THE ELECTRIC TELEGKAPH. 



" The wire to the Opera is a still more curious example of the 

 social services the new power is destined to perform. An abstract 

 of the proceedings of Parliament similar to the above, but in 

 writing, is posted during the performance in the Lobby, and 

 Young England has only to lounge out between the acts to know 

 if Disraeli or Lord John Russell is up, and whether he may sit out 

 the piece, or must hasten down to Westminster. The Opera-house 

 even communicates with the Strand-office, so that messages may 

 be sent from thence to all parts of the kingdom. The government 

 wires go from Somerset-house to the Admiralty, and thence to 

 Portsmouth and Plymouth by the South- Western and Great 

 Western Eailways ; and these two establishments will shortly be 

 put in communication, by means of subterranean lines, with the 

 naval establishments at Deptford, Woolwich. Chatham, Sheerness, 

 and with the Cinque Ports of Deal and Dover. They are worked 

 quite independently of the company, and the messages are sent in 

 cipher, the meaning of which is unknown even to the telegraphic 

 clerks employed in- transmitting it. In addition to the wires 

 already spoken of, street branches run from Buckingham Palace 

 and Scotland Yard (the head police-office) to the station at 

 Charing-cross, and thence on to Founder's-Court ; whilst the 

 Post-office, Lloyd's, Capel-court, and the Corn Exchange com- 

 municate directly with the central office." * 



The Magnetic Telegraph Company have made arrangements 

 by which the correspondents of the press are allowed to forward 

 messages upon an entirely different basis; the charge for intel- 

 ligence so transmitted, amounting to only one-tenth of the charge 

 to the public, the matter being more voluminous, and passing 

 through the wires at a time when they are not otherwise occupied. 



The company also supplies the press and news-rooms in 

 various parts of the United Kingdom, and especially throughout 

 Ireland, with news by contract ; at the rate of about one half- 

 penny per line of ten words ; and are enabled to do so, by making 

 manifold copies of the information (whatever be its nature) for the 

 use of all the press, &c., in each town or district, through which 

 such news passes. 



Under such arrangements, intelligence to the amount of two 

 closely printed newspaper columns, or more, daily, is transmitted 

 between all the stations, conveying information of the various 

 share, corn, cotton, coal, iron, cattle, provision, and produce 

 nun. 1 ,- xfc'ft.Ax/Co.irs^ shipping arrivals, foreign and domestic informa- 

 news, whatever its nature, obtained "in" 



* Quarterly Review, No. CLXXXIX., pp. 139 14 1 . 

 88 



