Duke of Yorke’s Laws[66] under the laws made and passed by Benjamin Fletcher, governor of Pennsylvania, and the council and representatives, May 15th and June 1st, 1693, records one for the erection of a post office in Philadelphia by Andrew Hamilton, “from whence all letters & packets may be with all expedition sent into any of the parts of New England and other adjacent colonies in these parts of America, at which said office all returns and answers may be received.” Andrew Hamilton, or some other postmaster-general appointed by the king, was to demand and receive postage according to the following rates: single foreign letters 2d., and each packet 4d.; letters sent from Philadelphia to New York 4d. half penny, to Connecticut 9d., to Rhode Island 12d., to Boston 15d., to points beyond Boston 19d., to Maryland and Virginia 9d., and to every place within eighty miles of Philadelphia 4d. half penny. If foreign letters were left forty-eight hours uncalled for, they were to be delivered and one penny more for each demanded from receiver. Public letters were to go post free; ferriage was to be free for all, and constant posts were to be maintained from Philadelphia to New York and New Castle.

At an assembly held at Philadelphia,[67] May 20th, 1697, Joseph Growden, “chairman of the grand comittee appointed to consider of Andrew Hamilton’s memorial for encouragement to support the post,” reported “that it was the vote of the comittee that a bill be prepared for encouragement to support the post both by the publick and upon private letters.”

Since the charge of the office had much exceeded the postage,[68] the assembly, “being sensible of the benefit of the said office to trade and commerce, and to the province and territories in general if it be continued, and of the great loss that will happen to both if it should happen to fall for want of encouragement,” it was voted that the rates be raised on foreign letters received from 2d. to 4d., on those sent from Philadelphia to New York from 4½d. to 8d., and other rates proportionately. Hamilton was to receive £20 in the silver money of the province from the public treasury annually for three years, the period during which the law was to be in force.

In 1700, a bill was passed to be in effect seven years, which says:[69]

“Considering that maintenance of speedy correspondence is good for trade and is best carried on by public post, Be it enacted, that there be a General Letter Office erected and established in Philadelphia to send letters to colonies planted in America or in any of the King’s Kingdoms in foreign lands.” Rates were regulated by bulk, as well as by distance, a sheet of paper being accounted as a single letter and a packet equal to three letters, at the least; the post of a single letter from Philadelphia to Boston or Rhode Island was 18d., to Piscataqua and other parts east of Boston 2s., to New York 8d., to Maryland and Virginia 18d. if by post, if by private person to the office 4d., all letters for the proprietary or for the governor to be free. The fine for a neglectful ferryman was £5, for any one who should presume to carry letters for hire or set up or employ any post, £40.

“Whereas, letters to merchants were often delayed and given to untrustworthy persons who may open them and get trade secrets,” shipmasters were ordered to give letters only to the postmaster or to his assistants.

In 1701 (June 23d), in response to a petition from Patrick Robinson in behalf of Col. Andrew Hamilton, “Postmaster General in America and Gov^r of the Jerseys,” praying for the payment from the “publick stock” of the £20 per year for three years, which had been allowed him by the act of 1697, the treasurer was ordered to pay the sum as soon as there was sufficient money in his hands.

April 11th, 1706,[70] a grant was given a certain Hugh Huddy to establish stages from Burlington to Perth Amboy, and April 4th, 1709, an act for the encouragement of the post office was passed by the New Jersey assembly. The masters of the offices were to be appointed from time to time by the postmaster-general. No other persons were to receive, dispatch or deliver letters or packets except such as were sent by masters or merchants in ships of which, or of the cargo of which, they were entirely or in part owners, or “except letters to be sent by any private Friend or Friends in their ways of journey or Travel, or by any Messenger or Messengers sent of purpose for or concerning the private affairs of any person or persons.”[71] The rates were fixed according to bulk as well as distance, the post of every single letter from Europe, the West Indies and other parts beyond the seas, was four pence half-penny, all letters to be accounted single if they did not exceed one sheet of paper. The postage on each “pacquet” of letters from these places was 9d. a “pacquet” being accounted three sheets, at the least. The post of every letter from Boston not exceeding one sheet of paper, was 1s. 3d., the post of every letter not exceeding two sheets, 2s. 6d., and the post of every “pacquet of letters or other things whatsoever, 2s. 6d. for every ounce, Troy weight, and for the post of every letter not exceeding one sheet of paper, for any place not exceeding one hundred and fifty miles, 9d., and so in proportion to the bulk.” Carrying letters for hire, or setting up or employing any foot, post, horse or paquet boat for carrying letters or paquets or providing and maintaining horses or furniture for the horsing of any through post, was punishable by a fine of £100 current money for every several offence, one-third to go to the governor, one-third to the use of the colony and the remaining third to the informer. Any ferryman neglecting, delaying or refusing to convey posts forfeited £5.

As late as 1791 there were only six post offices in the colony, and none south of Trenton.[72]

The Maryland archives contain no reference to a post before 1710.

In March, 1661/2, the following act[73] was passed by the Virginia assembly: “Whereas the remotenesse of diverse places in the country from James Citty and the necessity of communicating diverse