HORSING THE MAILS. 119 



prietors who horsed the mails so much a mile for 

 the use of the coaches, which the Postmaster-General 

 forced the coach-proprietors to procure from him 

 under the contract entered into. Mr. Vidler, in 

 addition to charging proprietors so much a mile 

 for the use of the coaches, received ^500 a quarter 

 or ^2000 a year for grease and oil to be used on 

 the mail-coaches, the grease for the boxes of the 

 wheels and the oil presumedly for the lamps, which 

 were as a rule four in number, two large side lamps, 

 one dash lamp, and one bull's-eye lantern, used by 

 the guard when sorting his letters and parcels. Besides 

 this, Mr. Vidler used to send in a bill for repairs and 

 accidents. 



Mr. Harris says that the sum paid to him for 

 the ten years prior to 1835, was ^32,900; after this, 

 the contracts of which, before Mr. Vidler had the ex- 

 clusive monopoly, were thrown open, and the country 

 broken up into districts, one of which was taken by 

 Messrs. Wright and Horn, large coach-builders in 

 London, whilst the Western district was taken by Mr. 

 Williams, a well-known coach-builder at Bristol. 



A style of coach, utterly different to the old mail, 

 was then introduced. This^ I learn from a writer 

 on the subject, was selected by the Postmaster- 

 General from a number of designs submitted for his 

 approval, and this new style of coach continued in 

 use until the mails were taken off the road. 



All the four-horse mails were of one size and 

 pattern, so that wheels, nuts, screws, axles, and other 

 parts intended for one coach would fit another equally 

 well ; but everything, with the exception of the gor- 

 geous colour and the brilliant gilt lettering of the royal 

 arms and initials, was of the plainest description. 



