THE POST OFFICE. 263 



London by the mail in the morning had been 

 delivered. 



No place like the large manufacturing towns, 

 Birmingham, Liverpool or Manchester, being within 

 the limited distance, would stand much in need 

 of the expeditious delivery of a vast amount of 

 business- correspondence, and hence perhaps the 

 subject of parcel-posts remained dormant for so many 

 years. 



In the interval, however, various great and import- 

 ant changes have taken place in the Post-Office 

 department. In 1840 the penny postage was 

 established, and the Government Life Insurance and 

 Savings Banks were undertaken by the Post Office in 

 1860, the Post-Office Order department being of 

 much older date, originating as far back as the year 

 1792 ; but vast improvements have taken place, and 

 the utUity of the system has naturally very much 

 increased in various ways since that time. 



Another great benefit connected with the postal 

 department should not be passed over, viz., the 

 transmission of dividend warrants by post. 



AJl persons who are so fortunate as to have a 

 large amount payable to them in dividends on stock, 

 may not know what facilities exist for receiving them 

 without the necessity of a journey to the Bank of 

 England,' or giving some one a power of attorney. 



