WE , with divers others , having observed , that the Postage of Inland-Letters was a long time continued at the high rates of six pence the Letter ; and that the whole benefit thereof went into one hand , and that many publike and well-affected people were very much agrieved thereat ; conceived , that it would be a work both acceptable to the State , and beneficial to the people , to contrive a way to reduce those high rates ; being encouraged thereto by the Votes of the late Parliament , made in the time of their primitive , 〈◇〉 free , and publike actings , viz. that of the 16 of August 1642. whereby they resolved , That the taking of Letters from , and the severall restraints and imprisonments of Grover , Chapman , Cotton , and Mackedral ( persons who did then , and ever since carry Letters by post ) was against Law , and the Liberty and freedome of the subject ; and that those several persons ought to have reparations and damages from Sir John Cooke , and Sir Fran . Windebanke , then Secretaries of State , and Master Withering respectively ; and that the said Secretaries and Withering were delinquents for the same : as by the copy of the said Vote hereunto annexed , may appear ; as also by the opinion of the Judges given in the House of Lords , in the Case of the Earl of Warwick and M. Withering the 9 of July 1646. who reported it as their opinions , that the clauses in Witherings Patent for restraint of carrying Letters , was void , and against Law ; as by the copy of the Record may appear . We did thereupon essay to put the same in practice : but through the interest and influence of Mr. Prideaux ( who for many years had enjoyed excessive gaines by the former high Rates ) we met with all the obstructions and oppositions that he and his interest could make against us , by stopping of our Males abusing of our servants , and otherwise ( though he had alwaies held forth , that it was free for any to carry or send Letters as they pleased , being a lawful trade which every man might practise . ) And the late Parliament ( as we conceive ) taking notice of the said contest ) did refer it to the then Councel of State to consider how the postage of the Inland and Foraign Letters might be best managed , for the advantage of the State , and ease of the people ; and to report their opinions concerning the same . In pursuance whereof , the Councel of State did refer the same to the Committee of Scotish and Irish affairs , who did prefix a certain day for all persons that pleased to give in their offers for the said postage of Inland and Foraign Letters : at which time several persons besides our selves did give in their offers to the said Committee , sealed up , as at a publike box ; where we did out-bid all others above 2000 l. per an . as is extant by our Paper , and was acknowledged by the said Committee : onely it was objected against us , that we had a caution in our said Paper , that the money then offered by us , might be imployed for the relief of the poor and maimed souldiers ; which we did out of tenderness to common liberty , and to prevent the scandal of a monopoly . And though the same proceedings of the Committee were that night reported to the then Councel , yet through the prevalency of Mr. Prideaux and his party , we could never obtaine a resolution of the Councel thereupon nor to have it reported from them to the Parliament : but on the contrary , through the subtil wiles of Mr. Prid●●●● or his friends ( as we conceive ) a mock-motion was made in the late Parliament , of offering 40000. l. ( or a grant of the said Offices for 21 yeers at the old rares ; thereby to obtaine a second reference to the Councel of State , meerly out of a designe to weary us out : notwithstanding all which discouragements , and other practices used , by threatning on the one hand , and fai● offers on the other ; we , out of a desire to the publike good , did , at our great charge and hazard , prosecute the said undertaking , and published to all persons , to carry Letters at half the former Rates , and to have return three times weekly : which Mr. Prideaux perceiving , did publish to carry at the same Rates and times ( not out of any good affection to the ease of the publike ( as we have cause to believe ) having kept up the old rates as long as was possible but ) meerly out of a designe to supplant us . This not availing according to his expectation , ( most people being sensible their benefit came by us ) the rage and fury of him and his Agents was very much increased against us , who did renew their affronts and abuses to our Agents and servants upon the Roads : one of them , as he was riding with the Male , was murthered , and thrown into a River ( though by whom , we know not , yet ) neer to the place where a Son of one of the old Post-masters assaulted another of our Servants with a drawn Sword .

