A, D, 1663, J09 



Carteret vice-chamberlain, Sir William Berkley, and Sir John Colle- 

 ton, whofe eight names, given to feveral of its rivers and counties, will 

 probably be remembered there to the end of time. Their limits, by 

 this charter, run from the 36th degree of north latitude (being the 

 fouth border of modern Virginia) ta the 31 ft degree, or the fouth 

 border of modern Georgia, along the Atlantic ocean, and ftretching 

 weftward without limitation to the South fea. The territory was 

 granted to them in perpetual property, on payinga n annual quit rent 

 of twenty marks. 



The antient fund for keeping the roads of England in repair v,-as a 

 rate levied on the landholders in proportion to their rents, together with 

 the adtual fervice of the men, the carts, and horfes, of the neighbour- 

 hood, for a limited number of days. But now, by the increafe of in- 

 land trade, heavy carriages by waggons and pack horfes were fo exceed- 

 ingly multiplied, that thole means of repairing the roads were found 

 totally inadequate ; neither was it juft, that a neighbourhood fliould be 

 burdened with the fupport of roads for the fervice of a diftant quarter 

 of the kingdom. It was therefor necelTary to devife more effedive, 

 and at the fame time more equitable, means of fupporting the public 

 roads ; and the prefent method of making and repairing the roads at 

 the expenfe of thofe who adually wear them, and reap the benefit of 

 them, was now firft eftablifhed by an acft of parliament [15 Car. II, 

 c. 1 ] for repairing the highways in the JlAres of Hartford, Cambridge, and 

 Huntington, by which three toll-gates (or turnpikes) were fet up ac 

 Wadefmill, Caxton, and Stilton. 



Parliament fettled the revenues of the pofl-office and the wine-li- 

 cences on the duke of York, the king's only brother, which were after- 

 wards confiderably increafed. They were now, by moft authors, reck- 

 oned together to bring in only L2 1 ,000 per annum ; yet the follow- 

 ing provifo of this fame ad fliews they were much miftaken, viz. ' no- 

 ' thing herein contained fluall make void the grant made by his majefty 

 ' to Daniel O'Neale, Efq. of the office of poftmafter-general, for four 

 ' and a fourth years from lady-day 1663, under the yearly-rent of 

 * L2 1,500 for all the faid term (except the laft quarter, which is paid 

 ' aforehand), fo as the laid rents be paid unto his faid Highnefs James 

 ' duke of York.' [15 Car. II, c. 14.] 



In the year 1653, the poft-office revenue (as we have already noted) 

 was let to farm for Li 0,000 yearly: yet I cannot perceive upon 

 what grounds Dr. D'Avenant, in his Eflay on the public revenue and 

 trade of England {part I, p. 125] could remark, that for fome years 

 this poft-office revenue hardly bore its own expenie, unlefs he meant 

 the times anterior to the year 1653. ^'^^ ^^ adds, that when he 

 wrote (1698), it had been fo much improved under a management,. 



