e of 2d., under the Act of 1660, a state of affairs which continued
until the passing of the Act of 1711. A penny rate of postage was then
fixed for all letters "passing or repassing by the carriage called the
Penny Post, established and settled within the cities of London and
Westminster, and borough of Southwark, and parts adjacent, and to be
received and delivered within 10 English miles distant from the General
Post Office in London."[535] At first the service had included only the
cities of London and Westminster, the borough of Southwark, and the
immediate suburbs; but the residents in the neighbouring towns and
villages, recognizing the advantage of the system, soon asked that it
might be extended to include their respective localities, voluntarily
agreeing to pay an additional penny on delivery, on each letter. This
further charge was at first appropriated by the messengers as their
remuneration; but as the amount received by them in this way was found
to exceed what might fairly be regarded as reasonable wages, the second
penny was in 1687 made part of the ordinary revenue of the Post Office.
There was, however, no legal authority for the collection of this
additional charge, which remained a voluntary payment until 1730.[536]

The limit of weight for packets sent by the penny post was also
extended, parcels of considerable size and weight being accepted. The
rate of postage, however, remained uniform at a penny. One of the
charges against Dockwra in later years, when he was dismissed from the
office of Comptroller of the Penny Post, to which he had been appointed
under William III, was that he forbade the taking in of any but very
small band-boxes, and all parcels over 1 pound in weight.[537]

The penny post was found to be a great convenience to Londoners and
dwellers in the vicinity.[538] It facilitated both local intercourse
and, through its connection with the General Post, general intercourse
with all parts of the country. It was also advantageous in a way which
was not satisfactory to the Postmaster-General. For some years before
its establishment there had been much difficulty from the evasion of
postage resulting from the illicit transmission of letters. Carriers,
especially, made a business of the conveyance of letters. The difficulty
had been so serious that in the reigns both of Charles II and of James
II special officers had been appointed whose duty it was to search any
person or vehicle suspected