CONTENTS.

	PAGE
[Frontispiece—Mail-Coach in Thunderstorm.]
Past and Present contrasted,	[1]
Liberty of Subject and Public Opinion,	[5]
Abuses of Power,	[7]
Slow Diffusion of News,	[17]
[Illustration—Analysis of London to Edinburgh Mail of 2d March 1838]
State of Roads and Insecurity of Travelling,	[27]
Foot and Horse Posts,	[33]
[Illustration—The Mail, 1803]
The Mail-Coach Era,	[40]
[Illustration—The Mail, 1824]
[Illustration—Modern Mail "Apparatus" for Exchange of Mails]
[Illustration—The Mail-Coach Guard]
Dear Postage,	[80]
[Diagrams—Roundabout Communications]
Streets first Numbered,	[88]
Postmasters as News Collectors,	[91]
[Illustration—The Bellman]
Mail-Packet Service,	[96]
[Illustration—Holyhead and Kingstown Packet "Prince Arthur"]
Penny Postage,	[111]
[Illustration—Handbill used in Penny Postage Agitation]
Various Business of the Post Office,	[119]
Staff of the Post Office,	[123]
[Illustration—Tontine Reading-Rooms Glasgow]
Value of Early News by Post,	[130]
Diffusion of Parliamentary News by the Telegraph and Press,	[136]
Results of Rapid Communications,	[139]

[Frontispiece.