THE POST-OFFICE.
THIS office was first established on its present footing by CROMWELL. The mails were originally conveyed by carts or on horseback ; which. mode continued till 1784. As at that period diligences accomplished the journey to Bath in seventeen hours, whilst the post took forty hours, Mr. PALMER, the Comptroller-General, suggested the improvement of contracting with the coach-proprietors for the conveyance of the mail ; which, after a good deal of opposition, was adopted. Iu the Foreign branch of this department, several improvements might be made, especially in the transmission of newspapers, which are now burdened with an enormous postage, and delayed in the de- livery; and this for the advantage of a few clerks. The Colonial branch, both at home and abroad, is full of abuses. A searching reform here, and in the Packet department, together with a reduc- tion of the rates of postage, would not only he of great benefit to the public but also be attended with considerable saving in point of expense.
In the London Twopenny Post, two more deliveries—at all events- another delivery—would he a great convenience. We should recom- mend the deliveries after 2 p. in. to be changed from 5, 8, to 4, 7, 10, so as to allow letters to be sent and delivered later than at present.
Franking, as not admitting of any regulation, should certainly be abolished. If all petitions and other documents of that nature, sent with open ends like newspapers, were transmitted free, the members would be subjected to no burden on the public account, and the revenue- would be increased. At present, too, franking is very unequal in its operation. The few active legislators employ this privilege for the public ; the others for themselves.
If this abolition were carried into effect, and the suggestions we have thrown out were acted upon, it is probable that the saving in the expen- diture and the increase in the receipts would be a means of adding con- siderably to the revenue, notwithstanding any additional expense that would follow an increase in the circulation of newspapers arising from a reduction of the duty.
The following Table gives the produce from each branch of the Post-Office, of which a fuller and more detailed account is published in the general tabular view. Passage-money and miscellaneous re- ceipts are excluded.
General Post £1,929,413 Twopenny and Country Penny Post 115,429 Colonies 50.181
Foreign Post 60,161
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