SITCCESS OF THE PENNY POSTAGE.
THE practical results of the Penny Postage experiment, so far as they have been ascertained and published, are very satisfactory. First as regards revenue. It will be remembered that Mr. Realties, who professed to have some accquaintance with the business of the department, estimated the loss to arise from the change in the rates of postage at front 1,200,000/. to 1,400,000/. Now it ap- pears from a Parliamentary paper delivered this week, and of which an abstract is given in another page, that the amount of postage collected in the London district was— Frain the 10th January to the 13th February 1839, inciu8ive £60,060 14 8 The amount collected during the same period of 1840, being that in which the Penny Post
first estate into operation 40,527 8 7 £19,533 6 1 The decrease of receipts has been less than one-third. Now if the same proportion holds good throughout the country, the loss will be only about half of Mr. Ilintares's calculation.
The gross revenue of the Post-office may he put
down at, in round numbers £2,000,000 One-third (sinking the fractions) 666,666 It must be remembered that the plan has not had a fair trial. In the first place, it is as yet imperfectly developed. The stamped covers are not ready, and the inconvenience of sending a penny with every letter continues. The stagnation of trade has been re- markable ; and the holyday on the Queen's marriage diminished the number of letters in the London district for the week in which itloccurred by no fewer than 70,000. But we regard the revenue question as subordinate to other con- siderations. Penny postage was not desired for the purpose of swelling the Treasury coffers, but for increasing the means of in- tercommunication. And it is indeed encouraging and delightful to mark how extensively this benefit has arisen front the reduction of rates.
The number of letters for the period between the 10th January and 13th February 1839, was 930,215 For the same period in 1840, under the Penny rate 2,286,385 We have made some inquiries as to the sources of this enormous increase, and are glad to learn that, to a considerable extent, it is attributable to the correspondence of the humbler classes, in their various capacities.
So thr then the great experiment works well, and bids fair to confound the croakers.
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