a London Newspaper. But
should this Tax take place the people who live at a distance from any
Post Town must pay an additional halfpenny a Paper and some twopence on
the receipt of each Paper which will bring the cost to fivepence
halfpenny, some sixpence, and some as high as sevenpence each London
Newspaper. This high price the Clerks of the Roads well know by
experience would induce many people to take only a three day paper who
now take a Six day paper and many who now take a three day paper only a
weekly paper, and as the Salaries of the Clerks of the Roads employed in
the business would be certain and no way answerable for any loss on the
papers would there not be a great many people Customers no way able to
pay for their Newspapers many of whom this mode of business would
certainly introduce? consequently Government would be subject to several
deficiencies in payment for Newspapers sent into the Country whether
paid for half yearly, yearly, or each paper on delivery, the Receiver in
the latter case would not feel himself obliged to give notice for his
paper to be discontinued but would refuse it when offered, the cost of
the paper would then be lost to Government. This latter mode of payment
would give an opportunity to the Deputy Post Masters or their Clerks to
Order more papers than actually required which after being read would be
returned with the Quarterly Dead Letters to be allowed as refused or
gone away.

Because the proposed Tax would cause a decided preference of Country
Newspapers to those of London encrease the sale of the former and
diminish that of the latter for as very few of the Country Newspapers
pass through the Post Office, the Country Printers would be enabled to
undersell the London Printers a penny a paper. The usual method with a
Country Printer is immediately upon the arrival of his London paper to
print his own with the London News and disperse them to Runners from ten
to fifteen miles around the Town he resides in; these Runners not only
disperse a considerable quantity of Newspapers but carry also letters
which must materially injure the Revenue.

Because notwithstanding the Revenue to be raised by this Tax is very
uncertain the conduct and management of it will be attended with much
expence taken out of the hands of those deeply interested in its success
the greater Burden will fall upon the Deputy Post Masters in the
Country; the Country Newspapers when they arrive cannot be disperse