contained no writing other than the name and
address of the sender and the price.[495] This privilege was continued
by the Act of 1801.[496] In 1805 an additional penny was charged on all
such packets.[497] In 1812 a further addition to the postage was made,
viz. an addition of 2d. for every "letter, packet, or cover not
exceeding an ounce in weight" and containing a pattern or sample, if
"closed or not open at the sides," or an addition of 1d. if open at the
sides.[498] By the consolidating Act of 1837 it was provided that
packets or covers containing patterns or samples and not exceeding an
ounce in weight, if open at the sides and without any "letter or writing
in, upon, or within such packet or cover," other than the name and
address of the sender and the price, should be charged as single
letters, but "letters not open at the sides containing patterns or
samples and not exceeding 1 ounce in weight" were to be charged as
double letters.[499] In 1839 the Treasury were empowered to fix rates of
postage for all letters by weight,[500] and in 1840 rates of postage,
charged according to weight alone, "without reference to the number of
sheets or pieces of paper, or enclosures," were legalized.[501] This Act
contained no special provision in respect of packets containing samples
or patterns.

On the 1st October 1863, with the declared object of benefiting trade
and commerce by affording facilities for the cheap transmission of _bona
fide_ trade patterns and samples of merchandise throughout the country,
an "Inland Pattern and Sample Post" was established. Since the Post
Office, and the Post Office alone, had the means of conveying such
articles at a moderate rate of charge to and from all parts of the
country, including even the most remote, it was thought some special
concession ought to be made. The privilege was, however, restricted
within narrow limits, as it was feared that a large increase in the
number of moderately heavy packets would impede the work of the Post
Office. It would, moreover, seriously affect the amount of the payments
to railway companies for the conveyance of mails, a matter of grave
anxiety to the Post Office at that time.[502] The privilege was
therefore restricted to genuine samples, and no article of intrinsic
value might be sent at the reduced rate.

The original rates were:--

Under 4 ounces 3d.
" 8 " 6d.
" 16 " 1s. 0d.
" 24 "