t something very like a white elephant in that vast pile. A great deal
too big for present needs, or, indeed, for any possible extension of
Post Office business."

And yet, in the 75 years which have elapsed two other Post Offices of
equal size have been built near it, and acres of ground at Mount
Pleasant--a mile off--have been covered with buildings for Post Office
purposes!

[Illustration: THE GENERAL POST OFFICE, ST. MARTIN'S-LE-GRAND, LONDON,
IN 1830.]

CHAPTER VII.

THE BRISTOL AND PORTSMOUTH MAIL FROM 1772 ONWARDS.--PROJECTED SOUTH
COAST RAILWAY FROM BRISTOL, 1903.--THE BRISTOL TO SALISBURY POST BOY
HELD UP.--MAIL COACH ACCIDENTS.--LUKE KENT AND RICHARD GRIFFITHS, THE
MAIL GUARDS.

In 1903, in connection with a projected new railway from Bristol to
Basingstoke the promoters made a strong point of the fact that the
letters for the first delivery in the important South Coast towns, such
as Portsmouth and Southampton, could not be posted quite so late in
Bristol then as could those which were carried in the olden days by the
mail coaches throughout.

A deputation, consisting of Mr. John Mardon, Mr. Sidney Humphries, Mr.
Bolt, and Mr. H.J. Spear (Secretary), representing the Chamber of
Commerce and Shipping, waited on the Postmaster-General, at the House of
Commons, London, respecting the imperfect service, and they did not fail
to point out to him (Mr. Austen Chamberlain) the time-table of the old
mail coach by way of contrast with the present service by railway.

Mr. Austen Chamberlain, replying to the deputation, said that, as
regarded the mail arrangements, he thought he had no need to show them
that he recognised the importance of Bristol as a great commercial
centre, or how largely recent developments had increased that
importance. He was also alive to the necessity of prompt means of
communication, but he was not wholly his own master. They had complained
that the train service to the South and South-Eastern Counties was very
inconvenient. That, unfortunately, was the only means of communication
upon which he had to rely. If they had been able to put before him
trains which he did not use for the transmission of mails, he might have
been able to provide facilities. With the existing train facilities the
Post Office business was conducted as well as it could be conducted.
That being so, there was no way by which he could improve that service,
except by requiring of the companies concerned that