to the examination of competent persons, stated at 20,000l., which includes a liberal allowance for contingencies; and the committee recommend that a grant of 20,000l., be made by parliament for trying that experiment with the least possible delay." REPORT from the SELECT COMMITTEE on DIVISIONS of the HOUSE. The Select Committee appointed To call over the whole house upon each division, and to enter the names of the members present would have occasioned a loss of time which the committee did not feel themselves justified in reconimending. It was suggested indeed, that all members entering the house should inscribe their names in a book, on each successive day of the session, and that the names thus inscribed should alone be called over, in the event of a division; but as no provision was suggested for cases where a division of great importance was followed by a division of minor importance, and where the original list of 300 or 400 members became applicable to a division of fifty or sixty members, the committee felt that such a regulation would be attended with great inconvenience, and consequently could not adopt it. The scantiness of the accommo. dation afforded by the present buildings of the house provented the committee from suggesting, as they would otherwise have been inclined to do, that upon every division, the ayes and the noes should be sent forth into two different lobbies and the names of the members taken down simultaneously as they re-entered the house by opposite doors. The committee beg, however, to state, that if the house should feel disposed at any future time, to build an additional lobby in the vacant space at the east end of the house, there is no plan which, in their judgment, combines so many recommendations as this, or might so easily be carried into effect. Under existing circumstances, and with a regard to existing localities, the committee must content themselves with submitting to the house the following propositions: 1. That in all divisions, both of the house and in committee, the presumed minority be directed to go forth into the lobby as at present and all the remaining members to take their seats in the body of the house. 2. That two tellers be appointed to stand on the floor of the house, accompanied by two clerks. 3. That one of these clerks, commencing, as now, at the end of the back bench, shall call aloud the name of each member in succession, which shall be entered by the other clerk on a paper or pasteboard, with lines ruled, and numbered; the tellers counting, as the clerks proceed, and communicating to the clerk the result. 4. That so soon as the members within the house are counted, the tellers and clerks shall proceed to the lobby doors, and that one clerk shall call, and the other take down, on similar paper, the names of each member as he comes into the house, the tellers counting, and announcing the result, as at present. 5. That the lists thus taken be brought up to the table by the tellers, and deposited there for insertion in the votes. The committee have ascertained, by experiment, that thirty names can be called over and entered in one minute, in short hand; but Mr. Joseph Gurney, on his examination, stated it to be his impression that a quick long hand writer, with the help of such occasional abbreviations as practice would suggest, would take down the names very nearly as fast as he could, in short hand, himself, and might certainly enter twenty-five names in a minute. The committee will assume twenty names to be the maximum, and allow five minutes for each 100 names. In this case, a division of 400 members would occupy 20 minutes, which is very little more than is required under the present system, the average time consumed in counting 100 members (taken on a mean of those who go out and those who remain in the house) being from three to four minutes. Now, if the principle of publicity be worth any sacrifice at all, it is certainly worth so small a sacrifice as this; nor does the committee believe that, under any conceivable system, a much greater degree of expedition can be combined with that accuracy which it is essential to ensure where the votes are published with the sanction of the Speaker's name. The committee do not anticipate any difficulty in finding clerks sufficiently well acquainted with the persons of members to call the name of each member in succession as proposed; but, in the very rare cases where such difficulty might occur, it would be removed instantly by the interference of the tellers, or of the member himself. AN ACCOUNT of the PRINCIPAL IMPROVEMENTS in the management of the POST OFFCE, which have taken place by order of the PostMASTER-GENERAL during the last three years. The consolidation of the postoffices of England, Scotland, and Ireland, and the abolition of the separate appointments at the head of the two latter departments. A new establishment for the General Post-office in London, and consolidation of the departments of account, with a diminution of seventeen officers, an immediate saving of 5,2581. per annum, and a further prospective reduction of 1,190l. A new establishment for the General Post-office, Edinburgh. A new establishment for the General Post-office in Dublin, with a diminution of about fifty officers, and a saving of between 5,000 and 6,000l. per annum. A daily post with France. Negotiation with Belgium for a post four times, instead of twice, a-week, with Ostend, thus doubling the number of communications with Belgium, and other parts of the continent, the correspondence of which is forwarded by that route. This measure only awaits the formal approval of the Belgian Government. The communication with Hamburgh and Holland established by steam vessels instead of sailing packets.* It was necessary to dispense with nine established sailing packets at Harwich; by the appointment of some of the captains to other stations, as vacancies have occurred, three officers only are now on the retired list. Two of these, from age, must have been superannuated shortly, and the third only awaits the first vacancy to be again brought into active service. The correspondence with France passing by cross-post accelerated twenty-four hours. The general-post delivery in London extended to a circle of three miles from the General Post-office. The twopenny-post extended to a circle of twelve miles from the General Post-office. The delivery of letters throughout London greatly accelerated, so that in ordinary cases it should be finished by ten o'clock in the morning, Mondays excepted.