The Development of Rates of Postage: An Historical and Analytical StudySmith, A. D. (Alfred Daniel)
History
The Development of Rates of Postage: An Historical and Analytical Study
Smith, A. D. (Alfred Daniel)
Postal rates
In the early part of the seventeenth century the struggle against the
monopoly of the Imperial posts developed. The States were jealous of the
growing power of Austria, and political affinities were weakening. There
was, moreover, some feeling against such an office being held by an
alien family.[719] The Palatinate, Würtemberg, Saxony, Brandenburg, and
Mecklenburg established posts within their respective territories.[720]
The whole question became involved with the disputes which led up to
the Thirty Years' War, and the princes found their position indirectly
strengthened by the Peace of Westphalia, which contained no settlement
of the disputes regarding the posts, but merely referred the question to
the next Reichstag. Attempts were made to extend the Imperial posts, but
much opposition was encountered. Nevertheless, the system continued to
expand and attained considerable dimensions. The family held the
exclusive right of carrying passengers as well as letters; and it was
estimated that during the eighteenth century the house of Thurn and
Taxis received a gross sum of 20,000 livres per day, and a net profit of
four millions a year. Some 20,000 men, and a greater number of horses,
were employed in the service.[721]
The Revolutionary Wars were disastrous to the system. The Taxis posts
were in many instances replaced by territorial posts,[722] and by the
Peace of Luneville (1801), which made the Rhine the boundary between
France and Germany, the family lost control of all their posts to the
west of the Rhine. They were, however, compensated for the loss of the
revenues of those posts by a grant of territory
(Reichs-Deputationshauptschluss of 25 February 1803).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account