Not exceeding 80 miles from New York 6_d._ From 80 to 150 miles from New York 9 To and from Boston and New York, 300 miles 12 Jersey, 370 miles 18 Philadelphia, 390 miles 20 Annapolis, 550 miles 36 Jamestown, 680 miles 42 New York and Annapolis, 250 miles 24 Jamestown, 380 miles (with many dangerous places to cross by ferry) 30 These rates were said to be too high and were not adopted, "it being found that cheap postage greatly encourages letter writing, as is shown by the reduction in England from 6_d._ to 3_d._"[580] [579] Joyce, p. 111. [580] Joyce, p. 113; _Cal. T. P._, 1697-1702, 77. The preamble to the act of 1711 offered as an explanation of an increase in rates the necessity for money for the war and the prevention of private competition in carrying letters. It is plain that higher rates will, up to a certain point, increase proceeds, though not proportionately, but how increased rates can decrease competition is more difficult to explain. Witherings had found that the cheaper he made postage, the less fear was there from interlopers. It is possible that the framers of the bill had intended to use part of the increase in revenue for the support of searchers, but no such provision is contained in the act itself.[581] On the ground that a large revenue was necessary, no fault can be found with the increase. It is probably true that in course of time lower rates would have increased the product more than higher, but war and its demands wait for no man. The people who could write and who needed to write were in a small minority then, and their number could not for a long time be influenced by lower rates. What was needed at once was money and the only way to raise it by means of the Post Office was the one adopted. [581] Joyce, p. 128. The rates for single letters within England and between England and Edinburgh were increased by a penny for a single letter; for double letters and parcels in proportion. To Dublin the charge remained the same, and the rates within Ireland were not changed. In the act of 1660, the postage on letters delivered in Scotland had been reckoned from Berwick. Edinburgh was now made the centre and the rates were as follows:-- _For a single letter_ _Per ounce_ From Edinburgh within Scotland _d._ _d._ Not exceeding 50 miles 2 8 Above 50 and not exceeding 80 miles 3 12 Above 80 miles 4 16[582] [582] Double letters were charged twice as much as single letters.