Admiralty, the, 174, 236 Advertisement duty, the, 97 Adviser to the P.O., 214 Afghanistan, war in, 176 Aggrieved lady, an, 274 Air-gun, the, 200 Airy, Sir G. B., Astronomer Royal, 34 Albert Gold Medal, story of an, 299 Algeria, 14 Algerine Ambassador, the, 14 Allen, Ralph, postal reformer, 55, 71, 77 _All the Year Round_, 267 Amalgamation of two corps of letter-carriers, the, 41, 155 “Ambassador's bag,” the, 43 Ambleside, 132, 204 American Chamber of Commerce, the, 68 —— colonies, revolt of the, 17; and the paper-duty stamp, 188 —— rancher, an, 260 Amiens, the Peace of, 35, 88 Angas, Mr G. F., 19 “Anne Pryse, her boke,” 272 Annual motion, Mr Villiers', 24 —— Reports of the Postmaster-General, 171, 176, 250 Annular eclipse of the sun, 266 Anonymous letters, 225, 264, 265 “Anti-Corn-Law Catechism,” the, 143; League, the, 142, 143, 178 Appointments, the power to make, transferred to Post Office, 246; excellent appointments made by Colonel Maberly, 248; best rules for, 209, 261 Archer's perforation patent, 200 Argyll, Duke of. (See Postmasters-General) Armstrong, Sir Wm. (Lord Armstrong), 242 Army and Navy, the, 176; letters and money orders (Crimean War), 140 Arnott, Dr Niel, 28 Artist, a puzzled, 203 Ashburton, Lord, 39, 124 Ashley, Lord. (See Shaftesbury) Ashurst, Mr Wm., 114 “As if they were all M.P.s,” 131 Association for abolition of taxes on knowledge, 97 Astronomical Society, the Royal, 291 Astronomy, 6, 81; an early lesson in, 291 Athenæum Club, 31, 237; newspaper, 29 Atterbury, trial of Bishop, 114 Auction sale of lost articles, 271 Augean stable, an, 180 Augier, M., 79 Australia, 19, 65; mails to, 237, 238 Austria, 37; adopts postal reform, 251 Authors who draw on their imagination for their facts, 186-189 “Autobiographic Sketches,” De Quincey, 16 Average postage on letters, the, 41, 165 Back-stairs influence, 178-181 Bacon, Mr (Messrs Perkins, Bacon & Co.), 207 Bad bargains, the State's, 262 Baden adopts postal reform, 251 Baines family, the (_Leeds Mercury_), 117, 267 Baker, Sir B., 261 Balcombe, Miss B., 27, 28 Bancroft, United States' historian, 134 Bandiera, the brothers, 114 Bankers' franks, 45 “Barbary Corsairs, The,” 15 Baring brothers, the, 114 ——, Sir F., 138; a zealous chief, 145; first interview with, 149; discusses terms of engagement with R. H., 149-153; his friendly attitude, 154; distrusts principle of prepayment, 160; suggests compulsory use of stamps, 161; satisfied with result of tentative rate, 162; uneasy at increase of expenditure, 171; his indignation at R. H.'s dismissal, 178; dreads possible raising of postal rates, 181; on suggested revival of old system, 212 “Barnaby Rudge,” 224 Bates, Mr (Messrs Baring Brothers), 114 Bath, 71, 77, 82