Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1851-09-06
PENNY POSTAGE IN ENGLAND.

The first general reduction of postage took place on the 5h
Of December, l83Sa oupenuy being nterposed for
short time before the universal charge Of penny At this
time the number Of letters delivered annually in the United
Kingdom about seventy five millions the actual estimate
for 1889 being rs, 572. The gross amount Of the tax
levied upon this delivery no less than e. $685. 1871
which, the cost of management only G6S7 OOO there
was FL 424 carried TO the Of profit Last year
the number of letters delivered in the United Kingdom was
estimated at upwards Of three hundred and orfyseven mil
ions, while the penny tar upon the amounted to no
more than e. that, while payments to the
exchequer have been actually sseed the service rendered
the public has been multiplied 6vefoldn other words, We
pay less for five letters than formerly paid for one
Is worth remark that the correspondence in the three
kingdoms has increased almost equally In 1889 the delve-
ries SIS, 9s2, 52O SOL sO4 and I4s in Eng
land Ireland and Scotland respectively while last yesr thew
276, 252, 642 So, 388, 895; and S. 634 The
rate Of increase has been continuous though quite
an since the reduction The first effect Of the reform
to double the deliveries once and turn the
millions into upwards of hundred and sixty millions
From that time this the increase has proceeded the rate
Of ten or twenty millions year. the smallest augmentation
being in the famous OF l848 when the delivery exceed
ed only by six millions that of lS47 and the LARGEST in the
equally famous times Of l845 when railway specuatons add
ed twenty eight millions Of epies to the correspondence Of
the year preceding The before usncludes we hard
ly know with what view, weekly account taken once
month for 1885, and from this curioss table il would seem
that during the month in which ladies talk least they write
most any rate the largest number Of letters yet counted
was for the week ending February the 3lst. g,l,a
The cost Of management has of been sweled
sideraby under the new ystem BY in proportion
have said, multiplied 6vefo the expenses are only null
tPied about twice and halt being e. AGO. 785 ID 1885,
against ESQ., 768 in 1885, The return does not comprise
the items out of which this sum is made up though spec
6es the amounts paid in each for the conveyance Of mails
by railway These amounts fuctuate rather curous from
El2 in 1889 to E206 357 in this present year Of 1851
not increasing gradually constantly but rising
falling occasionally, though with ultimate tendency RISE
We should have rather liked to the expenses of
ment and conveyance stated separately, and
comparison given between the Of railway carriages and
that Of the old mail coaches About 900 per
the total Disbursements is devoted are told to PENSIONS
and must therefore be distinguished from the direct expenses
of the post Office service. All things considered perhaps
this non-efecve charge is not heavy in fact, we believe
that post Office servants exavaganty paid
either for their work or at their retirement.
The money order Office forms distinct establishment Of
ITSELF and curious institution is The amount Of the
ders issued IN 1910, the first year Of the system,
f240 063 for England and Wales EAT 79E for Ireland and
f25 1855 for Scotland In the year 1850 thess amounts had
increased in England less sum than En- l73 622 in
Ireland to f623 1872 and in Scotland to E697 49, The
total fs, 498, and the number Of orders Of
which was composed 4,4397l3 showing m average
shlings less than 92 per order The proportion be-
tween the number and the of the orders does not vary
greatly in the three kingdoms though the average
each order somewhat larger Scotland than Ireland and
in England than Scotland The Scotch transactions ie Of
considerably in the year lS49 but the English and Irish
have steadily increased their business nor il any effect
Perceptble in the latter country, either from tho famine OF
the rebellion The Of money orders ssuedr il die
ngushed from that Of money orders paid and the differ
ence between these gross less than 900 il
oft post Office for the year ending the 3Is Of last
December Some Of these orders will no doubt have come Ia
for payment during the year but we suspect that II.
negligence accident leaving an appreca-
bic balance accumulate the side Of the Office Country
Bankers believe, used reckon upon gain of SIS Der
cent on the score OF notes lost misad boarded destroyed
otherwise not presented for payment Money orders are
doubtless vigorously exchanged for cash but there must
STILL imagine Be profit from this source especially Al
the post Office crcumscbes the Of liz iabiiy which
bankers did not Tho total expenses Of the money order
Offices both in London and the country are returned !,
f7O and the total Of commission received :,
| 973, sl3-s fair balance Of charge and service
The actual benefits, however, Of this Dr. drous reform ex
tend beyond those Immediately represented in the sures
have given. II il not the saving of four uence a,
Eve pence on letter by which the country has "a
mously gained The facaon Of business the diffusion q
inormstion the correspondence Of friends and the s;n,e
nance Of family conncxons which in old DAYS were severed
forever are the real and nesmabe ADVANTAGES NJ Mr. Ro
land Hills invention Like rsormers be had to con-
tend with violent and always sincere oppos;ton The
system indeed, oog deprived Of fair trial BY the obsti
nate resistance Of hose who should have aided him and Il
mainly owing this concerted hostility that the results are
favorable 70 the they are to the welfare
the county Butt principle now essabsheI and a an
the reductions which Chancor Of The Ercheous hss svvr
made hsrs has bsen attended with such uivers 70
lief convsnspcs, and benefit this saees Of es0o 900 tos
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