Table of contents

1712.1209.Ta



Addressed:
M^r Prior at Paris


Nov^br 29.^th 1712

S.^r1

We herew^th Transmitt You a Copy of the Treaty made between the
two Post Offices of England & France upon the Last peace, & of so much
of a Former Treaty made in the Year 1670 as relates to the Conveyance
of the English Lers² thrô france to & from Italy & Turkey Spain & Portugal
as also the Clauses relating to the Postage of Forreign Lers in a former
Act of Parliam.^t, & in the Late Act of Parliam.^t past 2 Years ago.

It is from the Alteration made by the late Act of Parliam.^t in the
Postage of Lers passing to & from this Kingdom & France & thrô France
that makes it Necessary to enter into a New agreem.^t w^th the Post Office
of France.

For as to the Lers going to Several Parts within the Kingdom of
France, beyond Parris & Several Places in Normandy & Britaign the
English Office was Authorised to receive a Port on the taking in all
Such Lers, & whereas the Postm.^r of France Did alledge that the s.^d port
or Part of it did belong to them the English Office did agree to be
Accomptable According to the p^~ticular rates Specify'd in the 1.^st
Treaty, & by the Second Treaty to pay them a sum in grose for the
Same

But as there did not appear any more reason why the Lers
Sent from England directed to Bourdeaux or Lyons or other Parts
beyond Parris Should pay a Port here, & this Office be Accomptable
for the Same, then that the Office of France Should be Accomptable
to this Office for any Lers Coming from Lyons or Bourdeaux to
London, or from Paris to any Place beyond London. therefore by this
last Act of Parliam.^t, the Office has no Authority to take any of
those rates, Provision being thereby only made for taking the Postage
here of Such Lers as shall be to pass thrô France to remoter Countrys
the Postage of Lers Sent from Great Britain to France being to be
rec.^d~ there as that of the Lers coming from France for England is to be
rec^d~ by the Post Office there without the trouble of keeping a p^~ticular
Acc.^t between the 2 Offices

By the Treaty of 1670 the Office of France Did agree to Convey
the Lers to Italy for 31 sous by the Ounce only not reck^~ing Single
or dũble; but the rates upon Lers being raised in France after the s.^d
Treaty, when M.^r Aglion[b]y³ was sent over to make a new Treaty in 1698
M.^r Pajot did insist to be p.^d for those Lers att the rate of the New
Tariffe w.^ch we apprehend was 42 sous p^~ ounce

A Proportionable differrence between the old & New Tariffe did
likewise arrise in the other Lers passing thrô France; but as it was agreed
to Allow a sum in Grosse instead of Accounting for, or settling any
distinct rates, that dispute was att an end

Having thus Stated to You the Case of this Office w^th relation to
the rates of Forreign Lers as Establisht by the Late Act of Parliam^t
we desire to be inform'd on what Tearms the Postm.^r Gen.^ll~ of France
will agree to Convey the Italian Turkey, Spanish & Turkey Portugal
Lers thrô France

we are
S.^r
Your most humble Serv^ts

TF JE

Notes
1.
Beginning with the salutation, the letter is in a scribal hand. The dateline is in another hand, probably that of Frankland or Evelyn. The address line, which in the manuscript follows the end of the letter, is in a different hand as well.
2.
This abbreviation for "Letters", usually topped with a horizontal bar running above all the characters, occurs throughout. The horizontal bar is not replicated in this transcription.
3.
William Aglionby (manuscript has "Aglionly"): "At some date before 1688 he was given an appointment in the Post Office, which he kept after the Revolution of that year, and this is no doubt the reason why, in his later work as a diplomatist, he was frequently in charge of postal negotiations" ("Dr. William Aglionby, F.R.S.," Notes and Queries [12 S. IX. Aug. 20, 1921, p. 141], accessed at <nq.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/issue_pdf/frontmatter_pdf/s12-IX/175.pdf> 29 Apr. 2009).

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