But all these unworthy practices not taking effect to accomplish Mr. Prideaux his aim , to weary and deter us from our just undertaking , immediately an Order from the then Councel of Sate was procured , not to stop us , or our Males , ( that being thought too apparently illegal ) but in such doubtful terms , as might affright the weak from sending their Letters to us : and Libels were also posted up and down the City , by Mr. Prideaux , or his Agents , signifying that our Males should be stopt but his go free . This project likewise failing , Mr. Prideaux , out of an hypocritical pretence of keeping the Sabbath day , did arrogantly presume by his own warrant , to command his Postmasters to require the Justices of the Peace in the severall Counties to stop our Males on the Sabbath-day , whenas his own went free : which surely was not so much out of tenderness to the observation of the Sabbath , as to bring about his own covetous designs : which pretended sanctity is double iniquity . And through this cunning practice of his , he put us to extraordinary charge and labour , by Servants and Horses . Notwithstanding all which conflict of difficulties ( besides many more , too tedious to express ) we did still , with unwearied reasolutions , persist in our honest undertaking : and while we were labouring amidst these difficulties and conflicts , it pleased God in his providence to devolve Authority on such worthy persons as had from the beginning countenanced us in our work ; who in their first entrance upon the management of publike affairs entrusted us with their ordinary and extraordinary packets and dispatches ; which so daunted the spirit of our Antagonist ( being conscious ( as we conceive ) of unjust dealing towards us ) that he deserted the business ; and we continued to perform the service of the State freely , and all mens occasions faithfuly , and to full contentment ; fulfilling all things concerning the postage of Inland-Letters , which the State inclined any waies to have done ; reduced the same into one Channel ; entertained as many of the old Post-masters , as those entrusted to treat with us on their behalf , could undertake were honest and well-affected , according to direction of the Councel of State , ( which constrained us ( though with much reluctancy of spirit ) to lay aside divers of those honest and well-affected persons that manifested great readiness and willingness to assist us in carrying on so good a work ; and took the old Post-house in London , where , three days a week , the State and all persons were accommodated ; provided Packet-boats for Ireland , and were in forwardness to settle Stages between London and Yarmouth , and other Stages desired by the Councel of State , in their Order of the seventh of May last ; hoping then to have reaped some fruit and benefit of our great trouble and turmoyl : but before we could receive any considerable part of our vast disbursments and charge , on a sudden , ( as we conceive ) by the insinuations of some over-officious persons , a reference was made from the Councel of State , to Col. Rich , and some other Officers , to consider of the management of the postage of Inland and Forraigne Letters ; who notwithstanding all the reasons we could alledge to the contrary , did appoint a certain day when they would expose the same to be farmed by such as would give most , although we did often acquaint them with the aforesaid Vote of Parliament , 1642. and the Judges opinion concurring therewith ; and that it would ( as we conceived ) much dissatisfie the people , to have such an Imposition put upon them . And did further urge , that in case they should yet resolve that the same should be let to farme , that we in Justice ought to be preferred before any , having out-bid all others at a publike Box , appointed by the aforesaid Committee for Scotish and Irish affaires .

But notwithstanding all this , Col. Rich , and some other of the said Officers , did proceed to put the said Postage to farm , although we acquainted them that we had put in some Papers and Addresses to the Councel of State , setting forth our Case unto them ; and therefore desired them onely to forbear proceeding therein , untill we could obtain the answer and resolution of the Councel touching the said business . But when we perceived that they would proceed to receive the Offers of those who would bid most , ( although we could not desert our former Principles of common liberty and freedome , and ease to the people ; and did therefore refuse conjoyntly to make any offer , as to farming : yet ) rather then we would willingly suffer the management thereof to be put into the hands of such as might rack and exact upon the people ( as it is now practised ) and so render all our endeavours fruitless and fit down with the loss of all our trouble and great expence , An offer was made by one Mr. Ben . Andrews , a person interessed with us of 9100 l. per an . for the same ; which was 800 l. per an . more then was offered by Mr. Manly , the present Farmer thereof or any other person who then appeared : yet the said Col. Rich , and those Officers who joyned with him , did suffer the said Manly to take advantage of an offer of 10100 l. per an . made by a Paper put in in the name of one Kendal , who was then absent , and ( as we have reason to believe ) not privy thereto : although 9100 l. offered by our friend , together with our disbursments , we did offer , and are still ready to make appear , would have been of more advantage for the State to have accepted of , then the said 10100 l. per an . offered in the said Kendals Paper .

