Cotton and Sir Thomas Frankland have hereunto sett
our hands & Caused the Seal of the said Office in such Cases used to be
affixed this fourth day of August 1705.

R.C. T.F.

No. 3.

To y^{e} Rt. Honble y^{e} Lords Com^{rs}. of his Majestys Treary.

May it please your L.sps--

A Proposall having some time since been made to your Lordsps That a
Cross Post might be settled between Bristol & Shrewsbury, you were
pleased to refer y^{e} same to Us to Consider of it & Report Our
opinions thereupon w^{ch} Wee did accordingly and acquainted yo^{r}
Lordsps Wee did hope Wee should find some persons who would at their
Owne Cost and Charges undertake to Settle a Cross Post, upon such terms
as his Majesty would not be a loser and the people receive the benefit
they proposed.

The Establishing such a Cross Roade would undoubtedly be of great Use to
Trade & Convenience to y^{e} People and appeares to be very much desired
by the several Countrys thro' w^{ch} it wou'd pass; but as at present it
might become loss to y^{e} Revenue Wee think it Our Duety to lay y^{e}
whole state of the Case before Yo^{r} Lorsps to receive yo^{r} further
Directions and have hereunto annexed a scheme both of the Charge & loss
that may accrew to the Office thereby.

Wee must observe to yo^{r} Lordsps That Lond^{o}. (from y^{e}
establishing of a post Office) having been esteemed the Center all
letters passing thro' one Road to an other thro' Lond^{o}. have been
constantly taxed with a double post first to Lond^{o}. y^{n} to y^{e}
places where to they were directed, but the settling of this Cross Post
w^{ch} will Cause a direct Intercourse between y^{e} West Bristol &
Chester Roades, all lres, passing that way can only be Charged w^{th} a
single Post according to y^{e} distance of one place from an other; but
y^{n} it ought to be considered on the other hand That the passing thro'
Lond^{o}. is both tedious and Chargeable, and a more Speedy Conveyance
would in all probability produce of an encrease of y^{e} n^{o}. of
letters besides the bringing such into y^{e} Office as are now Conveyed
by Carryers; for where ever there are any Townes w^{ch} have Comerce one
w^{th} an other so as to occasion a Cons^{t}. Intercourse by Carryer or
Tradesmen Wee do find it a General Practice to Convey at y^{e} same time
a Considerable No. of lres as pticularly between Bristol & Worcester &
Worcester & Shrewsbury; where there are two persons that make it their
business