[51] The above account is taken from a paper which was ordered by the House of Commons to be printed 8th December, 1796. From the gross produce of the year ending 5th April, 1796, there has been deducted in that statement the sum of 36,666l., in consequence of the regulation on franking, which took place on the 5th May, 1795, and was computed at 40,000l. per ann. To show an equal number of years, both of peace and war, the accounts of two preceding years are given in the following table, from a report made since Mr. Burke's death by a committee of the House of Commons appointed to consider the claims of Mr. Palmer, the late Comptroller-General; and for still greater satisfaction, the number of letters, inwards and outwards, have been added, except for the year 1790-1791. The letter-book for that year is not to be found.
POST-OFFICE.
| Gross Revenue | £ | Number of Letters. | |
| April, 1790-1791 | 575,079 | Inwards. | Outwards. |
| 1791-1792 | 585,432 | 6,391,149 | 5,081,344 |
| 1792-1793 | 627,592 | 6,584,867 | 5,041,137 |
| 1793-1794 | 691,268 | 7,094,777 | 6,537,234 |
| 1794-1795 | 705,319 | 7,071,029 | 7,473,626 |
| 1795-1796 | 750,637 | 7,641,077 | 8,597,167 |
From the last-mentioned report it appears that the accounts have not been completely and authentically made up for the years ending 5th April, 1796 and 1797; but on the Receiver-General's books there is an increase of the latter year over the former, equal to something more than 5 per cent.
[52] In a debate, 30th December, 1796, on the return of Lord Malmesbury.—See Woodfall's Parliamentary Debates, Vol. XIII. p. 591.
GENERAL LICENSES.
| Years of Peace. | £ | Years of War. | £ | |
| 1787 | 44,030 | 1793 | 45,568 | |
| 1788 | 40,882 | 1794 | 42,129 | |
| 1789 | 39,917 | 1795 | 43,350 | |
| 1790 | 41,970 | 1796 | 41,190 | |
| £166,799 | £170,237 | Increase to 1790 £3,438. | ||
| 1791 £44,240 | 4 Years to 1791 £167,009 | Increase to 1791 £3,228. | ||