And the said Col. Rich , and another of the said Officers , did so eagerly prosecute the said business , that they made a report to the Councel within two dayes ; which was before we could be heard : onely in that very instant of time , we were called in by the Councel , to know what we had to offer for our selves ; upon which , we desired that our Papers formerly presented might be read : which being granted , The right honourable Major General Lambert did there declare , that the intention and direction of the Councel was , that we should have the refusal before any other : and if any should offer more then we were willing to give , that we should be reimbursed our expences : for which we rendred to their Honors many thanks ; and told the Councel , that if ( for reasons which we could not discern ) it should be judged lawful to set the Postages to farm , we then desired no further favour from them , but to have the refusal ; and that we might have time to make it out that we had bid most , our disbursments considered : and thereupon we withdrew , in expectation of performance of what was then declared unto us to be the sence of the Councel . But after we were withdrawn , Col. Rich having procured a member of the Councel to come forth , with whom having private discourse , did ( as we have cause vehemently to suspect ) so represent the business , that an order within half an hour was passed by the Councel immediately to invest the said Manly into the management of the inland and forraign Letters , to our great astonishment and amazement , ( We having divers honest persons imployed by us , with many horses and servants lying upon our charge , and accounts to clear in most parts of England , and in Scotland and Ireland ) who thereupon did , that very night , without any further warning , demand the Letters which we had received , and also the profit of the Letters which were then brought to us by our servants at our owne charges from the several Roads ; and having by much perswasion prevailed with the said Manly , that the money should be deposited into a Clerks hand intrufted by him , until the pleasure of the Councel were known concerning the same ; yet before that could be obtained , the said Manly , with some old Clerks & Post-masters in the company of Mr. Prideaux , did in a violent & riotous manner , with swords and other weapons , by force break into our house where our Letters and goods were , and thrust our servants out of doors , although they had a great charge there ; and have by force hitherto kept the possession thereof , to our very great damage . And the said Manly , with some of the old Post-masters , did the same night violently break into the dwelling-house of some of us in Woodstreet London , and did in a high and peremptory manner demand from some of us the Letters there , and would by force have broke into the room where some of us and our servants were , had we not by main strength kept the door against them , and he with threatning speeches required us not to receive any more Letters .

Whereupon we made our complaint of these outrages to Col. Rich , and some other of the said Officers , expecting redress therein ; but the said Col. Rich and another of the said Officers , with rough and threatning words , commanded us not to meddle with receiving or sending any more Letters ; taking upon them to declare that to be the sense of the Councel of States Order : And further told us , that if we did persist to send any more Letters , that such of us as had any imploy●●●● under the State would be turned out of the same if all their interest could do it ; and souldiers should be sent to our houses , to stop all persons that should bring any Letters to us . Yet not so much for those threats , as from real tenderness to the present posture of the publike affairs in that Juncture of time , we did forbear , in expectation of justice and relief from the Supream Authority , rather then by contest to have been any occasion of such disturbance as might have happened thereupon : since which time , we having often attended the said Col. Rich , and the rest of the Officers appointed by the Councel to adjust the accounts of our disbursments , which amount to four thousand pounds , or thereabouts ; yet cannot we prevail with the said Officers to do any thing therein .

All which proceedings , cause us to set forth the state of our Case , and the hard measure towards us therein , ( conceiving we could not have found worse usage , had we indeavored to raise the prices from six pence to twelve pence ) as if we had deserved to be ruined for procuring so general benefit as the abatement of half the rates .

But we doubt not , when the truth of the premises shall be made appear , we shall receive such justice and reparations from this honourble Parliament as shall be an incouragement both to us , and all other publike spirited persons that shall endeavour so general a good .