Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History
Benson Lossing, Ed.

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Franking privilege, the

Was a privilege of sending and receiving letters post free given to members of the British Parliament and of the Congress of the United States, and to certain public functionaries. This privilege was abused, and it was abolished in Great Britain in 1840. Congress bestowed upon Washington, on his retirement from the office of President of the republic, the privilege of free postage for the remainder of his life. This privilege has been extended to all subsequent Presidents, and also to their widows. The franking privilege was abolished in the United States in 1873, and each of the executive departments was supplied with a special set of postage-stamps for its official communications. This plan also was abolished, and now official communications are sent by the departments [418] in unstamped “penalty” envelopes, and Senators and Representatives are permitted to have mail packages forwarded simply bearing their name or frank. Letters of soldiers and sailors in active service or inconvenient stations are forwarded free of postage, when properly marked.