The Dumfries Post Office, 1642-1910. 103 



land, i.e., " to any town or district in Scotland from Edinburgh," 

 being again raised Id for a single letter, 2d for a double, and so 

 on. 



Nor was this the limit of such charges. Thus while in 

 1797 the charge for a single letter from Dumfries to Edin'burgh 

 was 5d, in 1802 the charge was raised to 6d. In 1803 the 

 tariff was reduced, but in 1808 it was again increased, this 

 time to 7d, and a further increase of Id was imposed in 1813. 

 The latter increase would appear to have met with consider- 

 able opposition from the members of Dumfries Town Council. 

 Under date Monday 22nd March, 1813, it is recorded in the 

 Council Minutes — " Which day Provost Staig laid before the 

 Council a letter from Mr Douglas, the representative in Parlia- 

 ment for this district of Burghs, dated the twelfth of March 

 Current, covering a Printed Minute respecting the local hardship 

 imposed on the Trustees of the High roads in Scotland by the 

 exemption from Toll enjoyed by Mail Coaches, and suggesting 

 that such exemption might be given up, taken an increase of Id or 

 IJd per letter of postage on all Letters passing in Scotland as a 

 compensation for an expense which would thereby be occasioned 

 to the revenue, and the Council, having reasoned upon and con- 

 sidered the proposal contained in the said Minute, they are unani- 

 mously of opinion that such increase of postage is not a fair prin- 

 ciple of compensation and ought to be resisted, they therefore 

 desire the Provost to instruct Mr Douglas to give his decided 

 opposition to the measure." 



Again, under dates 25th and 31st May, 1830, it is recorded 

 that — " Dr Symons brought before the Council a tax le\-ied by the 

 Post Office of a halfpenny at delivery of letters, and he read a 

 return of the Burghs in Scotland that paid and the Burghs which 

 are exempted. After consideration the Council determine this to 

 be a grievous burden to the public and request the Provost with- 

 out delay to make the proper application to the Postmaster- 

 General for redress." 



We have been unable to ascertain the result of this applica- 

 tion. An interesting reference to the repeal of the additional 

 charge on letters conveyed by the Side Posts has, however, come 

 under our notice : — " Postage on Letters at Side Posts — A con- 

 siderable portion of our readers will be as glad to learn as we 

 are ourselves, that this obnoxious and anomalous duty will be 



