The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-08-16 00:00:00

"HER MAJESTY'S MAILS."

A popular lecture on the above Nulled lou recently de-
!trend In the Wesletao school room, St. Leonardo, by the
Rev. Simnel Lees, of Cr°, don. After an introduction by the
Rev. W. R. loots, chairman,—

The lecturer proceeded to give his lecture. The rev.
gentleman commenced with saying that familiar things
were often the leant known. The penny postage stamp
was an index to the changes that had taken place in the
present reign, and the Post-office recorded the advance
made in education, in commerce, in the facilities for
transit, and the general progress of the people. As an
illustration of this he stated that now more letters
passed through the Manchester PoetiOttice every year
than through the Poet-Office ot the entire Ruesian Em-
pire during the same period. The rev. gentleman
then briefly sketched the history of the Post-
Office, extensively quoting from Dockwra, Allen,
Palmer, and other postal authorities. He gave
many interesting facts as to the enormous price
paid for postage in the early part of the reign of
Queen Victoria, the charge then, he said, being double
what it was in the reign of Queen Anne. The postal
of a sheet from Lono'on to Edinburgh colt Is. lid., and
for three sheets it was Is. 4d., and an an envelope was
not admitted anther la 10. had to be paid. Many
people would not take in the letters, BA they were not
bound to accordhurto law. The rev, gentleman gave
numerous instances of the ingenious manner in which
the Poet Office MA frequently defrauded. Practically
there was no Post-Office for the poor, and Roland Hill
was one of their greatest benefactors in this matter. It
was indeed a sad thing when a letter cost a poor man a
loaf, and where the parent had to disci ie between his
affection for the absent child and the hunger of those
at home. On the 20th of January, 1840, Mr. Hill's
plan of prepaid postage came into operation. First of
all it wan not successful, and Mr. Hill was removed
from its bead, and retired into private life. In 1054,
however, he took the position of Secretary to the Poet.
Office, and retired on a well earnt pension of £2,000 •
year. The lecturer read the entry made by the then
Chancellor, the present Premier (Mr. Gladetone),
speaking in highly eulogistic terms of Mr. Hill, whom
be alluded to as the benefactor of his country. They
now had 300 letters per house in the United Kingdom
In a year, and, when they considered the number of
poor, that woe an enormous average, and showed the
wonderful progress in mercantile and business cumin-
raindence. The length, of the usual envelope wee about
five inches, and het year the number which went
through the poet would go twine round the world. It
would take a man, counting working dam 90 years to
count the number of letteis passing through the Poet-
Office in a year, even if he coented at the rate of
30,000 a day. Upwards; of 5,000,000 letters and
packages were posted every day.

•
Mr. Le-e then proceeded to graphically describe the
scene which one of their great central Post-Offices pre-
sented, and the various processes through which the
letters paserd. The markers could do as many as 180
letters a minute, hut if a eta p was not put on right
they would eometimem lose time through that sufficient
to mark 12 or 20 letters. It was not much it was true,
but it was very costly to put stamps on wrong, and
little did they think the trouble it gave. Referring to
the blind and dead letter offices, the rev, gentleman
said many of the addreesee were almost illegible, and '
were made out with wonderful precision. One letter,
which tie mentioned as an illnstration, was addressed,
"Uncle John, Opposite the Church, England." Irish
letters were sometimes very voluminous and corn-
plicated in their address, frequently being confided
to the care of half-a dozen different people, se,
for example "To my sister Bridget, and also
to my brother Tim, in the care of the Presto,
who lives in the perish of Balonmhery, in Cork ;
or, if not, to some decent people in Ireland." One
striking exstavie of the trouble the Pest-, ~ took in
delivering letters was mentioned by the leceurer. An
American gentleman having recently reached England,
not knowing the present whereabouts of a sister, ad'
dressed to her late residence, "Upper Norwood, or
Elsewhere." Teat letter was delivered to the person
in question on the top of • stsge coach in Wale..
Would they find the parallel in another country in the
world? Be vonstureri to say no other country would go
to enah trouble and clet in delivering a letter. (Ap•
plonse.) The rev. gentleman then proceeded to desaibe
the telegraph sod its wonders, and concluded with
saying they bad good reason to be proud of Her MI,
jades Mails.

THZ FOOTING or THS MOST FAVOIIHID
NATloN,—Being Idcked.—Piench.