===================+======+======+======+=======+=======+=======+======= | 1869 | 1871 | 1872 | 1873 | 1874 | 1878 | 1880 -------------------+------+------+------+-------+-------+-------+------- Telegraph Companies| 2,155[A] 0| 0| 0| 0| 0| 0 Post Office | | | | | | | Telegraphs | 0| 2,441| 3,369| 3,659| 3,756| 3,761| 3,929 Railway Stations[B]| 1,226| 1,833| 1,804| 1,815| 1,816| 1,555| 1,407 |------+------+------+-------+-------+-------+------- | 3,381| 4,274| 5,173| 5,474| 5,572| 5,316| 5,336 | | | | | | | Miles of Line |21,751| ? |22,000[C] ? | 24,000[D] ? [E]23,156 Miles of Wire |90,668|68,998|91,093|104,292|106,730|114,902|114,242 ===================+======+======+======+=======+=======+=======+======= [A] In 1,882 places. [B] For the benefit of the traveling public, and of persons residing in the immediate vicinity of railway stations, the Post Office made arrangements whereby the railway companies received messages from the public for transmission to the postal telegraphs, and received messages from the postal telegraphs for delivery to the public. [C] _Report of the Postmaster General_, 1895, p. 36. [D] _The Fortnightly Review_, December, 1875, W. S. Jevons. [E] _Report of the Postmaster General_, 1880, p. 16. [57] The penny postage was introduced on December 5, 1839. ==========+===============+==============+=========== |Letters Carried| Gross Revenue|Net Revenue[A] | | $ | $ ----------+---------------+--------------+----------- 1839 | 76,000,000 | 11,955,000 | 8,170,000 1840 | 169,000,000 | 6,795,000 | 2,505,000 1845 | 271,000,000 | 9,440,000 | 3,810,000 1850 | 347,000,000 | 11,325,000 | 4,020,000 1859 | 545,000,000 | 16,150,000 | 7,230,000 1863 | 642,000,000 | 19,350,000 | 8,950,000 ==========+===============+==============+=========== [A] The British Post Office does not charge itself with interest upon the capital invested in the postal business; it charges itself only with interest upon the capital borrowed on account of the telegraphic business. [58] _Special Report from the Select Committee on the Electric Telegraphs Bill_, 1868; Appendix, pp. 27 and 28; and q. 1,813 and following, and 2,439 and following. Compare: _Hansard's Parliamentary Debates_, July 5, 1869, p. 1,219 and following, the Marquis of Hartington, Postmaster General. [59] Number of messages.