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318
The Royal Mail: Its Curiosities and Romance
·
James Wilson Hyde
65
But
though
in
the
earlier
days
of
the
mail-coaches
the
speed
achieved
by
them,
even
on
the
main
lines,
was
probably
not
more
than
seven
or
eight
miles
an
hour,
the
people
at
head-quarters
would
seem
to
have
regarded
this
as
a
thing
not
to
be
trifled
with;
for
in
a
Postmaster-General's
minute
of
1791,
directing
that,
owing
to
the
frequent
robberies,
a
caution
should
be
given
to
the
public
against
sending
bank
notes
otherwise
than
in
halves,
the
following
bit
of
advice
is
added.
The
minute
directs
that
the
notice
shall
contain
"also
a
printed
caution
at
the
foot
of
the
Table,
directing
all
persons
to
avoid,
as
far
as
may
be,
sending
any
cash
by
the
post,
partly
from
the
prejudice
it
does
the
coin
by
the
friction
it
occasions
from
the
great
expedition
with
which
it
is
conveyed,
and
especially
as
the
cash
is
so
liable
to
fall
out
of
the
letter
by
jolting,
and
to
be
found
at
the
bottom
of
the
bag,"
&c.
It
would
be
a
species
of
high
treason
to
treat
with
levity
any
kind
of
expression
or
decision
proceeding
from
a
reigning
Postmaster-General,
but
at
this
safe
distance
of
time
we
may
venture
to
smile
at
the
idea
here
propounded,
that
coins
would
seriously
suffer
by
sweating
in
a
mail-bag
conveyed
by
coach
at
the
surprising
rate
of
eight
miles
an
hour.
Such
ill-founded
apprehensions
of
the
mail-coach
speed
were
not,
however,
confined
to
post
officials,
for
Lord
Campbell
was
frequently
warned
against
the
danger
of
travelling
in
this
way,
and
instances
were
cited
to
him
in
which
passengers
died
from
apoplexy
induced
by
the
rapidity
with
which
these
vehicles
travelled!
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