artily received in a city known as the city of churches.
The Church had thrown herself from ancient time into the cause of the
people; progress and religion had been indissolubly linked together.

In proposing the toast "The Postal and Telegraph Service," Mr. Sidney
Humphries, J.P., present President of the Chamber of Commerce, said that
when he was asked to propose the next toast on the list, his thoughts
naturally turned to the reason for his being put forward to do this
duty, and the only explanation that had occurred to him was that having
had the hardihood to be one of a deputation to the Postmaster-General
quite recently, on the question of their local postal service, those who
had had the arrangement of this function, Mikado like, had lured him to
his punishment; but still, being in for it, many interesting thoughts
had arisen. The first, as to the foresight of that Worcestershire
schoolmaster, Rowland Hill, who, feeling the pinch of expense, made an
agreement with his sweetheart to only write once a fortnight, the rates
of postage in his early days varying from 2d. to 1s. in accordance with
the distance at which they were separated. Fortunately, his thoughts
were directed to the penny postage for all distances within the United
Kingdom, and although many spoke of him as an over-sanguine dreamer,
still events had proved his wisdom, and to-day they had a postal service
that dealt with over 3,832 million letters, postcards, and papers per
annum, giving 91 per head of the population, as against 940 millions 33
years ago, with the comparatively small number of 30 per head then.
Whilst speaking of the enormous growth of the postal business, they
must not lose sight of the wonderful growth of both the telegraph and
Savings Bank business. The former, since it was taken over by Government
in 1870, had more than justified that step, for in the following
year--1871--the number of telegrams sent was 10 millions, whilst last
year the number was well over 92 million messages. Then as regards the
Savings Bank, they could flatter themselves as to the proof it furnished
of the increased wealth of the country, for whilst the total Savings
Bank capital in 1869 was 13-1/2 millions, in 1901 it stood at over 140
millions. But whilst all this progress had been made, many helpful
suggestions had been made by men of moderate position. Take, for
instance, a time so long ago as 1784: the credit of first suggesting the
mail coach was made b