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1
435
Her Majesty's Mails
·
William Lewins
105
Mr.
Pitt
was
less
conservative
than
the
Post-Office
authorities.
He
clearly
inherited,
as
an
eloquent
writer[58]
has
pointed
out,
his
father's
contempt
for
impossibilities.
He
saw,
with
the
clear
vision
for
which
he
was
so
remarkable,
that
Mr.
Palmer's
scheme
would
be
as
profitable
as
it
was
practicable,
and
he
resolved,
in
spite
of
the
short-sighted
opposition
of
the
authorities,
that
it
should
be
adopted.
The
Lords
of
the
Treasury
lost
no
more
time
in
decreeing
that
the
plan
should
be
tried,
and
a
trial
and
complete
success
was
the
result.
On
the
24th
of
July,
1784,
the
Post-Office
Secretary
(Mr.
Anthony
Todd)
issued
the
following
order:--"His
Majesty's
Postmasters-General,
being
inclined
to
make
an
experiment
for
the
more
expeditious
conveyance
of
mails
of
letters
by
stage-coaches,
machines,
&c.,
have
been
pleased
to
order
that
a
trial
shall
be
made
upon
the
road
between
London
and
Bristol,
to
commence
at
each
place
on
Monday,
the
2d
of
August
next."
Then
follows
a
list
of
places,
letters
for
which
can
be
sent
by
these
mail-coaches,
and
thus
concludes:
"All
persons
are
therefore
to
take
notice,
that
the
letters
put
into
any
receiving-house
before
six
of
the
evening,
or
seven
at
this
chief
office,
will
be
forwarded
by
these
new
conveyances;
all
others
for
the
said
post-towns
and
their
districts
put
in
afterwards,
or
given
to
the
bellmen,
must
remain
until
the
following
post
at
the
same
hour
of
seven."
The
mail-coaches
commenced
running
according
to
the
above
advertisement,
not,
however,
on
the
2d,
but
on
the
8th
of
August.
One
coach
left
London
at
eight
in
the
morning,
reaching
Bristol
about
eleven
the
same
night.
The
distance
between
London
and
Bath
was
accomplished
in
fourteen
hours.
The
other
coach
was
started
from
Bristol
at
four
in
the
afternoon
on
the
same
day,
reaching
London
in
sixteen
hours.
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