gle letter was eleven days on the road. —A local "penny post" was commenced September 4, 1793, but there was only one delivery per day and the distance was confined to one mile from the office.—The postage on letters for London was reduced to 7d., December 1, 1796, but (and for many years after) if more than one piece of paper was used the cost was doubled.—In 1814 the postage of a letter from here to Warwick was 7d.—The system of "franking" letters was abolished in 1839. This was a peculiar privilege which noblemen, Members of Parliament, and high dignitaries possessed of free postage for all their correspondence, and very strange use they made of the privilege sometimes, one instance being the case of two maidservants going as laundresses to an Ambassador who were thus "franked" to their destination. This privilege cost the Post office about £100,000 a year.—The penny postage system of Rowland Hill came into operation January l0th, 1840.—In 1841-2 there were only two deliveries per day in the centre of the town, and but one outside the mile circle, an extra penny being charged on letters posted in town for delivery in the outer districts.—The collection of a million postage stamps for the Queen's Hospital closed Sep. 5, 1859.—Halfpenny stamps for newspapers were first used in 1870.—The telegraphs were taken to by the Post Office in 1876, the first soiree in celebration thereof being held at Bristol Street Board School, Jan. 29, 1877.—The Inland Parcels Post came into operation on August 1, 1883, the number of parcels passing through our local office being about 4,000 the first day, such trifles as beehives, umbrellas, shoes, scythes, baskets of strawberries, &c., &c., being among them. The number of valentines posted in Birmingham on Cupid's Day of 1844 was estimated at 125,000 (the majority for local delivery), being about 20,000 more than in the previous year.
Power.—That the letting of mill-power would be a great advantage to hundreds of the small masters whose infinitu'le of productions adiled so enormously to the aggregate of our local trade was soon "twigged" by the early owners of steam engines. The first engine to have extra shafting attached for this purpose was that made by Newcomen for a Mr. Twigg in Water Street (the premises are covered by Muntz's metal works now), who, in 1760, advertised that he had "power to let."
Presentations.—No local antiquarian has yet given us note of the first public presentation made by the inhabitants of this town, though to the men they have delighted to honour they have never been backward with such flattering and pleasing tokens of goodwill. Some presentations have been rather curious, such as gold- plated buttons and ornate shoe buckles to members of the Royal Family in hopes that the patronage of those individuals would lead to changes in the fashion of dress, and so influence local trade. The gift of a sword to Lord Nelson, considering that the said sword had been presented previously to a volunteer officer, was also of this nature. The Dissenters of the town gave £100 to the three troops of Light Horse who first arrived to quell the riots in 1791, and a similar sum was voted at a town's meeting; each officer being presented with a handsome sword. Trade should have been good at the time, for it is further recorded that each magistrate received a piece of plate valued at one hundred guineas.—Since that date there have been hundreds of presentations, of greater or lesser value, made to doctors and divines, soldiers and sailors, theatricals and concert-hall men, lawyers and prizefighters, with not a few to popular politicians and leading literary men &c. Lord Brougham (then plain Mr.
