year 1568, a difference arising between the Spaniards and Flemings in London, each chose their separate postmaster; and this contest occasioned a representation from the citizens to the privy council, to beseech Queen Elizabeth, to fill that employment with one of her English subjects. In the year 1581, Sir Thomas Randolph, so much employed by the queen in her foreign embassies, enjoyed the place of postmaster of England.

King James I. originally erected a post office under the controul of Matthew Le Quester, or De L'Equester, for the conveyance of letters to and from foreign parts; which office was afterwards claimed by Lord Stanhope, but confirmed and continued to William Frizell, and Thomas Witherings, by Charles I. in 1632, for the better accommodation of the English merchants. In 1635, the same prince erected a letter office, for England and Scotland, under the direction of the same Witherings, and settled certain rates of postage. But this extended only to a few of the principal roads, the times of carriage were uncertain, and the postmasters on each road were required to furnish him with horses at the rate of 24d. per mile. Witherings was superseded for abuses in both his offices, during the year 1640; and they were sequestrated into the hands of Peter Burlamachy, to be exercised under the care and oversight of the king's principal secretary of state.

In LLOYD'S WORTHIES, the following character is given of Sir Thomas Randolph; "Well studied he was in Justinian's Code, better in Machiavel's Discourses; both when a learned student of Christ Church, and a worthy principal of Broadgate's: thrice therefore was he an ambassador to the lords of Scotland in a commotion; thrice to queen Mary in times of peace; feven times to James the Sixth of Scotland, for a good understanding; and thrice to Basilides, emperor of Russia, for trade; once to Charles the Ninth, king of France, to discover his design upon Scotland; and once to Henry the Third, to open a conspiracy of his subjects against him. Great services these, bat meanly rewarded; this serviceable, but moderate and modest man, (though he had as many children at home as he had performed embassies abroad) being contented with the chamberlainship of the exchequer, and the postmaster's place; the first but a name, and the second then but a noise."

On

On the breaking out of the Civil War, great confusions and interruptions were necessarily occasioned in the conduct of the Letter Office. And, about that time, the outline of the present more extended and regular plan seems to have been conceived by Mr. Edmund Prideaux, who was appointed attorney general to the Commonwealth after the immolation of Charles I. He had been chairman of a committee in 1642, for considering what should be set upon inland letters; and afterwards appointed Postmaster by an ordinance of both houses, in the execution of which office, he first established a weekly conveyance of letters into all parts of the nation; thereby saving to the public the charge of maintaining postmasters, to the amount of 7000l. per annum. And, his own emoluments being probably very considerable, the common council of London endeavoured to erect another Post Office, in opposition; this was, however, checked by a resolution of the House of Commons, which declared, "that the office of Postmaster is, and ought to be, in the sole power and disposal of the parliament." In 1653, the Postage of England, Scotland, and Ireland, was farmed of the parliament by John Manley, Esq. for 10,000l. per annum; which agreement was confirmed by Oliver Cromwell in the following year. After he had seized the reins of government, he first formed A GENERAL POST OFFICE in 1656. Charles II. after his Restoration, legally confirmed this useful establishment; and when the revenue was ascertained, it was settled on his brother James, Duke of York, in 1663, when it produced the sum of 21,500l.

By the act of parliament for establishing a General Post Office in 1660, to be kept within the city of London, under the direction of a postmaster to be appointed by the king, it was enacted, "That the postmaster was impowered to appoint post houses in the several parts of the country hitherto unprovided, both in post and by roads :" but the postage of letters to and from all places therein. mentioned was not only ascertained, but likewise the rates of post horses to be paid by all such as should ride post.

At length, upon the union of the kingdoms of England and Scotland, a General Post Office was established by act of parliament in the year 1710, not only for the united kingdom of Great Britain, but likewise for that of Ireland, and her majesty's plantations in North America and the West Indies.

A very considerable improvement took place towards the close of the last century respecting the conveyance of letters. This was a plan suggested by Mr. Palmer, in 1784, for sending by post coaches letters from the Post Office every evening at eight o'clock. On Monday, August 2, the plan was executed to such general satisfaction, that it was approved and adopted by government, and is the present mode of conveying letters and passengers by MAIL COACHES to all parts of the British dominions.

