter exceeding three ounces, and not exceeding four ounces in weight, 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 direct, that the following rates of inland postage shall be charged and paid on letters transmitted by the post within British North America and within the British West Indies, respectively, in lieu of the rates of postage heretofore chargeable on such letters (that is to say): 3 X

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On all letters not exceeding half an ounce in weight, transmitted by the post within British North America, or within the British West Indies;

If the distance which such letters shall be conveyed by the post in British North America, or in the British West Indies, shall not exceed sixty British miles, a rate of four pence.

If exceeding sixty such miles, and not exceeding one hundred such miles, a rate of six pence.

If exceeding one hundred such miles, and not exceeding two hundred such miles, a rate of eight pence.

And for every distance not exceeding one hundred such miles beyond such two hundred miles, and for every such further distance, a rate of two pence.

And on every letter transmitted as aforesaid, exceeding half an ounce in weight, there shall be charged and taken progressive and additional rates of postage, according to the scale of weight and number of rates hereinbefore contained, estimating and charging each additional rate at the sum any such letter would be charged with under this warrant, if not exceeding half an ounce in weight.

And we further direct, that the distances, according to which such letters as aforesaid shall be rated with inland postage, shall extend to and include the distance which such letters may be carried on any rivers or lakes, as well as the distance which such letters may be carried by land; and that in case the places between which any such letters shall be conveyed shall be in British North America, and also in the British West Indies, separate and distinct inland rates of postage shall be charged and taken for the distance such letters shall be conveyed in British North America and the British West Indies, respectively.

And we further direct, that the PostmasterGeneral may, in his discretion, cause the inland postage of any letters posted in British North America (for the distance the same shall be conveyed within such provinces), or posted in the British West Indies (for the distance such letters shall be conveyed within the same), to be paid on being put into the post office, or on being delivered to an officer of the post office to be forwarded by the post.

And we further direct, that on every letter not exceeding half an ounce in weight, conveyed by sea by any of Her Majesty's packet boats or by private ship, between any ports in British North America or in the British West Indies, or between any ports in British North America and the British West Indies (not in any such cases passing through the United Kingdom), there shall be charged and taken (in lieu of the rates heretofore chargeable on such letters) a sea postage of four pence; and on every letter so transmitted, exceeding half an ounce in weight, there shall be charged and taken progressive and additional rates of postage according to the scale of weight and number of rates hereinbefore contained, estimating and charging each additional rate at the sum of four pence.

And we further direct, that the PostmasterGeneral may allow to the masters of any private ships, by way of gratuity, a sum not exceeding two pence for each letter conveyed by them as last aforesaid, for and on behalf of the Post Office. * And we further direct, that the rates of postage chargeable on such letters as last aforesaid, for the sea conveyance thereof, shall be charged in addition to the inland rates payable thereon as hereinbefore mentioned.

And we further direct, that, in addition to any

inland postage payable thereon, the sea postage on all letters posted in British North America or the British West Indies, addressed to any place in the United States of America, or any other foreign country (except France, and foreign countries viâ France, transmitted through the United Kingdom), shall, until arrangements be made to the contrary, be paid on such letters being put into the post office, or on being delivered to an officer of the post office to be forwarded by the post.

And we further direct, that for preventing all disputes touching the distances within British North America and the British West Indies, for which any letters conveyed by the post are chargeable with postage under this present warrant, it shall be lawful for the Postmaster-General to cause all or any such distances to be surveyed and ascertained in manner provided by the said Act of the fifth year of the reign of King George the Third; and all inland rates imposed by this warrant, for the conveyance of letters within British North America and the British West Indies, shall be charged and paid according to such surveys.

And whereas it may happen, that in British North America and the British West Indies there may, at one and the same time, exist two or more different and distinct routes or lines of communication by the post between towns or places, one of which routes may, in distance, be longer than the other, and, consequently, letters conveyed by the post by such route might, unless otherwise provided for, be chargeable with a higher rate of postage under this warrant than if conveyed by the post by the other or shorter of such routes; now we further direct, that, in order to prevent any inconveniences or differences arising in this respect, in all cases in which two or more different routes of conveyance by the post exist, or shall