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 | 1,252,977 | 179,931 | 153,065 | 1,585,973 |
| 1840 | 2,685,181 | 385,672 | 385,262 | 3,456,115 |
| 1841 | 3,029,453 | 403,421 | 413,248 | 3,846,122 |
| 1842 | 3,282,021 | 474,031 | 446,494 | 4,202,546 |
| 1843 | 3,401,595 | 478,941 | 468,677 | 4,349,213 |
| 1844 | 3,744,011 | 527,630 | 511,663 | 4,783,304 |
| 1845 | 4,467,619 | 597,425 | 601,715 | 5,666,759 |
| 1846 | 4,629,324 | 649,324 | 621,850 | 5,890,704 |
| 18474 | 4,823,854 | 698,313 | 626,709 | 6,148,876 |
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 ending | Gross 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 1½ | 756,999 7 4 | 1,633,764 2 9½ |
| 5 January, 1841 | 1,359,466 9 2 | 858,677 —5¼ | 500,789 11 4¼ |
| 5 January, 1842 | 1,499,418 10 11¾ | 938,168 19 7½ | 561,249 11 4¼ |
| 5 January, 1843 | 1,578,145 16 7½ | 977,504 10 3 | 600,641 64½ |
| 5 January, 1844 | 1,620,867 11 10 | 980,650 7 5¾ | 640,217 4 4¼ |
| 5 January, 1845 | 1,705,067 16 4 | 985,110 13 10¾ | 719,957 2 5¼ |
| 5 January, 1846 | 1,901,580 10 2¾ | 1,125,594 5 — | 775,986 5 2¾ |
| 5 January, 1847 | 1,978,293 11 10¼ | 1,138,745 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 ended | Number. | Amount. |
| 5 April, 1839 | 28,838 | £49,496 5s. 8d. |
| 5 July, 1839 | 34,612 | 59,099 9 5 |
| 5 October, 1839 | 38,510 | 64,056 7 8 |
| 5 January, 1840 | 40,763 | 67,411 2 7 |
| 5 April, 1840 | 76,145 | 119,932 12 1 |
| 5 July, 1840 | 94,215 | 151,734 15 8 |
| 5 October, 1840 | 122,420 | 196,507 14 3 |
| 5 January, 1841 | 189,984 | 334,652 14 8 |
| 5 April, 1841 | 275,870 | 567,518 12 3 |
| 5 July, 1841 | 289,884 | 608,774 11 2 |
| 5 October, 1841 | 334,071 | 661,099 9 — |
| 5 January, 1842 | 390,290 | 820,576 11 10 |
| 5 April, 1842 | 419,530 | 890,575 17 1 |
| 5 July, 1842 | 422,452 | 885,803 4 5 |
| 5 October, 1842 | 432,205 | 901,549 5 5 |
| 5 January, 1843 | 493,439 | 1,031,850 5 3 |
| 5 April, 1843 | 512,798 | 1,080,249 2 2 |
| 5 July, 1843 | 495,723 | 1,032,643 5 11 |
| 5 October, 1843 | 515,458 | 1,060,023 8 7 |
| 5 January, 1844 | 562,030 | 1,196,428 8 2 |
| 5 April, 1844 | 582,056 | 1,212,094 4 9 |
| 5 July, 1844 | 555,561 | 1,166,161 12 3 |
| 5 October, 1844 | 574,250 | 1,184,178 — 5 |
| 5 January, 1845 | 621,826 | 1,296,451 17 4 |
| 5 April, 1845 | 656,452 | 1,372,405 18 8 |
| 5 July, 1845 | 613,539 | 1,279,050 2 4 |
| 5 October, 1845 | 637,369 | 1,316,164 12 1 |
| 5 January, 1846 | 719,813 | 1,495,832 17 6 |
| 5 April, 1846 | 716,618 | 1,490,626 12 5 |
| 5 July, 1846 | 679,236 | 1,399,789 17 2 |
| 5 October, 1846 | 706,055 | 1,447,507 17 2 |
| 5 January, 1847 | 779,790 | 1,588,549 7 2 |
| 5 April, 1847 | 810,603 | 1,654,278 7 — |
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 | 1,358,651 | 263,496 | 1,622,147 | |
| 184010 | 787,139 | 2,217,127 | 3,004,266 | |
| 1841 | 370,080 | 2,204,419 | 2,108,074 | 4,683,073 |
| 1842 | 351,134 | 2,166,960 | 2,760,757 | 5,278,851 |
| 1843 | 312,839 | 2,431,231 | 2,972,828 | 5,716,898 |
| 1844 | 433,270 | 2,524,270 | 3,079,418 | 6,037,526 |
| 1845 | 504,519 | 2,613,648 | 3,681,026 | 6,800,293 |
| 1846 | 551,461 | 2,899,306 | 4,435,966 | 7,886,733 |
| 184711 | 448,838 | 3,057,257 | 4,905,674 | 8,411,769 |
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. |
| 1839 | 800,573 | 220,813 | 1,021,286 | |
| 1840 | 331,589 | 1,207,985 | 1,539,574 | |
| 1841 | 157,242 | 926,264 | 752,134 | 1,835,640 |
| 1842 | 118,101 | 820,835 | 980,694 | 1,919,630 |
| 1843 | 113,293 | 837,624 | 1,020,091 | 1,971,008 |
| 1844 | 98,712 | 859,776 | 1,181,314 | 2,139,802 |
| 1845 | 99,005 | 947,660 | 1,337,132 | 2,383,697 |
| 1846 | 119,165 | 1,055,717 | 1,573,603 | 2,748,485 |
| 1847 | 108,158 | 1,079,378 | 1,685,105 | 2,872,641 |
