Metropolitan Board of Works also had somewhat amended the nomenclature of streets and the numbering of houses;[133] but on all three points very much remained then, and, I must add, remains still, to be done. Shortly afterwards a similar system was applied to Liverpool, by which means not only the deliveries were much improved, but the cost of erecting a new chief office was avoided.[134] RAILWAY SERVICE. _Acceleration of Mails._ While these important improvements were going forward within the London district, measures were also in steady progress for improved communication with all parts of the United Kingdom, partly by the extended use of day mails, partly by an acceleration of speed, and partly by measures for securing greater punctuality. For the further attainment of the latter object, attempts were again made to induce the companies to enter into engagements by which they and the Post Office should be mutually bound to penalties in case of unpunctuality, coupled with rewards to the companies (though, of course, not to the Post Office) for punctual performance.[135] In the year 1855 one company, viz., the North British, accepted this proposal, and the beneficial effect soon showed itself, the instances of irregularity being brought down in one half year from a hundred and twelve to nine, while the company received within the same time £400 in the way of reward.[136] Notwithstanding this result, however, the Post Office never succeeded in inducing the railway companies generally to agree to the adoption of the plan. After awhile, nevertheless, we prevailed on the companies conveying the night mail between London and Edinburgh to limit the ordinary traffic of the mail trains, and at the same time to effect a material acceleration.[137] Mainly by these means, the interval between London, on the one hand, and Edinburgh and Glasgow on the other--previously reduced from time to time--was brought down to less than eleven hours; and this, with other aids, enabled the department to deliver the letters at these important cities before business hours in the morning, and to despatch the return mails after business hours in the evening. To effect this improvement we had to make an _additional_ payment of about £15,000 a year to the railway companies alone; but the benefit was so great to Edinburgh and Glasgow--indeed to the whole of Scotland--that we did not grudge the outlay.