nt in Great Britain shows that a still greater reduction may
be perfectly relied upon to give a rate of increase fully proportionable.
The "Companion to the British Almanac," for 1842, says, "The rate of
postage in the London district, (which includes the limits of the old two
penny post,) averaged 2-{~VULGAR FRACTION ONE THIRD~}_d._ per letter, before the late changes; at
present it averages about 1-1/4_d._, and the gross revenue already equals
that of 1835. The gross receipts in 1838, the last complete year under the
old system, were L118,000; the gross revenue for 1840, the first complete
year under the new system, was $104,000."

The parliamentary committee, in their report in 1838, state, as the result
of all their inquiries, that the total number of chargeable letters
passing through the post-office annually, was about 77,500,000; franks,
7,000,000; total of letters, 84,500,000. The average postage per letter
was 7_d._ The gross receipts annually, for six years, ending with 1820,
were L2,190,597. For six years, ending with 1837, they averaged
L2,251,424. For the year 1847, the number of letters was 320,000,000, and
the gross receipts nearly equal to the old system. Here a reduction of the
price three-fourths, has increased the consumption fourfold. Some other
cases of similar bearing, may be worth stating, taken chiefly from the
parliamentary documents.

Before the reduction of the duty on newspapers in England, the price was
7_d._, and the number sold in a year was 35,576,056, costing the public
L1,037,634. On the reduction of the duty, the price was reduced to
4-3/4_d._, and the public immediately paid L1,058,779, for 53,496,207
papers.

Under the high duty on advertisements, when the price was 6_s._ each, the
number was 1,010,000, costing L303,000. By the reduction of the duty, the
price fell to 4_s._, and the number rose to 1,670,000, costing L334,000.

Formerly the fee of admission to the Armory of the Tower of London was
3_s._, at which rate there were in 1838, 9,508 visitors, who paid L1,426.
In 1839, the fee was reduced to 1_s._, and there were 37,431 visitors, who
paid L1,891. In 1840, the fee was reduced to 6_d._, and the number of
visitors in nine months was 66,025, who paid L1,650. During the entire
year ending January 31, 1841, there were 91,897 visitors, who paid L2,297.

The falling of the price of soap one-eighth, increased the consumption
one-third; the falling of tea one-sixth, increased consu