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 by | Loss. | Pr. ct. |
| Population. | |||||
| 1815 | 19,552,000 | £1,557,291 | £1,557,291 | ||
| 1820 | 20,928,000 | 1,479,547 | 1,677,000 | £194,553 | 11.6 |
| 1825 | 22,362,000 | 1,670,209 | 1,789,000 | 118,781 | 6.6 |
| 1830 | 23,961,000 | 1,517,952 | 1,917,000 | 399,048 | 20. |
| 1835 | 25,605,000 | 1,540,300 | 2,048,000 | 507,700 | 24.8 |
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 Coach | Postage. | Post due by | Loss. | Pr. ct. |
| Duty | Coach Duty. | ||||
| 1815 | £217,671 | £1,557,291 | £1,557,291 | ||
| 1820 | 273,477 | 1,479,547 | 1,946,000 | £466,453 | 24. |
| 1825 | 362,631 | 1,670,209 | 2,585,000 | 914,781 | 35. |
| 1830 | 418,598 | 1,517,952 | 2,990,000 | 1,472,048 | 49. |
| 1835 | 498,497 | 1,540,300 | 3,550,000 | 2,009,700 | 57. |
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.
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. |
| 1801 | 16,085,085 | £185,806 |
| 1811 | 24,421,713 | 298,547 |
| 1821 | 24,862,186 | 335,753 |
| 1826 | 27,004,802 | 451,676 |
| 1830 | 30,158,741 | 505,439 |
| 1831 | 35,198,160 | 483,153 |
| 1835 | 33,191,820 | 453,130 |
| 1836 | 35,576,056 | 359,826 |
| 1837 | 53,496,207 | 218,042 |
| 1838 | 53,347,231 | 221,164 |
| 1839 | 55,891,003 | 238,394 |
| 1840 | 60,922,151 | 244,416 |
| 1841 | 59,936,897 | |
| 1842 | 61,495,503 | |
| 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. |
| 1840 | 93,000,000 | £70,231 | d. 0.181 | d. 0.819 |
| 1841 | 27,500,000 | 101,678 | 0.887 | 0.113 |
| 1842 | 12,000,000 | 72,256 | 1.445 | 12 |
| 1843 | 12,000,000 | 35,826 | 0.716 | 0.284 |
| 1844 | 21,500,000 | 13 | — | 1.004 |
| 1845 | 29,500,000 | 6,870 | 0.055 | 0.945 |
| 1846 | 28,000,000 | 140,576 | 1.205 | 14 |
| 1847 | 2,2500,000 | 23,879 | 0.257 | 0.746 |
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.
Footnotes
1 “The estimate for 1839 is founded on the ascertained number of letters for one week in the month of November, and strictly speaking, it is for the year ending Dec. 5th, at which time 4d. was made the maximum rate. The estimate for each subsequent year is founded on the ascertained number of letters for one week in each calendar month.”
2 “This is exclusive of about six and a half millions of franks.”
3 The number of franks was ascertained for each of the weeks ending January 11, January 21, and February 4, 1838; and the mean of these three gives 126,212 as the estimated number for one week, which is 8 per cent. of the whole, and leaves 1,459,761 as the number of chargeable letters.
4 Week ending April 21, 1847. The whole number in the week ending February was 6,569,696. The number 6,148,876, for one week, multiplied by 52, gives 319,741,552, the total number for the year 1847.
5 Namely, the gross receipts, after deducting the returns for refused letters, &c.
6 Including all payments out of the revenue in its progress to the Exchequer, except advances to the Money Order Office; of these sums £10,307 10s. per annum is for pensions, and forms no part of the disbursements on account of the service of the Post Office.
7 This year includes one month of the Fourpenny Rate.
8 By multiplying any of these numbers by 13, you get the number for 62 weeks, which is, for all practical purposes, the number for a year; as 20,087,971 in 1839, to 109,362,997 in 1847
9 Estimated from an enumeration for four several weeks in that year.
10 The Penny Rate commenced Jan. 10, 1840; Stamps, May 6, 1840.
11 The increase of the total, since 1839, is 418 per cent.; of paid in coin, since 1840, 39 per cent.; of unpaid, since 1841, 21 per cent.; of stamps, since 1841, 183 per cent.
12 Cost diminished by £364, equal to d. 0.004 per letter.
13 Cost increased equal to d. 0.445 per letter.
14 Cost increased equal to d. 0.205 per letter.