* The foreign mails delivered with the inland letters some hours earlier than beforet. The more expeditious distribution of letters by foreign mails arriving after the general delivery‡. The extension of time for the receipt of letters to be forwarded by the foreign mails; they are now • The despatch of the letter carriers from the General Post-office must vary according to the arrival of the mailcoaches, and the quantity of letters, foreign mails, ship letters, &c. Some of the mail-coaches do not arrive until seven o'clock and after, and a considerable time is required for the assortment of the letters and adjustment of the secounts before the delivery can commence. The average number of letters arriving in London on ordinary mornings may be taken at 43,000; on Mondays 10,000 more. The foreign delivery did not commence until ten, a. m. These letters were distributed by the twopenny post, and only at fixed hours, corresponding with the deliveries of that department. They are now sent out as soon as they can be assorted and got ready. taken in every evening as late as those for the United Kingdom. An earlier delivery of letters throughout the country districts of the two-penny post, and an additional delivery and collection every day at nearly every place round London. The general-post delivery at Edinburgh extended, and the posts in the neighbourhood much improved. Fourteen new post-towns established in addition to thirty-three which had been established since the occupation of the enlarged General Post-office in St. Martin's le-Grand. The mail-coaches throughout the kingdom have been generally accelerated, especially those to and from Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Glasgow, the principal commercial districts, and the main lines of cross-roads. It is to be observed that when a post is improved, it is not the points of arrival and departure only that are affected, but the inhabitants of every intermediate place on the whole route derive the advantage of an earlier receipt of their correspondence, and a longer interval for answers, and that the improvement extends to the branches from the main lines. Twelve new mail coaches established: amongst others, one direct between Bristol and Liverpool, and many extended and improved. Thirty-four new horse posts established, and numerous others accelerated, connecting main lines of communication, and enabling places wide of such main lines to answer letters earlier, and in many cases by return of post. One hundred and twenty-eight local posts established, affording accommodation to many hundred villages and places in the neigh VOL. LXXVI. bourhood and intermediate of posttowns, where there had not previously been any official and responsible arrangement. Additional clerks and letter-carriers appointed at many post-towns for the acceleration of the delivery of the correspondence within those towns and in the neighbourhood. An increase to the number of receiving-houses for letters at many towns where the extension of buildings has called for it, and additional communications to those already existing between neighbouring towns of importance. Improvements of this description are so numerous, and so constantly in progress, that any attempt at minute detail would be tedious and unnecessary. The abolition of the fee or gratuity on the delivery of letters within post-towns; this is already nearly accomplished at every town in the kingdom, and will be completed as soon as the necessary arrangements for a free delivery can be made at the very few posttowns where a fee is yet charged. A new and improved arrangement of the ship-letter duty at Liverpool*, for the better and more expeditious despatch and receipt of letters conveyed by merchant-vessels between that port and places beyond seas. A new arrangement of the mailboat service in the West Indies, for the more efficient performance of the duty, at a considerable saving of expense to the public. The regulation of post-office agencies at home and abroad as Above 1,200 ship-letter mails are forwarded via Liverpool in the course of a year, and about 365,000 ship-letters of that port for the United Kingdom. are received annually at the Post-office Z vacancies occur, attended with a considerable reduction of expense*. The post and post-office regulations in the British North American provinces in a course of revision. The main line of communication with Ireland by Holyhead and Dublin has been essentially improved. The mail that leaves London at eight o'clock at night reaches Dublin, under ordinary circumstances of weather, between seven and eight on the second morning+; and arrangements have been made, (to commence from the 1st of next month,) by which letters from Dublin for London will be taken in at the General Postoffice as late as those for the interior, affording to the Irish Government and the public of the metropolis of Ireland two hours more time for their correspondence with this country, in addition to a previous extension of one hour. The communication by the Milford line has also been improved, affecting the correspondence with Waterford, Cork, and much of the south-west of Ireland. The power of the machinery of the packets increased at Holyhead and most of the other stations. The mail-coaches materially accelerated, especially those to and from Cork, Waterford, Belfast and Derry; and an improved description *This has already been carried into effect at Dover, Harwich, Jamaica, Brazil, Gibraltar, and Cuxhaven. The object is not merely to reduce the annual charge upon the revenue, but to relieve the expenditure of the department of dead weight in pensions. +Thirty-five to thirty-six hours from London to Dublin; 269 miles by land and a sea-passage of seventy miles, including stoppages for official business and other necessary purposes. of carriage introduced as contracts expire. Nine new mail-coaches established. Progressive regulation of the Irish mail-coach contracts, which were formerly for such long pe riods as to retard the possibility of improvement on any particular line of road. Those yet unexpired will be placed upon the improved system as they fall in. Forty-five new and direct post communications opened, and about sixty much improved. One hundred and eighty-seven local posts established where there had not been any official accommo◄ dation before. The abolition of the system of subletting contracts for posts, insuring the more punctual performance of the service, at a considerable reduction of expense to the public. An The abolition of the fee or gratuity on the delivery of letters within post-towns, heretofore general throughout Ireland. official delivery has already been provided at many principal commercial towns, and will be extended as soon as the necessary arrangements can be made. The delivery of letters in Dublin and its vicinity expedited, and additional offices established for the reception of letters. The circulation of letters in the south of Ireland revised, connected with the alteration of mail-coaches, affording more or less advantage to the communications with Dublin and England. The circulation of letters in the north of Ireland revised and improved. General Post-office, Feb. 24 |