WHereas the Office of Post-master-General hath been Erected by Act of Parliament in the Twelfth year of His Majesties Reign , and the well ordering thereof is thereby declared to be a matter of general concernment , and of great advantage , as well for preservation of Trade and Commerce , or otherwise : And whereas also the greatest part of the Revenue and Profits thereby arising , is by one other Act of Parliament in the Fifteenth year of His Majesties Reign , Granted and Assigned by His Majesty unto His most entirely beloved Brother James Duke of York , for and towards his Maintenance and Support ; which Laws and Statutes , notwithstanding several persons for their private lucre have lately practised , and do still continue in a secret and most unlawful manner to make a general Collection of Letters , and to give them Conveyance and Delivery for Hire without any Authority from the Post-master-general , whereby not onely the Revenue arising by the said Office is diminished , but likewise several dangerous Correspondencies are preserved and maintained , and the Seditious designs of many evil disposed persons are very much promoted . His Majesty therefore for the prevention hereof in time to come , and to the end that such persons who shall presume hereafter to offend in like manner , may remain without all excuse , hath thought fit by this His Royal Proclamation , to require and enjoyn all His loving Subjects , and doth hereby straitly Charge and Command all and every person and persons ( other then the Post-master-general for the time being , his Deputies or Assigns ) that they presume not either directly or indirectly to set up any Office , or to contrive or practise any way or means for collecting and receiving of Letters and Pacquets , or to carry , recarry , or deliver the same with speed and for hire . And to this end His Majesty doth further Require and Command them and every of them , that they presume not to set up any Foot-post , Horse-post , Post , or Stage-coach , or Pacquet-boat , for carrying or recarrying of Letters or Pacquets , or to imploy or make use of any which shall be set up for that purpose , other then such as shall be Licensed and Authorized by the Post-master-general for the time being , his Deputies or Assigns . And because several Carriers , Drivers of Stage-coaches or Waggons , Haglers , Masters of Ships , Pursers , or other Mariners do very often under colour and pretence of their respective Imployments , intermeddle with , and intrude upon the Office of the Post-master-general , His Majesty doth hereby more particularly and expresly Charge and Command all Carriers , That they presume not to carry any Letters other then such as shall concern the Goods wherewith they are charged , beyond the first Post-stage to which they shall arrive , and that they presume not to outgo their Packs or Waggons , or deliver any Letters which they carry , sooner , or with more speed then their respective Packs or Waggons shall arrive . And His Majesty doth in like manner Charge and Command ill Drivers of Stage-Coaches , Haglers , and such like persons , That they presume not in any kind , or upon any pretence whatsoever , to intermeddle with the conveyance and delivery of any Letters as aforesaid ; but that they do from time to time refuse all such Letters which shall be so tendred to them . And His Majesty doth also Charge and Command all Masters of Ships , Boursers and Mariners , That they presume not to carry any Ship-letters , other then the Letters of Merchants , Owners , and Masters , beyond the first Post-stage to which they shall arrive in England . And if any Carriers , Drivers of Stage-coaches , Haglers , Masters of Ships , Pursers , or other Mariners shall be found carrying of Letters unlawfully , or in any other manner , they shall incur His Majesties high displeasure , and suffer the utmost penalty which can be inflicted upon such as shall be found to have broken His Majesties Laws , and to be wilful contemners of His Royal Command . And moreover , all Letters whatsoever sent or conveyed by such clandestine and indirect wayes , and by persons not lawfully Authorized , shall be lookt upon as Letters of dangerous consequence , and shall accordingly be seized and brought to one of His Majesties Principal Secretaries of State , or to some one or more of the Lords of His Majesties most Honourable Privy Council , to the end the same may be opened and inspected , and the persons conveying or sending them may be proceeded against according to Law . And for the better execution of His Majesties Command , and as a means to secure the Revenue arising by the said Office , His Majesty will cause such Searchers , Waiters , and other Officers to be appointed in all convenient places , as may be fit and proper for the discovery of such practises , and carrying such Letters , to be seized , and such offenders names to be certified ; And in the mean time His Majesty doth strictly Charge and Command all Mayors , Sheriffs , Iustices of Peace , Constables , Bayliffs , Searchers of His Majesties Ports , and all other His Officers and Ministers whatsoever within their several Iurisdictions and Offices from time to time , to make diligent search for all Mailes , Buggets and Baggs in any Ship , Vessel , Waggon , Coach , or other unlawful or unlicensed Carriage , and all such Letters which they find to be conveyed or carried contrary to Law , to seize and send up to one of His Majesties principal Secretaries of State , or to some one or more of the Lords of His Majesties Privy Council , together with the names of the persons offending , to the end such further proceeding may be had as shall be found agreeable to the Laws and Statutes of the Realm . And that no man hereafter may complain for want of a setled Post in or near particular by-Towns or Places lying on the Post-Road , which complaint hath hitherto been made the excuse or pretence for sending and carrying of Letters by other indirect and unlawful conveyances , His Majesty doth hereby also Require and Command the Post-master-general for the time being , That upon or before the 29th day of September next , to take effectual care for the conveyance of all by-Letters , by establishing Correspondencies at the least charge and greatest ease that may be , to the Countrey , in all considerable Market-Towns , with the next adjacent Post-stages : And that he cause a Map or Card thereof to be forthwith Printed , to the end that all His Majesties Subjects may know where and to what place to address their respective Letters . And His Majesty doth further Charge and Command all and every person or persons , other then the Post-master-general for the time being , his Deputies or Assigns , That they presume not to prepare or provide any Horses or Furniture to let to hire unto , or in all or any the through-Posts , and persons riding Post by Commission or without , to and from all and every the parts and places of England , Scotland and Ireland , where any Post-Rodes are or shall be setled and established , unless the Post-master-general , his Deputies or Assigns shall first fail to provide and furnish the person or persons so riding Post , with sufficient Horses and Furniture , within the space of half an hour after demand thereof made , as they will answer the contrary at their perils .