n 1772 a letter
sent by "express" post was charged at the rate of 3d. per mile, with a
6d. fee for each stage and 2s. 6d. for the sending off.--Mails for the
Continent were made up fortnightly, and once a month for North America.
--In 1780, when James Watt was at Truro and Boulton at Birmingham, it
took thirteen days for the one to write to and get an answer from the
other, and on one occasion a single letter was eleven days on the road.
--A local "penny post" was commenced September 4, 1793, but there was
only one delivery per day and the distance was confined to one mile from
the office.--The postage on letters for London was reduced to 7d.,
December 1, 1796, but (and for many years after) if more than one piece
of paper was used the cost was doubled.--In 1814 the postage of a letter
from here to Warwick was 7d.--The system of "franking" letters was
abolished in 1839. This was a peculiar privilege which noblemen, Members
of Parliament, and high dignitaries possessed of free postage for all
their correspondence, and very strange use they made of the privilege
sometimes, one instance being the case of two maidservants going as
laundresses to an Ambassador who were thus "franked" to their
destination. This privilege cost the Post office about L100,000 a year.
--The penny postage system of Rowland Hill came into operation January
10th, 1840.--In 1841-2 there were only two deliveries per day in the
centre of the town, and but one outside the mile circle, an extra penny
being charged on letters posted in town for delivery in the outer
districts.--The collection of a million postage stamps for the Queen's
Hospital closed Sep. 5, 1859.--Halfpenny stamps for newspapers were
first used in 1870.--The telegraphs were taken to by the Post Office in
1876, the first soiree in celebration thereof being held at Bristol
Street Board School, Jan. 29, 1877.--The Inland Parcels Post came into
operation on August 1, 1883, the number of parcels passing through our
local office being about 4,000 the first day, such trifles as beehives,
umbrellas, shoes, scythes, baskets of strawberries, &c., &c, being among
them. The number of valentines posted in Birmingham on Cupid's Day of
1844 was estimated at 125,000 (the majority for local delivery), being
about 20,000 more than in the previous year.

~Power.~--That the letting of mill-power would be a great advantage to
hundreds of the small masters whose infinitude of productions added so
enormously