The system of postage is thus rendered one of the most perfect regulations of finance under any existing government. It supplies, at the same time, a great revenue, and is highly beneficial to individuals; besides being a most powerful engine for promoting every end of commercial intercourse. The inland communication by mail coaches, is provided with guards well armed, and forwarded at the rate of nearly eight miles an hour, including stoppages. Government contracts with the keepers of coaches only for the carriage of mails; but the coach owners are well remunerated by the large prices which passengers pay for their safe and speedy conveyance; a good profit is also made by parcels. Indeed, to sum up the whole, such a combination of utility, expedition, and revenue, cannot be more complete, when it is considered that a letter put into the Post Office, London, before eight o'clock in the evening, arrives at its destination in Bath, or places of equal distance, early next morning.

This excellent establishment is under the government of two joint postmasters-general, who are usually noblemen, a secretary, comptrollers, presidents over the various offices, clerks of the roads, sorters, one hundred and twenty-six

letter

Ietter carriers for the inland, and twenty-one for the foreign offices; besides agents for packet boats, and vast numbers of subordinate officers.

The following is the progressive increase of the Post Office revenue: In 1644, Mr. Prideaux was supposed to collect about 7000l. per annum. It was farmed in 1654 to Mr. Manley, at 10,000l. per annum. In 1664, D. O'Neal, Esq. farmed it at 21,500l. In 1674, it was let at 43,000l. In 1685, it was estimated at 65,000l. In 1688, the amount was 76,318. In 1697, it was at 90,5051. In 1710, it was allowed to be 111,4617. In 1715, the gross amount was 145,227. In 1744, the inland office amounted to 198,2267. but the total amount of both inland and foreign offices, which can alone demonstrate the extent of our correspondence, was in that year 235,4927. Sir John Sinclair states that in 1788, this revenue produced 311,000l. In 1800 it amounted to more than half a million; and it has been said that the present revenue of the Post Office exceeds 700,000l. per annum.

TWOPENNY POST OFFICE.

The method of serving letters in, and ten miles round, the metropolis, was a project of Mr. David Murray, an upholder in Paternoster Row; he communicated the scheme to Mr. William Dockwra, who carried it on with good success for some time; till government laid hold of it as a royal prerogative. But the crown indulged him with a pension of 2001. per annum during his life.

It was erected to carry any parcel of paper under one pound within a certain circuit for one penny, to be paid by the person that sent it. But in process of time it has been so managed as to oblige the party to whom the letter or parcel is directed or delivered, to pay one penny also, if that party happened to live out of the bounds of London, Westminster, or their suburbs and liberties, or out of the borough of Southwark. And by a late act of parliament, the postage is raised to two pence.

The two principal offices are, one in the General PostOffice Yard, Lombard-Street, and the other in Gerrard

Street,

Street, Soho.

There are, besides, numerous receiving houses for letters, both in town and country.

Six collections and deliveries of letters are made in town daily, (Sundays excepted) and there are two dispatches from and three deliveries at most places in the country, within the limits of this office.

The hours by which letters should be put into the receiving houses in town, for each delivery, are as follow:

But letters, whether for town or country, may be put in at either of the two principal offices three quarters of an hour later for each dispatch.

Letters put in on Saturday evenings are delivered in the country on Sunday morning.

The dated stamp, or, if there are two, that having the latest hour, shews also the time of the day by which letters are dispatched for delivery from the principal offices.

The postage of a letter to and from parts of the town within the delivery of the General Post-Office is two-pence; beyond that delivery three-pence; and the postage of this office on each letter paffing to or from the General or Foreign Post-Offices, is two-pence.

The two-penny postage of all letters, such as are for parts out of his Majesty's dominions excepted, may or may not be paid at putting in, at the option of the senders.

No two-penny poft letter must weigh more than four ounces. The delivery of this office includes all places within the following circle, which is also inclusive.

KENT.

Woolwich, Plumstead, Shooter's-Hill, Eltham, Mottingham, South-End, Lewisham, Beckenham, and Sydenham.

SURREY.