At eight o'clock in the evening of every day, the mail coaches depart from Lon don, freighted with such letters and packets as have been conveyed during the day, either to the office in Lombard. street, or to that place from the various receiving-offices scattered in every direc tion, by the letter-carriers, who walk through their districts, ringing a bell from five o'clock to six, to collect those letters which have been delayed to that late hour. The coaches, which proceed to London from all parts of the kingdom, regulate their movements so as to arrive by six o'clock each morning, and from that time the sorters at Lombard-street are employed in preparing the letters for the different carriers waiting to receive them, who generally complete their delivery by twelve at noon.
Newspapers are conveyed gratis to all parts of the country, and if frivolous, vexatious, or malicious letters are sent through the medium of the post-office, upon a proper representation the money is returned ; persons are also appointed to open such letters as may be directed to individuals improperly, or who cannot be found, when they are carefully inclosed in an envelope, explaining why the seal has been violated, and returned to the writer. Letters directed to any part of England, may be sent without paying ; or the receiver will take the postage, and the receipt, or non-payment, is explained to the carriers by marks stamped on the letter ; but all letters sent out of England must be payed for on putting them into the office. Other marks, pointing out the day and hour of putting the letter into the receiver's hands, prevent the possi bility of neglect without discovery, and so great is the vigilance of the officers, that, though millions of money pass through the post-office, it is a very rare circumstance that dishonesty is disco vered in the sorters or carriers : when an individual commits a theft of this descrip tion, he is pursued with unrelenting seve rity to punishment, and the office makes good the loss.
The general post-office was originally situated in Cloak-lane, near Dowgate, whence it was afterwards removed to the Black Swan, in Bishopsgate-street, and finally to the mansion of Sir Robert Vyner, in Lombard-street; and although it has been repeatedly enlarged and improved, and may answer for the purposes required, yet it must be admitted, that such an es tablishment requires an uniform and su perb building.
The penny-post, as it was termed for more than a century, originated from the public spirit of a merchant, named Doc wra, and a Mr. Murray, who, with much difficulty and great expense, in the reign of Charles IL, proceeded so far as to establish it ; but, strange and perverse as it may appear, every species pf opposi tion and misrepresentation attended its progress, both from the public and the government, and, after a trial with the latter in the court of King's Bench, the projectors bad the mortification to find it adjudged to belong to the Duke of York, as a branch of the generat-post office.
In an advertisement used by them, in 1681, they say, "that undertakers have set up and hitherto carried on the said practice with much pains and industry, and at the expense of a great sum et money, and are as desirous to continue it for the public aervice of their native place, as to benefit themselves thereby ; yet they have met with much opposition, and many discouragements from the self-interested, the envious, and the ignorant : from the last of which (to pass by the others at pre sent) there are daily complaints of the delays of letters causelessly charged on the office, which bath proved inju rious to the progress and prosperity of their honest design, and hindering the inhabitants from reaping the advantage and conveniency thereof." After some
explanations how the delay complained of occurred, through the carelessness of persons not connected with the under taking, they add, " for some remedy to prevent such unjust reflections for the time to come, and that any person may discover where the fault lies, if his letter be delayed, the undertakers have pro vided stamps of the like form in the margin, (similar to those still used) which shall be set on each letter every hour of the day ; (at the time they are given out of their office for delivery) and all per sons are to expect their letters in an hour (little more or less) after the time stamp ed, according as the distance is further from, or nearer to, the office from whence they are sent; and if people will but con sider, that there must be an hour's time allowed for collecting every round of let ters, another for sorting and distributing, and a third for delivery, (besides an over allowance for remote parts) they would not so often mistake in their reckonings, and expect a letter should go or come as soon as if a special messenger were im mediately sent away with it, although they hope, that all ingenuous and thinking per sons do find such dispatches as do an swer their reasonable expectations." An establishment of decided and obvi ous utility, like that of the penny-post, could not fail of succeeding in time, and accordingly we find it has flourished for more than a hundred years ; but well founded complaints were sometimes urged against it during that period, which at length induced the government to take it under their immediate inspection, at the close of the last century, when, in order to meet the increased expences of every portion of the undertaking, it was determined to double the charge, and from that period it received the denomi nation of the two-penny post. In order to facilitate the conveyance of letters and packets, boys are employed, who ride small swift horses to and from the prin cipal office, situated in Gerard-street, Soho, where may be seen a miniature copy of the proceedings at the general post-office, already described.
POST-office, a general post office was erected 12 Charles II. c. 35. It was made perpetual, and part of the general fund, 3 George I. c. 7. The postmaster is not like a common carrier, and is not answerable for the loss of any money by post, nor can the country postmaster add any charge to the postage for carrying the letters out to the inhabitants of the town. The case has been several times tried and decided. A principal object in the erec tion of the post-office, was in order to have the means of inspecting letters of individuals, and discovering attempts against the Government, (see the Ordi nance 1657); and now letters may be opened by an order from a Secretary of State. For this, and other purposes, there are several penalties levied upon persons carrying or sending letters by private conveyance. Letters coming by private ships from abroad, and even let ters belonging to the owners, must also pass through the post office.