days before and after it. The following is part of the report submitted by the Postmasters-General to the Lords of the Treasury for these two years:-- 1718 1719 Gross Produce from Letters £14,592 £19,522 Charge of Management and Members' Letters 11,526 18,768 Net Produce from Letters[636] 3,066 754 Under the charges of management is included the charge for carrying members' letters as reckoned proportionately to the charge for the letters which paid, together with the actual charge for the pay letters. The net produce during the three months' session was £3006, during the nine months' session only £753. In 1734 the old orders about the maximum weight of two ounces and the requirement for the whole superscription to be in the member's own writing were repeated in a royal proclamation. In addition it was ordered that any letters sent under cover to any member of Parliament or high official of state, to be forwarded by him, should be sent to the General Post Office to be taxed.[637] It could hardly be expected that this order would be obeyed, for there was no method of enforcing it. [634] _Jo. H. C._, 1714-18, p. 303. [635] _Cal. T. P._, 1714-19, p. 287. [636] _Cal. T. P._, 1720-28, p. 77. [637] _Jo. H. C._, 1732-37, p. 393. In 1735, the House of Commons instituted an enquiry into the whole question of franking and summoned various Post Office officials before them to give evidence. An estimate was laid before them of the amount lost each year by carrying franked letters. This estimate was obtained by weighing the franked letters at intervals during the session of Parliament, and comparing their weight with the weight of the letters which paid postage. As the total revenue from the latter was known, the amount which was lost on the former was guessed. The House expressed very little confidence in the estimated amounts, and certainly it was a rough way of attaining the object aimed at, but perhaps they were prejudiced from the strength of the case against them.[638] Expressed in yearly averages, the amounts by which the revenue was reduced by franking were:-- 1716-19 £17,460 1720-24 23,726 1725-29 32,364 1730-33 36,864 [638] _Ibid._, 1732-37.