or a double letter, and so on. For transmission within the colonies the
rates were, broadly, for distances under 60 miles, 4d. the single
letter, 8d. the double letter, and so on; distances under 100 miles, for
a single letter 6d., and so in proportion for double and treble and
ounce letters.

These rates were, in general, higher than those which had been fixed by
the colonies under the Neale patent, but for several years they did not
produce sufficient revenue to meet expenses. In 1722 the
Postmasters-General were for the first time able to say that in the
future the Post Office in North America, even if it yielded no net
revenue, would no longer involve a charge, and there was a good prospect
of a profit. The Act of 1765 provided rates for the longer distances and
made a general reduction of nearly 30 per cent. The rates now became,
for a single letter, for conveyance for any distance not exceeding 60
miles, 4d.; from 60 to 100 miles, 6d.; from 100 to 200 miles, 8d.; for
each additional 100 miles, 2d.[143] In the intervening period the chief
events had been the appointment of Benjamin Franklin, in 1737, to be
Postmaster of Philadelphia, and in 1753, to be joint Postmaster-General
for British North America, and the acquisition of Canada in 1763. The
latter event had, indeed, been one of the reasons assigned for the
passing of the Act of 1765.[144]

Under Andrew Hamilton the posts had run only along the coast, the great
main route extending from Portsmouth, N.H., through Boston and New York
to Maryland and Virginia. Under his son, John Hamilton, who succeeded
him in the office, the posts were pushed inland as occasion offered or
circumstances demanded, and for these extensions John Hamilton adopted
the principle of establishing routes in those cases where the postage
was sufficient to maintain them. On such a basis the system could not,
however, be very largely developed. The circumstances of the country
made any great extension impossible, and in 1766 the posts still went
mainly along the sea coasts.[145]

Franklin was dismissed in 1774. The Crown Post Office was continued in
North America, but about this time a competing system arose. For some
years there had been friction in the colonies between the authorities
and the publishers of newspapers. The anomalous English system of the
distribution of newspapers free by post by certain favoured individuals
had been introduced in America. The favoured officials were the A