In 1656, Cromwell and his parliament estab lished the post-office by law: the acts of this parlia ment being deemed illegal by the royalists, an other act to the same effect was passed in after the restoration. In 1663, the revenues of the post-office, amounting to 21,500/. were settled on the Duke of York. In 1685, the obsequious parliament of James II. passed an act to make the revenue of the post-office the king of England's private estate for ever. In 1711, the former laws for establishing post-offices in Great Britain were repealed, and one postmaster-general was appointed for the kingdom. By the same act, general letter offices were established at Edinburgh, Dublin, New York, and in the West Indies.
This is the first reference we find in British acts to post-offices in America: but the estab lishment of posts in our country was nearly coeval with the first settlement of at least some of the co lonies. In July 1683, as we learn from Watson's Annals, William Penn established regular posts from Philadelphia to the Falls of Delaware, Chester, Newcastle, and Maryland; and ordered the time of departure to be carefully published " on the meeting-house door, and other public places." A regular act of assembly, for the establishment of a post-office at Philadelphia, was first passed in the year 1700.
Soon after this, Colonel John Hamilton, the son of Governor Andrew Hamilton, devised a post office scheme for British America. For this scheme he obtained a patent, and the profits accruing from the execution of the scheme were to be his own. But lie afterwards sold his patent to the crown: and a member of parliament was appointed post master for North America, with power to appoint a deputy to reside at New York. By connivance, as is stated by Dr. Douglass, the deputy was per mitted to reside in any part of the continent. The office was filled at one time by a gentleman of South Carolina; and, at another, by a gentleman of Virginia.
In Dec. 1717, Jonathan Dickinson writes to his correspondent, " we have a settled post from Virginia and Maryland unto us, and goes through all our northern colonies, whereby advice from Boston unto \Villiamsburgh is completed in four weeks, from March to December, and in double that time in the other months of the year." Dr. Douglass, writing in 1747, says, " that from Portsmouth to Philadelphia there is a regular post age. From thence to Williamsburgh, in Virginia, is uncertain, because the post does not proceed till letters are lodged sufficient to pay the charges of the post-rider. From Williamsburgh, in Virginia, to Charleston, S. C., the post is still more un certain." In 1753, the post-office establishment of North America was confided to Dr. Franklin and another,
with liberty to make out of it 6001. a year, " if they could." Then began the delivery of letters by the penny-post, and also the practice of adver tising letters remaining in the office.
Till that time, the northern mail went from Philadelphia and returned once a week in summer, and once a fortnight in winter, just as it had done twenty-five years before. But in 1754, the mail to New York began to run thrice a week in summer, and once a week in winter. In the nest year Franklin gave notice, that the mail to New England, which used to start but once a fortnight in winter, should start once a week all the year round, " whereby answers might be obtained to letters between Philadelphia and Boston in three weeks, which used to require six weeks." It was several years before Dr. Franklin and his co-partner got the 6001. per annum, which they were permitted to make for themselves, " if they could." Their expenditures for the improvement of the mail brought them in debt to the amount of 9001.: but the doctor states, that under this new system, the post-office of North America after wards yielded a greater clear revenue to the crown than had ever been derived from the post-office of Ireland. Through a quarrel with the ministry he was deprived of his office of deputy, at a time when it would have yielded him a just compensation for his labour.
In 1774, we read that " John Perkins engages to ride post to carry the mail once a week to Bal timore, and will take along. or bring back, led horses, or any parcels." From this it appears that, previous to the revolution, only the northern mail was regular in its arrival and departure. When a post-rider purposed starting to the south, notice was given of his intention by advertisement, some time in advance.
On the 26th of July 1775, congress established a line of posts, under the direction of a postmaster general, from Falmouth in New England to Sa vannah in Georgia; and they authorised as many cross posts as that officer should think proper. In 1782, all the surplus income of the post-office was directed to be applied to the establishment of new post-offices and the support of packets, to render the post-office department as extensively useful as might be. In 1789, authority was given, under the new constitution, to appoint a postmaster general and other subordinate officers. The pro gress of the department, from that time to the end of the year 1830, may be seen in the table at the end of this article. From 1790 to 1800, the num ber of post-offices increased from 75 to 903. In 1310, they amounted to 2300: in 1820, to 4500: in t830, to 8450.