APPENDIX.

I. TABLES FROM THE PARLIAMENTARY RETURNS.

The parliamentary return, obligingly sent to Dr. Webb by Mr. Hume, M. P., bears date the 11th of June, 1847, and was made in pursuance of an order of the House, passed April 22, 1847. The tabular statements contained in this important paper will be examined with great interest by those who are accustomed to statistical inquiries, and are here presented for their use. Taken in connection with Mr. Hume's table, on page 4, they will present the most convincing evidence of the unparalleled success of cheap postage.

A comparative statement of the Number of Letters delivered in the United Kingdom, in one week of the month of November, 1839, and of each subsequent year, taking a week in the month of April, 1847. (Condensed from the parliamentary document.)

Years.England and Wales.Ireland. Scotland.United Kingdom.

18393 1,252,977179,931153,065 1,585,973

18402,685,181385,672385,262 3,456,115

18413,029,453403,421413,248 3,846,122

18423,282,021474,031446,494 4,202,546

18433,401,595478,941468,677 4,349,213

18443,744,011527,630511,663 4,783,304

18454,467,619597,425601,715 5,666,759

18464,629,324649,324621,850 5,890,704

18474 4,823,854698,313626,709 6,148,876

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II. An account, showing the Gross and Net Post Office Revenue, and the Cost of Management, for the United Kingdom, for the year ending the 5th day of January, 1839, and for each subsequent year.

Year endingGross Revenue.5 Cost of Management.6 Net Revenue.

5 January, 1839 £2,346,278 —s. 9½d. £686,768 3s. 6¾d. £1,659,509 17s. 2¾d.

5 January, 18407 2,390,763 10 1½756,999 7 4 1,633,764 2 9½

5 January, 18411,359,466 9 2858,677 —5¼ 500,789 11 4¼

5 January, 18421,499,418 10 11¾938,168 19 7½ 561,249 11 4¼

5 January, 18431,578,145 16 7½977,504 10 3 600,641 64½

5 January, 18441,620,867 11 10980,650 7 5¾ 640,217 4 4¼

5 January, 18451,705,067 16 4985,110 13 10¾ 719,957 2 5¼

5 January, 18461,901,580 10 2¾ 1,125,594 5 —775,986 5 2¾

5 January, 18471,978,293 11 10¼1,138,745 2 4¼ 839,548 9 6

III. Return of the Payments made by the Post Office during each of the years ending the 5th of January, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842, 1843, 1844, 1845, 1846, 1847, for the Conveyance of the Mails by Railway in Great Britain.

5th January, 1839,£12,380 5s. 7d.

5th January, 1840,52,230 1 2

5th January, 1841,51,301 6 8

5th January, 1842,94,818 7 10

5th January, 1843,77,570 5 7

5th January, 1844,96,360 10 5

5th January, 1845,89,809 4 6

5th January, 1846,179,257 4 1

5th January, 1847,107,890 14 2

IV. An account of the Number and Amount of Money Orders issued (and paid) in England and Wales (London included), from the 5th April, 1839, to 5th April, 1847, inclusive.

For the Quarters endedNumber.Amount.

5 April, 183928,838 £49,496 5s. 8d.

5 July, 183934,61259,099 9 5

5 October, 183938,51064,056 7 8

5 January, 184040,76367,411 2 7

5 April, 184076,145119,932 12 1

5 July, 184094,215151,734 15 8

5 October, 1840122,420196,507 14 3

5 January, 1841189,984334,652 14 8

5 April, 1841275,870567,518 12 3

5 July, 1841289,884608,774 11 2

5 October, 1841334,071661,099 9 —

5 January, 1842390,290820,576 11 10

5 April, 1842419,530890,575 17 1

5 July, 1842422,452885,803 4 5

5 October, 1842432,205901,549 5 5

5 January, 1843493,4391,031,850 5 3

5 April, 1843512,7981,080,249 2 2

5 July, 1843495,7231,032,643 5 11

5 October, 1843515,4581,060,023 8 7

5 January, 1844562,0301,196,428 8 2

5 April, 1844582,0561,212,094 4 9

5 July, 1844555,5611,166,161 12 3

5 October, 1844574,250 1,184,178 — 5

5 January, 1845621,8261,296,451 17 4

5 April, 1845656,4521,372,405 18 8

5 July, 1845613,5391,279,050 2 4

5 October, 1845637,3691,316,164 12 1

5 January, 1846719,8131,495,832 17 6

5 April, 1846716,6181,490,626 12 5

5 July, 1846679,2361,399,789 17 2

5 October, 1846706,0551,447,507 17 2

5 January, 1847779,7901,588,549 7 2

5 April, 1847810,6031,654,278 7 —

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The Commission on Money Orders was, on and from the 20th November, 1840, reduced as follows:

For any sum not exceeding £2, from 6d. to 3d. For any sum above £2, and not exceeding £5, from 1s. 6d. to 6d.

