THE POST OFFICE. 253 



These were the only two places to which day-mails 

 out of London were established, perhaps they were 

 considered the only two places sufficiently important 

 within an available distance from London ; and there 

 was also the prospect of the railways partially opening 

 ■ and becoming of service in carrying mails out of 

 London in the morning, rendering the establishment of 

 other day-mails unnecessary. 



When this opportunity arose, it was still founci 

 necessary to send a guard with the bags, for the same 

 reason that was alleged by the Post Office with regard 

 to the coaches, as it was said that the guard or 

 coachman of a stage-coach was principally concerned 

 about the passengers and luggage ; but on a mail the 

 guard was their own servant, and had a specific duty 

 to attend to, whereas on a stage-coach the letter-bag 

 would be the last thing the guard would think of. 



Before the railways out of London actually opened, 

 and were taken into the service of the Post Office, 

 that is to say in 1836, a gentleman holding a high 

 position in the General Post Office, speaking as to the 

 anticipated facilities of forwarding the mails by rail- 

 road, said it would entirely depend upon a point 

 which had not been ascertained, viz., whether rail- 

 roads could be travelled on by night. He thought it 

 might be accomplished by gas-lights and strong lights 

 for short distances, but it was very questionable 



