Chapter XIII

Model of Mail coach--Patent Coaches--Thomas Hasker--His pithy
Instructions--Roof-loading--The King's Interest in his Coach--General
Result of Palmer's Plan--Condition of the country Post Offices--Francis
Freeling--Enlargement of the General Post Office--Communication with
France--Bank Notes cut in half--Letter-carriers put into Uniform--Grant
to Post Office Servants--Development of the Penny Post--Edward
Johnson--Excessive Absence among the Letter-carriers--By the Penny
Post prepayment ceases to be compulsory--The Ten-mile Limit--Origin
of the Twopenny Post--Dead Letter Office--American and West Indian
Correspondence--Correspondence for the India House--Post with the
Channel Islands--Further Restrictions on Franking--Bankers' Franks--
Patterns and Samples--Metropolitan Cart Service--Horse and Cross
Posts--Rates of Postage increased--Mysterious doings of the Packets--
Brilliant Engagements--Post Office Usage--Counsels' Fees--New Years'
Gifts--Todd's Indifference to Censure--His Death 281

CHAPTER XIV

Ship-letter Office--Increase in Rates of Postage--Abolition of the Penny
Post--Invoices and Bills of Lading--Convention Posts--Prosecutions--
Auckland's Pleasantries--Repressive Powers--Guarding the Horse-mails--
Recovery of stolen Mail Bag--Troubles with Contractors--Surveyors
deprived of their Post Offices--Rates of Postage again increased--
Threepenny Post--Post Office Revenue--William Cobbett--Early or
Preferential Delivery--Treatment of Foreign Newspapers--Newspaper
Summaries--The _Times_--Olney Post---Death-blow to Convention Posts--
Turnpike Trusts--Exemption from Toll--Roads discoached--Yet further
Increase in Rates of Postage--Bewildering Complications--Want of
Publicity--Exemption from Toll abolished in Scotland--Returned-letter
Office--New Ship-letter Act--Mail Service to India and the Cape--
Generosity of the East India Company--Eulogistic Letter 328

CHAPTER XV

The Irish Post Office--British Mail Office--Earl of Clancarty--Edward
Smith Lees--Abuses--Express Clerks and Clerks of the Roads--Alphabet--
Provision for Soldiers' Wives--Thomas Whinnery, Postmaster of Belfast--
Charles Bianconi--Holyhead Packets--Opposition Packets started by
Lees--Steam Packets--Competition--Land Communication with Ireland--London
and Holyhead Coach--Sir Arthur Wellesley--State of the
Roads--Road between Holyhead and Shrewsbury--Thomas Telford--John
London Macadam--Road between Shrewsbury and London--Postage
over the Conway and Menai Bridges 366

CHAPTER XVI

Appointment of Second Postmaster-General abolished--Other Economies--
Transfer of the Falmouth Packets to the Admiralty--Speed of
Mail-coaches--Mail-coaches the Disseminators of News--Newspapers--Sir
Henry Parnell--Royal Commission--General Review--Gerrard Street--
Headquarters of the General Post Office removed to St.
Martin's-le-Grand--Branch Offices--Morning Delivery expedited--First
Mail sent by Railway--Duke of Richmond--Incorporation of the Irish
Post Office with the Post Office of Great Britain--Lord Althorp--
Limits of the General Post Delivery--Packet Service put up to public
Competition--Abolition of the Newspaper Privilege--Dissatisfaction
with the Post Office--Money Order Office--Unsatisfactory Returns to
the House of Commons--Indisposition to carry out Reforms--More
unsatisfactory Returns--New Contract for Mail-coaches--Freeling's
Despondency--and Death 396

APPENDIX 429

INDEX 439

ERRATA [see Transcriber's note at the end of the book.]

Page 324, sixth line from bottom, _for_ 1713 _read_ 1703.
" 339, first line, _for_ 1892 _read_ 1802.

HISTORY OF THE POST OFFICE