V. Return of the Number of Chargeable Letters, which is passed through the London General Post, inwards and outwards, in the first four weeks of each year, beginning with 1839, distinguishing the Unpaid, Paid with Coin, Stamped, and Total.8

Years.Unpaid.Paid. Stamped.Total.

18399 1,358,651263,4961,622,147

184010787,1392,217,127 3,004,266

1841370,0802,204,419 2,108,0744,683,073

1842351,1342,166,960 2,760,7575,278,851

1843312,8392,431,231 2,972,8285,716,898

1844433,2702,524,270 3,079,4186,037,526

1845504,5192,613,648 3,681,0266,800,293

1846551,4612,899,306 4,435,9667,886,733

184711448,8383,057,257 4,905,6748,411,769

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VI. Return of the Number of Chargeable Letters which passed through the London District Post, excluding all General Post Letters, in the first four weeks of each year, beginning with 1839.

Years.Unpaid.Paid. Stamped.Total.

1839800,573220,813 1,021,286

1840331,5891,207,985 1,539,574

1841157,242926,264 752,1341,835,640

1842118,101820,835 980,6941,919,630

1843113,293837,624 1,020,0911,971,008

184498,712859,776 1,181,3142,139,802

184599,005947,660 1,337,1322,383,697

1846119,1651,055,717 1,573,6032,748,485

1847108,1581,079,378 1,685,1052,872,641

The Penny Rate took effect on this route Dec. 5, 1839.

The increase of the total, since 1839, is 181 per cent.; showing that the greatest increase is out of the London District.

VII. Table by Mr. Hill, showing the loss of Revenue by the Post Office, compared with the Increase of Population.

Years.Population.Postage. Postage due byLoss.Pr. ct.

Population.

181519,552,000£1,557,291 £1,557,291

182020,928,0001,479,547 1,677,000£194,55311.6

182522,362,0001,670,209 1,789,000118,7816.6

183023,961,0001,517,952 1,917,000399,04820.

183525,605,0001,540,300 2,048,000507,70024.8

VII. Table by Mr. Hill, showing the loss of Revenue by the Post Office, compared with the Increase of the Stage-Coach Duty.

Years.Stage CoachPostage. Post due byLoss.Pr. ct.

DutyCoach Duty.

1815£217,671£1,557,291 £1,557,291

1820273,4771,479,547 1,946,000£466,45324.

1825362,6311,670,209 2,585,000914,78135.

1830418,5981,517,952 2,990,0001,472,04849.

1835498,4971,540,300 3,550,0002,009,70057.

The revenue from the stage coach duty had increased 128 per cent. in twenty years. There was no reason why the natural demand for the conveyance of letters should not have increased at least as much as the demand for the conveyance of persons. It was evident that the postage revenue fell short by at least two millions which was lost by the high rate of postage.

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NEWSPAPERS.

[From Porter's Progress of the British Nation.]

Owing to the great craving of the people for information upon political subjects during the agitation that accompanied the introduction and passing of the bill “to amend the representation of the people,” commonly known as “The Reform Bill,” a great temptation was offered for the illegal publication of newspapers upon unstamped paper, many of which were sold in large numbers in defiance of all the preventive efforts made by the officers of government. The stamp duty of fourpence per sheet was therefore taken off in 1836, leaving a stamp of 1d., as an equivalent for free postage.

IX. Table showing the Number of Newspapers at different periods, and the Revenue derived from the same.

Years.Newspapers.Revenue.

180116,085,085£185,806

181124,421,713298,547

182124,862,186335,753

182627,004,802451,676

183030,158,741505,439

183135,198,160483,153

183533,191,820453,130

183635,576,056359,826

183753,496,207218,042

183853,347,231221,164

183955,891,003238,394

184060,922,151244,416

184159,936,897

184261,495,503

1843

1844

X. Table showing the Increase of Expense in the British Post Office, consequent upon the Increase of the Number of Letters under the new System; the Rate per Letter of the Cost of additional Letters, and the Profits realized from such Increase, expressed in decimals of a penny.

Years.Increase of Letters.Increase of Cost. Additional Cost. Additional Profit.

184093,000,000£70,231 d. 0.181 d. 0.819

184127,500,000101,678 0.8870.113

184212,000,00072,256 1.44512

184312,000,00035,826 0.7160.284

184421,500,00013 —1.004

184529,500,0006,870 0.0550.945

184628,000,000140,576 1.20514

18472,2500,00023,879 0.2570.746

N. B. The increase of letters since 1839 is 246 millions, and cost of the increase is .347 of a penny; so that every letter now added to the circulation yields a net profit to the government of .625d., or nearly two thirds of the penny postage.